3. Tommy DeVito - Goodfellas (1990)
"Funny how, I mean funny like I'm a clown? I amuse you?" Another Oscar winner here; Joe Pesci's performance in Goodfellas is responsible for creating one of the most memorable scenes in film history, and certainly one of the most intense. In that animalistic scene, Pesci's performance is wild and unhinged, provocatively energetic and utterly gripping - we get a glimpse of exactly what sits under the surface of Tommy, and for the rest of the film that explosion - though comical - hangs over his demeanour ominously. Tommy is irresistible, just charming enough to balance his villainy, but utterly deplorable when we see what he is capable of. A lot of bad guys are kind of middle of the road these days and you very rarely get someone who is just a horrific person that you feel no sympathy for whatsoever. Unfortunately, Joe Pesci's career hasn't had a lot of iconic roles like this one - aside perhaps from the Home Alone franchise - but that does help preserve the impact of this role for more modern audiences.