23 Actors Who Were So Perfectly Cast In Their Roles That There Isn't Anybody Else Who Could've Played Them

    These are the actors that were so good in their roles that you can't even fathom a world where they didn't play them.

    Brian Galindo
    by Brian Galindo

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We've all had that experience where we've been so impressed by one of the actosr in a movie or TV show that you can't help but think to yourself, They are so perfect in this there is NO way anybody else could've played it! Heath Ledger as the Joker in The Dark Knight is a perfect example of this and one everybody agrees on.

    the joker holding up a joker card
    Warner Bros / ©Warner Bros/Courtesy Everett Collection

    And a more recent example is Janelle James as Ava Coleman in Abbott Elementary. Recently, I came across this Reddit thread where user AMissKathyNewman was curious about just that when they started a thread titled: "Actors who were absolutely perfect for their role."

    her character opening up a teacher's lounge fridge full of product she's selling
    Gilles Mingasson / ABC via Getty Images

    The thread got over 3.8K responses from people eager to share the actors they thought were just perfectly cast in their movie and TV roles. Below are the top, best, and most often commented actors:

    1. Rachel McAdams as Regina George in Mean Girls

    closeup of her character in the bathroom
    Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I watched it again recently and even while watching I couldn't comprehend that it was Rachel McAdams. So good."

    —MonstersareComing

    "The whole movie was perfectly cast."

    —SparkyDogPants


    2. Nick Offerman as Bill in The Last of US

    his character sits at a piano while another has his hand on his shoulder for comfort
    Liane Hentscher/HBO

    "Yes, Nick in The Last of Us! The character arc was incredible and he absolutely nailed it. One of my favorite episodes of television ever!"

    —PropofolMami22

    "Stop, I'm still crying from that episode."

    —larapu2000

    3. Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods in the Legally Blonde films

    her character questioning a witness in court
    MGM/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Had to scroll way to far to find this one. Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods is perfection. 🤌"

    —Gizzycav

    "This. Like so so much. The one and only. 💖"

    —Tyedrin


    4. Catherine O'Hara as Moira Rose in Schitt's Creek

    her character sitting at the edge of a bed
    CBC / courtesy Everett Collection

    "It's not fair to other actors that Catherine O'Hara exists. You could cast her now as a 16-year-old boy and she'd f'ing nail it."

    —larapu2000

    "Fruit wine. 🤣🤣🤣 She was EPIC!"
    —No_Lotus_7777

    5. Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer

    closeup of him
    Universal Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Nobody else could have done this role better!"

    —roundcatsarebestcats

    "Man deserves a terrific career and I'm so glad he is being cast in such big roles now. Man can act like no one else."

    —Skylam

    6. Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf in Gossip Girl

    closeup of her
    Giovanni Rufino / © The CW / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Carried the entire show on her back, lbr."

    —stopthenrewind

    "Everyone is so obsessed with Serena when this baddie OWNED. EVERY. SCENE. Forever a Blaire fangirl."

    —DustPatient1004

    7. Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in Misery

    closeup of her holding up a knife
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Misery is a GOAT film. Kathy Bates won the Academy Award for Best Actress that year, beating Julia Roberts who was nominated for Pretty Woman. Well deserved!"

    —23onAugust12th

    "Kathy Bates in every creepy role ever."
    —AMissKathyNewman


    8. Antony Starr as Homelander in The Boys

    two characters in their uniform
    Jan Thijs / ©Amazon / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Love Antony Starr, his portrayal of Homelander is terrifying."

    —ashmillie

    "Seriously! He plays his role so well that he actually scares me a little. Lol."

    —bananapopsicle3


    9. J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man films

    his character behind in a desk in a suit
    Columbia Pictures / ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I stand by my choice that this was the best casting done in the history of film so far."

    —Aquametria

    "Despite two reboots, they never recast him."

    —CrissBliss


    10. Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House

    closeup of him holding up hospital items
    20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "My husband and I were talking about this the other day when we were watching House. We can’t think of anyone else who could have played this role the way Hugh did."

    —kassiann1792

    "His audition tape is INSANE! He had perfected the character even before he started filming. I love Hugh Laurie."

    —rosecoloredcat


    11. Jessica Walter as Lucille Bluth in Arrested Development

    closeup of her character sitting with a martini
    20thcentfox / ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Jessica Walter was perfect as Lucille Bluth."

    —crackerfactorywheel

    "The entire cast is perfect. But Jessica as Lucille is especially perfect."

    —squeakyfromage

    12. Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho

    closeup of him in a suit
    Lions Gate / ©Lions Gate/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I just listened to the Unspooled podcast on American Psycho and it was really interesting. No one wanted him for the role."

