Animated Characters

For any actor, playing a cartoon character in a live-action movie is a massive challenge. Such characters are often designed in a very exaggerated way, both in terms of appearance and personality. They wear costumes that could look silly in real life. Some have abilities or quirks that are tough to pull off. The issue becomes how to capture the essence of a character audiences know and love, while still making it seem credible in a live-action setting.The following actors managed to succeed at the task. Each of them hit the sweet spot between remaining true to the character's origin and bringing a little something of their own to the roles. Perhaps not surprisingly, there are great names among them, including Oscar nominees and eventual Oscar winners. Their work demonstrates palpable love for the source material. You can tell they put in the work to get things exactly right.

15 Actors Who Played Live-Action Cartoon Characters - And Nailed It

Actor

Actors Who Played Live-Action Cartoon Characters - And Nailed It

Mike McGranaghan

Lists about great entertainment that took chances and strayed from that same boring formula.

And Now: Something Different

Entertainment

It&#39;s a true feat of screenwriting when a movie&#39;s plot comes full circle. Developing a story that credibly boomerangs takes a great deal of skill and imagination. In returning to the beginning, the plot has to devise a way to make that feel like a progression for the characters, rather than a regression. In other words, they have to gain something by reverting to the start.

The following films&nbsp;are all examples of this in action. Their characters begin in one location or in some specific scenario. From there, they go out on a journey that&#39;s filled with tribulations. At the end, either by choice or circumstance, they&#39;re dropped right back off where they started. Despite that, they&#39;ve grown in the interim, so they aren&#39;t 100% the same as they were initially. The movies are potent because that idea is crystal clear in their respective stories. By going in a loop, the protagonists are changed in important ways.

Which of these movies best comes full circle at the end? Your votes will decide.&nbsp;

12 Movies Where Everything Comes Full Circle By The End

Film

12 Movies Where The Characters End Right Back Where They Started

Total Nerd

There is no betrayal in cinematic history quite like&nbsp;R-rated movies with PG-13 sequels. An R isn&#39;t just a rating -&nbsp;it&#39;s a signifier of a particular type of movie. These films are gritty and unyielding in their devotion to the filmmaker&#39;s&nbsp;vision. Nothing was censored or removed from the script to garner the wider release and bigger box office numbers that a PG-13 rating would earn. Sadly, sometimes <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-franchise-worst-decisions/tyler-mitchell" target="_blank">greedy executives decide to cash in</a> on a franchise by watering down these R-rated movies with&nbsp;wimpy&nbsp;PG-13 sequels.&nbsp;

It&#39;s expected, but still sad, when a <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-that-failed-to-pass-the-torch/josh-plainse" target="_blank">sequel doesn&#39;t have the same magic as its predecessor</a>. Sometimes a director changes. Other times, an actor gets too big to return. Occasionally, a studio starts to meddle a bit too much because the movie was a big success, and now the sequel has a bigger budget. And, worst of all, sometimes this meddling means the franchise that gained mainstream attention because it was an R-rated gorefest will now be a PG-13 film that cuts away before the action really gets started.

Remember to vote up the worst offenders.

14 Times R-Rated Franchises Made PG-13 Sequels No One Asked For (Or Wanted)

R-Rated Franchises That Made PG-13 Sequels Nobody Asked For (Or Wanted)

Jake Williams

Ranking the best, funniest, and most original stand-up comedians and comic actors.

Very Funny People

Looking closer at the actors who have played cold-blooded bad guys—and totally nailed it.

Playing the Villain

Comedy

Actors like Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, and John Malkovich can&#39;t always play the villain. These times great villains were played by comedians prove that sometimes casting against type can reap great rewards.

Robin Williams and Jim Carrey were both hilarious stand-up comedians with&nbsp;impressive filmographies filled with hilarious movies. However, both actors wanted to expand their resumes with <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-best-serious-movies-starring-comedians" target="_blank">dramatic roles</a>&nbsp;that cast them in a completely different light.&nbsp;Sometimes it&#39;s hard to imagine our comedic heroes <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-villains-played-by-musicians/mike-mcgranaghan" target="_blank">playing the bad guy</a>. But, sometimes when the script and performances are just right, those normally funny protagonists make terrifying villains.

Make your voice heard. Vote up the most sinister villains played by comedians.

14 Times Great Villains Were Played By Comedians

Ann Casano

Cartoon Network

Animated

Since its debut in 1992, Cartoon Network has delivered some of the <a href="/list/best-2000s-cartoon-network-shows/ranker-tv" target="_blank">best cartoons</a> on cable TV. Old Cartoon Network shows such as Dexter&#39;s Laboratory, Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and Johnny Bravo helped draw attention to the network in the late &#39;90s. With the channel&#39;s expansion into video games and more adult-oriented material, Cartoon Network continues to dominate the market today.

