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Minnie Castevet

Minnie Castevet is a fictional character from the 1968 film Rosemary's Baby.

Some bad guys just want to watch the universe burn.

Villains and Bad Guys

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The best female villains include women whose roles are truly iconic and evil, epitomized not only by their morally bankrupt and complex nature but also by their often striking and elegant attire. Beyond their nefarious actions, these famous villainesses represent a subversion of traditional female archetypes, challenging popular societal norms and expectations in complex ways. Their portrayals delve into the darker aspects of ambition, power, and morality, reflecting the multifaceted nature of villainy in a world frequently dominated by male antagonists.What makes a great female villain? From the mentally unstable character who stalks her unsuspecting victim to the conniving, totally immoral villain who frames innocent people, and of course the many sexy, beautiful, badass, and often chaotic woman characters we know and love, this list captures all the significant female villain names. It is an evolving compilation, inviting you to add your favorite female TV and movie villains — the baddie icons, Marvel supervillains, scary fantasy fiends, cartoon characters from acclaimed anime series and Disney films, animated <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-comic-book-villains?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">comic book villains</a>, and the baddest of the bad from your <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-games-of-all-time?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">favorite video games</a> — and vote for the characters you believe are the ultimate embodiments of on-screen villainy.&nbsp;Each villain's rank on this list, determined through our voting system, represents the diverse perspectives and passion of fans for cinema and television. These female villains, embodying the essence of great antagonists and classic tropes of good versus evil, are not just morally bankrupt and complex, but often carry an air of elegance. They range from inherently evil characters, providing a backdrop for heroic triumphs and a sharp contrast to the heroes and good guys they are often up against, to nefarious figures who blur the lines of morality. This collection of queens has it all — the cool and collected, the crazy and classy, and of course the most sinister and devious female enemies we've admired in media throughout the history of modern-day media.Their actions, from criminal behavior to horrible and heartless acts that make us love to hate them, contribute to their unforgettable nature. As we explore these well known (and often widely feared) female antagonists, their stories invite both admiration and a desire for their eventual comeuppance.In film, some of the <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-best-movie-villains-of-all-time">best and most powerful movie villains of all time</a> are women. Need proof? How about bunny-boiler Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) in Fatal Attraction&nbsp;or mentally deranged "fan" Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) in Misery? Sharon Stone's portrayal of femme fatale Catherine Tramell in Basic Instinct&nbsp;earns her a best female villain place on the list, along with a top spot among the sexiest characters in thrillers.&nbsp;Some of your favorite Hollywood actresses found their best roles in movies or on TV shows when they played villains. Rachel McAdams was unforgettably villainous as Regina George, aka Queen Bee, in Mean Girls.&nbsp;Helena Bonham Carter's played some interesting roles over the years, but none more wicked than Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter&nbsp;movies.This carefully curated list results from unique insights and evaluations from seasoned movie, animation, and TV experts, ensuring each character's inclusion is backed by a deep understanding of film and television storytelling. Additionally, the dynamic rankings are shaped by you, the fans, through your votes, reflecting a broad spectrum of opinions and perspectives on these captivating villainesses.Explore our list, from psycho exes to femme fatales, and feel empowered to rerank it, adding your perspective to the narrative of cinema's most captivating female villains.

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The Greatest Female Villains

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The 100+ Greatest Female Villains Of All Time, Ranked

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Every James Bond Movie, Ranked Best to Worst

Oscars

Over the years, there have been so many <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-actors?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">great actors</a> and actresses who have won Oscars for portraying classic characters. Some of these best actor Oscar performances were for roles based on real people, while others were based on fictional characters.Who are some of the best characters to win an Oscar? Randle Patrick McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest made our list. Jack Nicholson won a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of this not-so-crazy patient in 1975. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was based on the 1962 <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/ken-kesey-books-and-stories-and-written-works/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Ken Kesey book</a> of the same name. Marlon Brando's iconic portrayal of Vito Corleone in the film The Godfather also made our list. Brando took home <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/greatest-actors-who-have-never-won-an-oscar?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the Best Actor Oscar</a> in 1972.Several Best Actress performances also made this list. Julia Robert's portrayal of Erin Brockovich in the film of the same name, earned her an Oscar for Best Actress in 2000. Other Best Actress roles that are featured on this list include Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) from Black Swan and Clarice Starling (Jody Foster) from The&nbsp;Silence of the Lambs. Halle Berry was the first African American woman to win an Oscar for her performance as Leticia Musgrove in Monster's Ball. &nbsp;Which best actor Oscar-winning performance is your favorite? Vote up your favorite role, and be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Looking at the plans & plots of bad guys & gals.

