15 Actors Who Have Portrayed Legendary Characters

More than 15 actors have portrayed legendary characters in movies and TV. But picking out some of the best isn’t tough since a few performed so convincingly that they made a lasting impression.

Milla Jovovich-Joan of Arc

Milla isn’t the only woman to take on this role, but the way the movie was shot and the fact that it was far more gruesome than any other were interesting. It also placed an intriguing spin on the story of Joan of Arc.

Mel Gibson-William Wallace

There is a lot of revisionist history in this movie, backed by the claim that the story was written by the victor. Obviously, this is true, but history is not always as dramatic or simple as movies make it out to be. After all, Wallace wasn’t a simple farmer; he was a noble.

Gary Oldman-Winston Churchill

A bit of trivia states how Oldman made himself sick by smoking so many cigars during this role. That’s taking method acting to a level that some actors might not fully appreciate, but it’s impressive, in a way.

Liam Neeson-Rob Roy

History that dates back this far is sometimes taken and twisted and turned around to make the characters and the situation sound more appealing. Rob Roy McGregor was an actual person, but his story is a little more detailed than what the movie gave us.

Val Kilmer-Doc Holliday

Most people would agree that Kilmer’s version of Holliday is the best of any that has come along. Not only was he calm, collected, and deadly, but he was also charismatic and dominated the story of Wyatt Earp in “Tombstone.”

Jennifer Lopez-Selena Quintanilla-Perez

There was a day when J-Lo was widely loved without those who had grown tired of her. But on that day, she stepped into the role of Selena without fail.

Daniel Day-Lewis-Abraham Lincoln

After being lauded as one of the greatest method actors of his day, it’s tough to say that Day-Lewis is better in one role or another. But this time, he had to portray a historical character that many people viewed in many different ways. That was a challenge that not many actors would be up to.

Brad Pitt-Achilles

Despite the idea that Achilles was never real, his legend is still one that has been spread far and wide. It’s easy to think that Pitt’s strength of character and fame made this role easy for him to step into, plus it was just impressive to watch him.

Sean Connery-King Arthur

Many men have filled this role, but while Connery wasn’t the best, he was one of the more distinguished of his time. He didn’t really need to be as entertaining as he was in Highlander as Ramirez, but his personality still made this role interesting.

Kirk Douglas-Spartacus

There’s a lot of talk that Kirk had a great deal of power when it came to making this film. Whether that’s true or not, he was the personification of the character back in the day.

Meryl Streep-Julia Child

Whether you like her or not, Streep is a very talented actress who’s done much in her career. Taking on the appearance and mannerisms of one character or another feels like it’s commonplace to her, but it’s usually interesting to see how well she does.

Gillian Anderson-Margaret Thatcher

If you’re about to play a true historical character like Thatcher, then it’s best to know what you’re getting into. There are always going to be critics, but Gillian did a rather good job of portraying this tough-as-nails woman.

Sally Field-Mary Todd Lincoln

When it’s someone as classic as Sally Field, the character is bound to be as good as one can expect. True, she can’t do everyone, but anyone who could depict Norma Rae is bound to be convincing when it comes to just about anyone.

Ana de Armas-Marilyn Monroe

There’s only one Marilyn Monroe. However, depicting this blonde bombshell takes a special kind of woman who’s also a once-in-a-lifetime individual. Ana de Armas is unique, so it’s fair to think she could step into the role.

Cate Blanchett-Bob Dylan

Yes, Cate Blanchett is a woman, and Bob Dylan is a man. But the effect of turning Blanchett into this character was still mesmerizing.