The seductress is one of the great roles in cinema. Who wouldn’t want to play the girl that all the guys want, and can manipulate any situation in her favour? We’ve found our 11 favourites.

As a great man said, “this is not ‘Nam Smokey, this is bowling. There are rules”. So what are the rules here?

1. We are looking for the Seductresses. We are not looking for “The Sexiest Actresses Ever!!!” or “Hot Babes of Cinema!!!!!!!!!”. This ain’t no tabloid sleaze. We are looking for seductresses, they have to seduce the other characters in their film, and us as an audience. They might be classic femme fatale’s, they might be manipulative leading ladies, but they all have a charm. This is all about allure, and nothing to do with sex appeal. The rule with horror films is that it is sometimes what you don’t see that scares you. With seductresses, it is often what you don’t see that lures the audience in.

2. The character has to be sympathetic. The audience might well be pleased when they get their just desserts, but a part of you has to want them to get away with whatever they are trying to get away with.

3. Your seductress has to have an evil streak in her. She doesn’t have to be a villain, but you just don’t get good girl seductresses.

Our top 11 are…

Elsa Bannister - The Lady From Shangai (1947)

Rita Hayworth had a number of fantastic seductress roles in her time, and arguably the most famous was as Gilda, in the film of the same name. So why haven’t we picked that one? How do you make an actress renowned for her femme fatale roles, even more alluring? Cast her opposite her husband- Orson Welles. Welles directed the film, and cast his wife in the role of Elsa- the eponymous Lady- in late 1946. Throughout the shooting of the film, the couple were arguing and showing signs that their marriage was not a happy one. By the time of the US release in 1948 they were estranged. Welles is a likable everyman, but Hayworth’s portrayal of Bannister is feisty, vulnerable and manipulative all at the same time. As a side note, this film is cited by conspiracy theorists as proof that Welles knew (or was) the killer of Elizabeth Short (aka the Black Dahlia), as there are several scenes alleged to have been cut from this film, which mirrored real events in the infamous 1947 killing.

Brigid O’Shaughnessy - The Maltese Falcon (1941)

Mary Astor’s portrayal of the desperate woman in need has been the template for Hollywood Femme Fatale’s for the last seven decades. Her performance mixes a desperate need for guidance (from Bogard’s Sam Spade) and a ruthless calculation perfectly. She gives the role the sass that would become the staple of the 1940’s and 50’s leading lady. How many actresses in the last 50 years could genuinely be described as being “sassy”?

Bridget Gregory - The Last Seduction (1994)

John Dahl’s The Last Seduction is arguably the first Feminist Film Noir to make the mainstream, but that is not to say that Linda Fiorentino’s performance is any less seductive. Fiorentino plays the wife of a drug dealer, who decides to steal his money and have some fun. The character of Bridget Gregory is so completely in control of her situation, and the men around her (notably Mike Gregory) that it is difficult to dislike her, even when she is involved in murder and blackmail. Unlike many of the other characters on this list, Gregory never relies on a facade of sweetness or innocence. She takes what she wants (including Mike Gregory, memorably) and manipulates every situation to her advantage.

Catherine - Jules et Jim (1962)

Jeanne Moreau’s Catherine is the free spirited woman who comes between lifelong friends, Jules and Jim. Catherine is far from the typical femme fatale, and is initially as likable (if not more so) as either of her two suitors. This doesn’t stop her from being manipulative, and if there is anything we can learn from this list, “hell hath no fury like…”

Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton - Vertigo (1958)

Despite the dark subject matter of the majority of Hitchcock’s films, it is remarkable how many of them have an autobiographical angle to them. Vertigo is just one of such films, as it is suggested that Hitchcock, just like Jimmy Stewart’s character, was obsessed with his leading ladies and with defining their look. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that Hitchcock only ever wrote one part for his female characters, and worked it into each of his films. Kim Novak played the part of Madeleine Elster - who is the object of “Scottie” Ferguson’s obsession - and Judy Barton - the woman who Ferguson tries desperately to transform into his lost love. Novak is not the traditional seductress in either role, as she is first the object of affection and then obsession. What makes her so alluring is we are never sure just how much she is aware of what she is doing to Ferguson.