    —GoFuckYourselfBrenda

    "Yep, the studio even briefly fired Mary Harron (the director) because she was set on Christian while they found Leonardo DiCaprio was more marketable — which I think is fair considering the time (late '90s), but I highly doubt he would’ve been as good."

    —Jojssitar


    13. Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings films

    closeup of him with a horse
    New Line Cinema / ©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Viggo was actually not the original Aragorn. Stuart Townsend, Lestat in Queen of the Damned, was originally cast, but he was let go right before they started filming began because they felt he was too young to play the part. They cast Viggo at the last minute. The movies wouldn’t have been nearly as good without Viggo. He was the perfect Aragorn."

    —ohheyitslaila

    "YES!!! The casting was perfect for all the LOTR roles honestly."

    —ih8every1yesevenyou


    14. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU

    closeup of him trying out a new weapon
    Paramount / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "It is a travesty I had to scroll so far to find RDJ as Tony Stark. RDJ is literally the embodiment of the character!!!"

    —mindovermatter15

    "He’s straight-up a better Iron Man than the Iron Man in the comics. He transcended the role."

    —Angel_of_Mischief


    15. Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones

    closeup of her
    Macall B. Polay/courtesy of HBO

    "Literally no one could have played it like her."

    —ilpcbf1524

    "She was amazing! Cersei is such a fantastically evil person and Lena played her beautifully."

    —Glissandra1982


    16. Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent/Superman in the Superman films

    closeup of him in the cape
    Warner Bros./ Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Christopher Reeve was the best Superman ever. And this is the hill I’m willing to die on. Those bright blue eyes and that sweet sweet angelic smile. 🥹"

    —MunchiesMunch

    "Same. And I feel also the same about Michael Keaton Batman even moreso."

    —twinkle90505

    17. Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates in Psycho

    him sitting and leaning back in a chair
    Universal/ Courtesy Everett Collection

    "So unsettling! I only watched it this year and definitely wasn’t expecting all of that."

    —Pattern_Necessary

    "He was so great in that role. As many times I have seen Psycho, Anthony Perkins’ performance still gives me chills."

    —Next-Implement9894

    18. Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness in WandaVision

    closeup of her
    Marvel/Disney+ / Via youtube.com

    "She was absolute perfection in this show."

    —Ginger_Cat74

    "Honestly, I’m so down for her spin-off show!"

    —IExistButWhy987


    19. Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs

    closeup of him
    Orion Pictures Corp / ©Orion Pictures Corp/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "If this isn’t a GOAT performance IDK what is."

    —Designer_Breadfruit9

    "Only had 15 minutes screen time in entirety of The Silence of the Lambs yet he stole the whole entire show."

    —africanzebra0


    20. James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos

    he stands with his arms crossed
    Anthony Neste / Getty Images

    "After all this time, I finally watched The Sopranos last year. He is AMAZING (as is the entire show). When I sit down to watch these GOAT shows/movies/etc., there’s always this thought in the back of my mind like Hmm is it overrated? Not him, not for a second. One of the most truly convincing and emotionally affecting performances I’ve ever seen. He deserves all the accolades he gets."

    —VeryShyPanda

    "The craziest part is apparently, he was a big ol' hippie and softie IRL. He's so good as Tony Soprano that I assumed it was more of a Joe Pesci situation where he kind of turned his personality up to 11 for the camera, as opposed to embodying someone so deeply his opposite."

    —aoifhasoifha


    21. Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley, The Dowager Countess of Grantham in Downton Abbey

    closeup of her
    Pbs / ©PBS/Courtesy Everett Collection

    "Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey. I mean, she's great in everything, I just love her role as the Dowager Countess."

    —nsj95

    "Her delivery of the snarky comments are chef's kiss."

    —lalalilu


    22. Glenn Close as Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians and 102 Dalmatians

    closeup of her with the short two-toned hair
    Disney/ Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I love her as Cruella and it makes me giggle when I think about the fact that she had it in her contract to keep all of the clothes from the movies."

    —Sea-Helicopter-2631

    "She was absolute perfection in the role."

    —[deleted]

    23. And lastly, Ryan Gosling as Ken in Barbie

    closeup of him with a bandana and fur coat
    Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

    "I will admit that when I first heard he was playing Ken I was a hater. Now there's no way anyone else could have played that role better."

    —kassiann1792

    "You can tell he’s probably the one who enjoyed A LOT being in this movie and playing Ken."
    —[deleted]

    You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.

    Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity

    Alright guys, I think you probably agree with all of these. But is there someone you think should've been on this list? Let us know in the comments below!