20 TV Villain Performances That Are Practically Flawless

One of The Wire's many defining characteristics comes from its ability to never label any of its characters villains or heroes. Whether it's a corrupt cop or a drug dealing thief, David Simon's crime drama avoids labels at all costs.

The one exception to this rule is Marlo Stanfield, an up-and-coming crime boss with a passion for cultivating the perfect image for himself and swiftly dispatching everyone who undermines his power or work.

Jamie Hector, like so many others in the cast, gives a performance for the ages as Marlo, playing him as a lost soul with almost psychopathic tendencies, violent impulses, and crafty intelligence that makes him a nightmare to control or fight.

Hector makes creepily minimal movements and plays into Marlo's paranoia with a sense of subtle urgency, and the results bring to life one of the deadliest and most unpredictable villains ever put to the small screen.