10 Greatest Movie Villains Of The Last Decade

Fans of prison drama Oz were well aware of how fearsome J.K. Simmons could be, but to others he was Peter Parker’s gruff boss, or the avuncular dad from Juno. The imposing actor stepped things up in a big way with his Oscar winning turn in the high stakes music thriller Whiplash.

As fearsome conductor Terence Fletcher, Simmons is rage personified. A perfectionist educator, he believes that fear is the ultimate motivator for his charges, college musicians who are desperate to impress as well as to keep out of his bad books. He hurls abuse at the cowed kids when they displease him, convinced that the tough “love” will turn them into hardened, professional players.

The brilliance of Whiplash is that, it seems, he’s basically correct. He’s the maverick writ large - he’s unorthodox, but there’s no denying he gets results. There’s much to chew over in Whiplash: do the ends justify the means?

Perhaps they do, though Simmons’ snarling, withering performance makes you think twice. Is this level of abuse acceptable for the prize of great jazz? It really depends on who you ask. He's a villain of unusual depth.