8 Terrifying Villains You Didn't Realise Were Played By Great Directors

3. Mark Rydell - The Long Goodbye

You probably don't recognise the name now, but there was a time when director Mark Rydell was something of an awards magnet, with Oscar noms coming in by the bucketload for the likes of On Golden Pond, The Rose and The River. Basically, films you've never heard of. At least more lasting than those projects is Rydell's turn as Mob boss Marty Augustine in Robert Altman's contemporary noir The Long Goodbye. Like John Cassavetes, Rydell was getting some minor acting work before he found success as a filmmaker, but his big break on the big screen came after he'd caught the directing bug and fellow director Altman realised he might be able to play a despicable asshole really well. Whereas his films are known to be full of syrup and schmaltz, Rydell's role in The Long Goodbye sees him doing the most abhorrent things a villain could do - like bottling his own girlfriend in the face just to prove he has the power to do it. The scariest thing about Marty is that he's utterly insane, and has the influence to ensure no one will stop him from doing whatever he wants.