Batman Vs Superman: 7 Iconic Villain Roles That Prove Irons Is Miscast As Alfred

5. Claus Von Bulow (Reversal Of Fortune)

Admittedly this isn't a villainous role per se, and certainly not in the same vein as the others on this list, but Irons' portrayal of the cold aristocrat accused of the murder of his wife Sunny would see the actor nab the 1991 Academy Award for Best Actor. And there is no doubt that the film portrays Bulow as enigmatic and calculating rather than emotional and devastated, regardless of the truth, and in the eyes of the film that the removal of Sunny from the picture was not something that Claus was entirely displeased to see. Irons is brilliantly emotionless in the film, with every action seemingly considered and calculated rather than being dominated by impulse and emotion, which makes Bulow seem all the more guilty of the crime. Nothing about his personality is black and white, instead it all seems cloaked in mystery and doubt, and the true testament of Irons performance is that even when he gets off at the end of the film, one can't help but find the character off-putting in a slightly uncomfortable way. Whether he is innocent or not at the end of the film is somewhat irrelevant to the fact that one cannot help but feel that this was a man with something to hide. A truly nuanced performance that is starkly different to the loyal dependable Alfred Pennyworth.