3. Anthony Hopkins - The Silence Of the Lambs (1991)
The Movie: A young F.B.I. cadet must confide in an incarcerated and manipulative killer to receive his help on catching another serial killer who skins his victims. The Scenery-Chewing Performance: Anthony Hopkins, of course, plays Dr. Hannibal Lecter, an astoundingly clever forensic psychiatrist who also happens to be a cannibalistic serial killer. Its held up as one of the greatest villainous performances in the history of cinema. Yet, in reality, its just a huge exercise in scenery chewing (which certainly isnt a bad thing). Here is an example of an actor making so much of so little given that he has only around 16 minutes of screen time and making his presence felt throughout the entire film. Hopkins delivers a truly terrifying performance that has been widely parodied, having well and truly entered into the pop-culture lexicon. Easily his most widely-praised, discussed and beloved character, it is without question a faultless performance that injects the film with the pep it needed to go on and win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.