Matty Walker - Body Heat (1981)

Despite the fact that the “erotic thriller” has become synonymous with seedy, sub standard films (see Body of Evidence, In The Cut, Poison Ivy), there was a time when the genre was genuinely new. Body Heat was one of the first films to inhabit the post-modern “cinema world” that directors like Quentin Tarantino love so much, as it is set in both modern 1981, and the classic 1940’s and 50’s era of film noir. Kathleen Turner plays the role of Matty Walker, who seduces Ned Racine (played by William Hurt), and convinces him to kill her rich husband. Lawrence Kasdan (credited with co-writing Empire Strikes Back handles Turner’s femme fatale perfectly, and portrays her as an even more forthright, sexually aggresive version of…

Phyllis Dietrichson - Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity is arguably the archetypal Film Noir, and it is hardly surprising considering the three writers involved were Billy Wilder, Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain. Phyllis Dietrichson was portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck, herself no stranger to tangled relationships - she was alleged to have had lesbian affairs with Patsy Kelly and Tallullah Bankhead, while her husband Robert Taylor romanced Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. Her Dietrichson is beautiful, dangerous, calculating and completely seductive.

Kathryn Merteuil - Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions might not be the best film on this list, but Sarah Michelle Geller’s modern version of the Marquise de Merteuil is as delightfully wicked as anyone else we have mentioned. She even manages to out-evil Glen Close, who played the Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liasons a decade earlier.

Cora Smith - The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

We have seen the plot to this film several times on this list - woman seduces man into killing her husband - the ending of this film is entirely different. Cora Smith was portrayed by Jessica Lange 35 years later, and while both versions have their own merits, Lana Turner’s Cora is more vulnerable, seductive and completely evil. Lana Turner was never better.

Jessica Rabbit - Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

And why not. One part Veronica Lake, one part Kathleen Turner.

Sylvia - Brotherhood of the Wolf (2001)

Monica Bellucci plays the role of Sylvia in Christophe Gans’ Horror-Mystery. Sylvia is an Italian prostitute who is far more involved than she appears. The film itself tells the (true) story of suspicious killings in 18th century France, by what appeared to be a wolf. The role of Syvia introduced Bellucci to Hollywood as a leading lady, and she has never been as seductive as here.

Occasionally you get a character in a film who is the epitome of cool. What makes them cool? Why do we sympathise so much with these characters? What makes them so great? We’ve found our 11 coolest characters.

As ever, we have to set the rules

1. The character has to have a completely magnetic onscreen personality, with a perfect balance of arrogance and self belief. Things that they want to happen, need to happen, without them seeming flustered and without them trying too hard. More often than not, the character won’t be perfect, and they will almost certainly have a mean streak in them, but it is this that adds to their cool. They are never a traditional “hero”.

2. They need to make us WANT to be in their situation. Who can say they would honestly want to be John McClane in his Die Hard situations, even if they handled it like he did? Now, who can honestly say they WOULDN’T want to be Han Solo, or Frank Bullitt, even if faced with their problems?

3. They have to be cool, not good or fun to watch or a brilliant actor. Al Pacino is great in Scarface, Donnie Brasco and Heat, but he isn’t cool in these films. Oliver Reed is amazing as Athos is the Muskateers films, but not cool. Ferris Bueller might have seemed cool when you first watched the film, but watch it again and he is just annoying. John Cusack’s Martin Blank is Grosse Point Blank is a great character but would you want to be him? As Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything though…

4. In cinema, the following things are very, very, very cool:- smoke, fast cars, motorbikes, snappy one liners and not caring what other people think.

So, who are the coolest characters in all of cinema?

