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

2. Elliot And Beverly Mantle (Dead Ringers)

Based loosely on the death of twin gynaecologists Stewart and Cyril Marcus in 1975, Dead Ringers tells the story of Elliot and Beverly Mantle, who use their identical looks to trick women into sleeping with both of them, with Elliot seducing them before passing them on to Beverly when he tires of them. This suddenly takes a dramatic turn when an actress by the name of Claire Niveau comes into their lives and disturbs the delicate balance the two brothers have maintained for all these years. There is a reason that Jeremy Irons counts this film as perhaps his greatest performance, and frankly who are we to argue? His ability to shift between the two brothers and emphasise their difference while at the same time drive home the fact that they truly are co-dependant on each other in ways that even they do not fully comprehend. In a way it was probably the movie for Irons that earned him the Oscar that he would obtain the next year for Reversal of Fortune - a fact that Irons acknowledged himself in his acceptance speech. Like almost all of Cronenberg's films however, this is not easy viewing, so be sure to have a strong stomach and a clear head before you watch it, and at times it is more psychologically disturbing than the Fly, which is saying something. While Beverly and Elliot are not truly villains, they certainly cause enough terror for the audience to recoil, and there is something truly tragic and beautifully sad about these two characters, which shows Irons' capacity to get at the tragic elements of villainous and/or deeply flawed characters.