2. Louise Fletcher - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
As the cold-hearted and manipulative Nurse Ratched, Louise Fletcher is remarkable. Ratched is a perversion of her craft; a nurse should be a giver of care and a healer, but instead she exploits the weaknesses of the vulnerable, showing little to no remorse while doing so. For the film's entirety Ratched encourages tensions, deviating wildly from the job she should actually be carrying out, upsetting and discouraging all of the patients she should be helping. Not only do her cold mannerisms and harsh make-up help her look the part, her cool delivery of lines and love of power ensure she IS the part. Fletcher won an Oscar for the role, and in her acceptance speech jokingly thanked everyone for hating her so much. This truly was a job well done.