While the network has a slew of beloved shows, there are&nbsp;plenty of Cartoon Network shows you forgot about. These shows maintain small yet solid fan bases years after their final episodes. Make sure to vote for your favorite forgotten Cartoon Network shows below.

The Most Overlooked Cartoon Network Shows

TV Program

Terrance W. Pryor

Friendship

There are few things that take more of an emotional toll on an audience than friends splitting up in movies. Sad movies about friends growing up strike such a universal chord that the pain portrayed within their frames can be felt by just about every viewer. Everyone in the world has felt the pain of growing apart from a close friend and having&nbsp;to put their childhoods behind them.&nbsp;

Just because <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sad-movies-where-everyone-lives/anncasano" target="_blank">no one dies in a movie</a> doesn&#39;t mean it isn&#39;t sad. Watching two people realize they have to grow up and aren&#39;t right for each other can be as hard as watching someone get hit by a bullet. There&#39;s a reason there are&nbsp;so many great coming-of-age films -&nbsp;it&#39;s because that&#39;s a naturally cinematic point in a person&#39;s life. The movies on this list can bring&nbsp;even the most <a href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/top-tearjerker-movies-that-make-men-cry" target="_blank">hardened man or woman to tears</a>.&nbsp;

The Most Heartbreaking Movie Endings Where Friends Go Their Separate Ways

Heartbreaking Movie Endings Where Friends Break Up

Jake Brian Williams

Looking at standout roles, unforgettable performances, and behind-the-scenes drama of famous and forgotten actors.

Casting Calls

Showbiz

These&nbsp;actors who <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/actors-who-got-big-after-playing-bad-guys/orrin-grey" target="_blank">broke typecasting</a> have one thing in common - they were willing to take an incredible career risk in order to avoid being branded as one thing for life.&nbsp;

Play a Disney princess a few times, and the world is going to only see you as a Disney princess - which is why Anne Hathaway went after gritty and controversial dramas to deny a permanent &quot;Hathaway archetype.&quot;

Typecasting has ruined so many potentially great careers. Just ask the cast of Gilligan&#39;s Island or The Brady Bunch&nbsp;how difficult it was for them to find work when their respective series ended. TV fans simply could not see many of those actors playing a different type of character.&nbsp;Just try to imagine Bob Denver (Gilligan) as an anti-hero, hard-drinking detective type. Can you picture Michael Lookinland (Bobby Brady) as a deranged villain?

Perhaps those actors could have played those types of roles.&nbsp;But they never got the chance because they were so resolutely identified with very specific character traits. Which actor took the biggest risk to break typecasting? Who defied their original screen persona? Who just couldn&#39;t break type?

13 Actors Who Took Huge Risks To Avoid Typecasting

Actors Who Took Huge Risks To Break Typecasting

Running in slo-mo at the top action movies, scene, stunts, characters, chases, explosions, etc., ranked.

High Octane Action Thrillers

The whole appeal of an action movie is, well, the action. While other elements can elevate an action movie, fans will often be satisfied as long as they are engaged by what they are seeing the entire time. This means that some action movies decide to crank the dial up to 11 in terms of having no chill, just to ensure they aren’t losing the attention of their adrenaline-seeking audiences.Just because a movie is mostly action doesn’t mean it’s bad. Sometimes fans would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/action-movies-better-than-oscar-winners/nate-fisher">rather see action than Oscar-worthy drama</a>. Even when an action movie is considered “bad” in terms of critical response,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/bad-action-movies-that-are-good/jacob-shelton">a bad action movie can still be a lot of fun</a>. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-prison-fight-scenes-in-movies/ranker-film">well-choreographed fight scene</a> can often make up for a lacking script.Some of these movies are critical darlings, and others weren’t so well received. They all have one thing in common: each of these films leaves the audience little time to catch their breath between intense action sequences.

16 Action Movies With Zero Downtime

Action Movies With Zero Downtime

Sean Migalla

Look, you watch enough of a show, you get to know the characters. Maybe you even care about them. Maybe you even love them. Or hate them. Or want to read tons of lists about them.

The People in Your TV

Given that TV shows usually feature large ensembles, it's natural for characters to appear or&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-characters-disappeared-without-explanation/adina-kruskal">disappear</a>. Sometimes new arrivals are clearly meant to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-show-replacements-same-character/adina-kruskal?ref=profile_own">replace</a> an old character; other additions may simply be intended to expand possibilities beyond the current group of characters.It's strange for viewers when we see a character who was not on the show before, but the people in-universe act as if they know them and they've been around the whole time, conveniently off-camera. In some settings - a school, a workplace, a town - it's understandable, but other closed-off settings, like a deserted island, make it harder to suspend disbelief. Some shows even joke about the new arrival upon introduction before moving on to incorporate them into the show. Here are the most notable characters who joined TV shows partway through their run but supposedly were “there all along.”

