20 TV Villain Performances That Are Practically Flawless
15. J.K. Simmons - Vern Schillinger (Oz)
Long before he was winning hearts in Spider-Man and Oscars in Whiplash, J.K. Simmons made a name for himself on HBO's seminal prison drama Oz, where he played remorseless white supremacist Vern Schillinger with bone-chilling intensity.
As the titular prison's most dangerous gang leader, Vern was a member of the Aryan Brotherhood whose racist and antisemitic views often erupted into scenes of vile sexual depravity, emotional manipulation, and bold power grabs.
A man of twisted contradictions, brought up by a bigoted father, Simmons looms large over Oz's expansive cast as a villain with a single-minded goal of causing pain to those he deems inferior or weak.
Few villains in TV history have ever been as shocking and horrifically deadly as Schillinger, whose harrowing use of violence and his troubled backstory are both vividly brought to life by an actor at the height of his powers.