10 Movie Characters Who Were Perfectly Cast (The Third Time)

6. Blofeld - Donald Pleasence (You Only Live Twice)

The Predecessors

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is unquestionably the most iconic James Bond villain who has ever been, and a total of nine actors have played the part of the feline-stroking megalomaniac in various degrees over the last 50+ years.

For Blofeld's first two appearances in From Russia with Love and Thunderball, the part was shared between two actors, with Anthony Dawson cameoing as Blofeld's hands and head, while Eric Pohlmann provided the voice.

Naturally there wasn't much dramatic meat for either actor to chew through, and ultimately they really just functioned as stand-ins while Bond producers found a name talent to play the antagonist.

Third Time's The Charm...

Blofeld's cinematic coming-out party occured in You Only Live Twice, where he was played by legendary character actor Donald Pleasence.

Though the actor is himself hidden in the shadows for much of the film, his third-act performance is an uproarious delight, thoroughly living up to those prior teases.

Six other actors subsequently played the part - including Telly Savalas, Max von Sydow and, most recently, Christoph Waltz - but not one of them matched Pleasence's sensibly restrained performance.

Unfortunately, several of his successors either went full ham or, in the case of Charles Gray's Blofeld, deathly dull.