Dastardly Deeds

Villains

The annals of horror and thriller films are filled with plenty of memorable bad guys - but they're also home to more than a few surprising female villains. Sure, there are villains who are evil from the start - but how much more chilling is the villain who appears normal - even friendly,&nbsp; helpful, one of the "good guys" -&nbsp;only to turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing?Action, suspense, and horror movies have&nbsp;had plenty of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/scariest-female-horror-movie-villains/jodi-smith">scary female villains</a> - from the most obvious to the most shocking - but the ones who linger the most are often those whose villainy comes when we least suspect it. These are the women we <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-tv-female-villains-similar-to-lady-macbeth/lily-mcelveen">overlooked, underestimated</a>, or simply thought we knew, suddenly developing a heretofore unseen dark side that can be deadly, or sometimes simply competitive in the extreme.Here are a few of the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-female-villains?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best female villains</a> in film history whose villainy may not have been readily apparent right from the start. Of course, these wolves in sheep's clothing don't reveal themselves right away, so to talk about them, we'll have to get into a lot of spoilers. You've been warned! Remember to vote up your favorite villainesses.

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19 Great Female Villains Who Were Wolves In Sheep's Clothing

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Looking through our fingers and ranking the best, scariest, dumbest, etc. characters in classic, creative, and totally forgettable horror movies.

Night Terrors

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Every now and then, a horror film comes out that actually scares you. The writing is brilliant, the villain is terrifying, and you have to sleep facing the door with the lights on&nbsp;for the next few weeks. But most of the time, horror films are just there to keep you amused for a couple of hours.&nbsp;

Given that fact, a lot of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-utterly-terrifying-figures-in-film?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">horror movie villains</a> are not actually that scary. We decided to survey the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/supposedly-scary-movie-monsters-a-child-could-fight/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">weakest ones</a>. Which&nbsp;cinematic monster could you totally beat up in&nbsp;a hand-to-hand fight?&nbsp;Let&#39;s get down to the facts: their strengths, their weaknesses, and their most humiliating defeats.&nbsp;

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13 Horror Villains You Could Totally Beat Up

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The Best Actors and Actresses

Lists of fun facts and differing opinions about Hollywood's biggest, most self-congratulatory night. 

The Oscars

Celebrating actresses of every type, shape, size, and color, including leading ladies, femme fatales, ingénues, manic pixie dream girls, scream queens, bombshells, girls next door, alpha HBICs, virginal princesses, & sassy best friends.

Women Who Act

Watchworthy

This list contains information about the best actress performances, ranked by your votes. Over the years there has been so many great performances that won best actress awards for the women who portrayed classic characters. Some of these best actress Oscar performances were for roles based on real people while others were based on fictional characters.What are some of the best actress performances? Annie Wilkes from Misery made our list. Kathy Bates won a Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of this number one fan. Misery was based on the 1987 Stephen King book of the same name. Vivien Leigh's iconic portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in the film Gone with the Wind also made our list. Leigh took home the Best Actress Oscar in 1939.Several Best Supporting Actress performances also made this list. Octavia Spencer's performance of Minny Jackson in the film The Help, based on Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name, earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2011. Other supporting actress roles that are featured on this list include Katherine Hepburn in The Aviator (Cate Blanchett) and Minnie Castevet (Ruth Gordon).Which best actress performance is your favorite? Be sure to vote on this list to make sure the right role ends up in the top spot, and also share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Ageism is a long-standing issue in Hollywood. Luckily, that hasn't stopped actresses from bringing some memorable old ladies to life in the movies. Some of these fictional old ladies are cast in the grandmotherly mode&nbsp;and seem optimistic about the future. A few old lady characters, though, are downright resentful of their age and circumstances. These imaginary women are often brought to life by&nbsp;the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-actresses-in-film-history?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest actresses of all time</a>, and have only gotten better with age.What memorable roles will you find on this list of the greatest old lady characters in films? Gloria Swanson earned an Academy Award for her portrayal of the aging actress Norma Desmond in the classic film&nbsp;Sunset Boulevard. The film itself mirrors the way that Hollywood disregards its elder actresses in favor of youth. Dina Byrnes, played by Blythe Danner in the Meet the Parents movies, is another great fictional older woman.Judi Dench is the go-to actress for old women roles. She has played audience-favorite parts including M in the James&nbsp;Bond series and Philomena Lee in Philomena. Other good roles that are featured on this list include Margo Channing from All About Eve and Ninny Threadgoode in Fried Green Tomatoes.Which fictional old lady do you think is the best? Vote <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-ultimate-favorites-list/stevo200?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">your favorites</a> up to the top of this list and add any roles that are missing.

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The Greatest Old Lady Characters in Film

The Greatest Old Lady Characters in Film History

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