13 Times TV Shows Introduced New Characters And Pretended They Were There All Along

General

TV Shows That Introduced New Characters And Pretended They Were There All Along

Adina Kruskal

Lists about the best (and worst) films, TV series, novels, characters, etc. in every sci-fi genre.

The Worlds of Science Fiction

The Best of the 2010s

There was certainly no lack of television content in the 2010s. With the introduction of Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and every other streaming service out there, there&#39;s so much to watch; nobody could see everything good. Because of this, a lot of really <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-2010s-sci-fi-shows/ranker-tv" target="_blank">interesting and exciting science-fiction series</a> went by the wayside despite being well-made and incredibly entertaining.

To be clear, the shows listed here aren&#39;t bad, nor did they lack a dedicated fan base. These underrated sci-fi shows are the ones that simply didn&#39;t have enough of a fan base to sustain them. They may have aired a couple of seasons, but without the numbers behind them, many were canceled before their time. Others built up quite a following, but their inclusion in the broader spectrum of pop culture never really manifested.

The Most Underrated Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The 2010s

The 2010s Most Underrated Sci-Fi TV Shows Of The Decade, Ranked By Fans

Jonathan H. Kantor

Graphic Novels

Do you enjoy over-the-top action movies? Do you enjoy violent graphic novels? Do you enjoy <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-you-didnt-know-were-based-on-comics/ranker-comics" target="_blank">graphic novel adaptations</a>? Then&nbsp;boy, oh, boy&nbsp;do we have something&nbsp;for you. The nature of comic books and graphic novels make them <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-and-movies-you-didn-t-know-were-based-on-books/brent-sprecher" target="_blank">easily adaptable</a> to film and television. A lot of the storyboarding is already done for you! Just get the film rights and go! And there certainly has been no shortage of comic book adaptations in recent years... but how about those films that have gone underappreciated?

We&#39;re talking&nbsp;Atomic Blonde. We&#39;re talking&nbsp;Wanted. We&#39;re talking Snowpiercer. Every film that follows may not be at the cutting edge of cinematic quality, but they definitely are fun to watch if you can get in the right frame of mind. They&#39;re based on graphic novels, after all, and though that medium is full of all kinds of masterpieces, the action-based ones that tend to get film adaptations aren&#39;t really pushing the boundaries of storytelling. These movies are loud, they&#39;re brash, and they&#39;re just good fun.

Underrated Action Movies Based On Graphic Novels

T.W. Mitchell

Lists about actors and actresses and the characters they became, how they disappeared into roles, what they really look like, and more.

The Art of Acting

The acting game can be a tough business. Whether it&#39;s bad luck at the box office, problematic personal choices, or a lack of job offers, sometimes a career can just go wrong. Even the most talented of actors can find themselves down on their luck before you know it. And then&nbsp;bang, they&#39;re back!

There&#39;s nothing like a Hollywood career resurgence. Sometimes it defies all logic. Why would Tinseltown give problematic actors who don&#39;t sell tickets another shot at the big time when the next big thing could be out there for much less money? That&#39;s why we love to root for the stars who got their career&nbsp;back on track. Without further ado, let&#39;s run through some stars who essentially disappeared and came back in ways we couldn&#39;t imagine.

18 Actors Who Basically Disappeared - Then Came Back Stronger Than Ever

18 Actors Who Disappeared But Came Back Stronger Than Ever

As they say in well-written scripts, "You mean... like time travel?" + also a few bizarre stories about real people who have claimed, despite every law of physics, they have traveled through time.

Travelin' Through Time

Everyone and their mother knows about time travel movies like&nbsp;Back to the Future&nbsp;and&nbsp;Avengers: Endgame, but what about the underrated <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-time-machines-in-movies-and-tv/ranker-entertainment" target="_blank">time travel movies</a>? It&#39;s a sci-fi subgenre with plenty of room to maneuver; there have been virtually countless time travel movies since the dawn of filmmaking. Some films fare better than others - the less said about 2002&#39;s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1112951-time_machine" target="_blank">The Time Machine</a>, the better - but we&#39;re here to focus on some of the hidden gems and/or underrated films of the genre.

From low-budget gems like&nbsp;Primer&nbsp;and&nbsp;Timecrimes&nbsp;to&nbsp;big-budget blockbusters like&nbsp;Men in Black 3&nbsp;and&nbsp;Deja Vu. From comedies to&nbsp;anime to the foreign arthouse, time travel keeps reliably cropping up.&nbsp;There&#39;s a lot of room to maneuver in this particular subgenre, so get ready to dive deep.&nbsp;Remember to vote up your favorite underrated films about time travel.

