Acting is a one of a kind profession, when you think about it. In what other line of work is it not only acceptable, but widely encouraged, for you act as unhinged and outright creepy as possible? Throughout the history of cinema, actors have built up a profile and an image; it's an inevitable association the world begins to have with a performer. For example, we all know well that Nicolas Cage will, regardless of the nature of the film he's in, break out into a full on yelling-ball-of-crazy at least once in every role. Similarly, Tom Cruise is widely regarded as appearing in, sprinting inexplicably in, and ultimately saving the day in, a mega-money blockbuster. These are roles we've simply accepted as "the norm." However, there are times when we are caught out by our assumptions, and an actor pulls off a performance which ends up staying with us for years. If this performance is a serious/drama role, they'll win awards. If it's funny, they'll warm our hearts. But if the performance is disturbing, we'll all take notice out of complete and utter shock - who'd have thought it possible? Yes, sometimes the performance will disturb us due to the previous profile of an actor, whereas other times it'll be simply down to the fact that the actor did not look suitable for the role in the first place. So let's get down to the nitty gritty and take a look through the 10 most unexpectedly disturbing performances in film to date...