17 Underrated Sci-Fi Movies About Time Travel

Before they were mega-stars, celebrities in every genre were just normal people trying to make their mark in the world. 

Before They Were Famous

Performances

Most of Generation X is familiar with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/full-list-of-abc-afterschool-special-episodes/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">ABC Afterschool Specials</a>, the anthology series started in 1972 and ran for 25 years. The low-budget educational programs handed out important lessons in sensitive areas like sex and drugs but in an easy-to-digest relatable dramatic story. Several future big-time Hollywood actors appeared in these melodramatic episodes from the ‘70s, ’80s, and '90s.Teen actors of the era often got their professional breaks from being in the series, which led to much greater opportunity and recognition in the rest of their career. Vote up the actors you didn't know got their start in an afternoon special.

Famous Actors Who Starred In Afterschool Specials

Underrated

Many elements come together to form the “prestige” of prestige TV drama. Great writing, moving performances, and distinct setting and costumes are all important for a show to resonate with audiences. One key ingredient to the depth of a fictional universe is a roster of memorable antagonists for viewers to root against.Whether&nbsp;plotting theatrical capers like a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-comic-book-villain-tv-show-performances/sean-migalla"> comic book supervillain</a>, or more subtle like the scheming villains on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-game-of-thrones-characters">Game of Thrones</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;Breaking Bad, villains come in many forms. While the most eye-catching TV villains get the love they deserve, some performances go largely underrated. Though they may be overshadowed by other antagonists that have splashier appearances or stick around for longer, the villains on this list are the greatest under-the-radar foes from prestige TV.

Underrated Prestige TV Villains That Truly Get Under Your Skin

TV Character

Underrated Prestige TV Villains That Get Under Your Skin

Suspense. Excitement. Plot twists. Dim corridors. Flickering lights. Ringing phones. Speeding cars. Mysterious strangers? No, those are just mannequins.

'Cuz This Is Thriller

90s Movies

Plenty of Hollywood movies are based on best-selling books. While some come from source material that's well-known as literature first, like&nbsp;Lord of the Rings and the&nbsp;Hunger Games&nbsp;series, audiences may not know how many famous '90s thrillers are adapted from paperback best-sellers from <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/authors-like-john-grisham/kate-kavanagh?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">authors like John Grisham</a> and Michael Crichton.Fans can be a little picky when it comes to adaptations of their favorite books. Now, it is true that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/sci-fi-stories-with-terrible-movies/john-saavedra">some adaptations</a> go poorly, and it would probably be best if Hollywood <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/books-that-deserve-better-movie-adaptations/charley-ruddell">gave it another try.</a> Many thriller novel adaptations hold up to the test of time, yet, for various reasons, didn’t get the love they deserved. These underrated '90s thrillers based on bestseller novels are definitely worth revisiting.

16 Underrated '90s Thrillers Based On Paperback Bestsellers

Underrated ’90s Thrillers Based On Paperback Bestsellers

Total Nerd lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Total Nerd lists on Ranker

Total Nerd lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for hundreds of Total Nerd lists and rankings.

Iron Man

Spider-Man

Thor

Are you a Marvel fanatic? Vote on these lists of the best, funniest, dumbest, most underrated, etc. characters in the MCU to have your voice heard.

MCU Character Power Rankings

Since the big-screen debut of Iron Man in his self-titled 2008 franchise-starter, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been turning niche characters into household names - and reigniting the popularity of legendary characters from its comic-book pages. Many of the greatest comic book characters of all-time - superhero and otherwise - have been featured throughout the franchise and its many sub-franchises.Beyond the big-ticket superheroes like Thor, Captain America, and Spider-Man, the likes of Bucky Barnes, Happy Hogan, Rocket Raccoon, and Bruce Banner are among the best MCU characters. and that’s just the heroes - the list wouldn’t be complete without the ongoing series’ many memorable villains, including Killmonger, Vulture, Loki, and Thanos. Even characters who only show up for cameos can count, like Stan Lee, whom <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://screenrant.com/mcu-stan-lee-cameos-steve-rogers-time-travel-explained/">one fan theory suggests</a> is the same character through all of his many brief appearances.From movies like the original team-up, The Avengers, to TV shows like <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-agents-of-shield-storylines/jonathan-kantor">Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</a> and Moon Knight, the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand. Who is <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/underrated-mcu-characters/joedonley">your favorite</a> character? Who deserves <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/marvel-characters-missing-from-the-mcu-movies/williamsbrianjake">more screen time</a>? Vote up the best characters <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-mcu-movies/ranker-film">in the MCU</a>, and feel free to add any new or underrated characters to the list. After all, there are still plenty of Marvel characters <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/top-avengers-not-in-mcu/joedonley">who haven’t appeared… yet</a>.