Jim Stark (Rebel Without A Cause)

Ok, so we start with an obvious one. Arguably the coolest character, by the coolest actor, ever. Not many people on this list can say they have redefined (or possibly even defined) what it is to be cool the way that James Dean did. His iconic role as Jim Stark has been parodied a thousand times since, but never with the same attitude. Stark defined the newly coined “teenager”, a 17 year old who had to take charge of his family and defy all those who stood against him. The film showed the growing generation gap that existed in the mid 50’s, and gave the new “teenage” audience one of their most important cultural markers. What Elvis was to music, James Dean was to film.

Han Solo (Star Wars Trilogy)

If this list were longer then we could easily include Yoda, Lando and Boba Fett. It really pains me to leave out Fett in particular, but Han is cooler, if only because he didn’t have to appear in the prequels. The fact that Harrison Ford managed to make Han Solo cool is something of a minor miracle. Some of Han Solo’s lines are bordering on the ridiculous, but stay just the right side of cool. Imagine saying the line “you’re all clear kid now let’s blow this thing and go home” with a straight face? Solo was at his best in The Empire Strikes Back. When Leia tells him that she loves him, he remarks “I know” as if it was a foregone conclusion.

James Bond (Goldfinger)

If ever there was a character to define the difference between cool and likable it is Bond. Connery’s Bond was smooth, and not a little sexist. Roger Moore made Bond distinguished, Pierce Brosnan made him dapper, and Daniel Craig has made him dangerous. But only Connery made him cool, and never more than in Goldfinger. When every Bond after Connery delivered a line like “positively shocking” after electrocuting a bad guy, or “We must have a few fast falls together some time” to a girl, it was a James Bond line. When Connery did it it was an extension of himself character. The best way of showing the difference is by thinking of it like this. Imagine the cheesiest chat up line ever. If Lazenby, Brosnan, Moore, Craig or Dalton used that line in real life it would seem cheesy, or at best ironic. Connery could make it sound like Shakespeare.

Frank Bullitt (Bullitt)

Steve McQueen was definitely one of the coolest stars in cinema history, and Bullitt was probably his finest role. The film sums up everything that is great in 1960’s American cinema. As well as a fantastic soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin, and that car, it paved the way for the Rebel Cop Genre in cinema. Without Bullitt there would be no Starsky and Hutch, Dirty Harry or even The French Connection. Frank Bullitt ticks all the boxes of cool. Lives by his own rules? Check. Drives an amazing, fast car? Check. Awesome.

Luke (Cool Hand Luke)

Not much needs said here. The man sums it up best himself- Sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand.

Miho (Sin City)

Although she isn’t the most recognisable character in Sin City, Miho was probably the coolest. Marv was the all action brute with a heart, Nancy was the sex appeal, Hartigan was the hard boiled cop and Dwight was… Clive Owen. All Miho does is kill things, quietly, with swords, crossbows or ninja stars. The fact that she never says anything, and is the protector in residence of Basin City’s Old Town, makes her so dangerous even Marv wouldn’t mess with her.

Roger O. Thornhill (North By Northwest)

What does the O stand for? Nothing of course. Cary Grant provided the level of cool that only he could when he took the part of Thornhill in one of Hitchcock’s many masterpieces. This has to be one of the dirtiest films ever made, where neither character ever gets naked. Thornhill is constantly making lewd remarks to Eve Kendall (”Now, what can a man do with his clothes off for twenty minutes?”), and Hitchcock’s less than subtle sexual allusions somehow managed to elude the censors. The exchanges between Grant and his co-star Eve Marie-Saint are fantastic as well-

Her: You’ve got taste in clothes, taste in food…

Him: And taste in women. I like your flavor.

Peter Venkman (Ghostbusters)

Arguably a little controvertial choice here, but Bill Murray’s Venkman made the whole film. Can you imagine how it would have been without him? The scene where Venkman is performing “psychic tests” at the start of the film is a prime example. Which other Ghostbuster could say a line like “Let’s show this prehistoric bitch how we do things downtown” and make it cool? It is a testament to Murray that he almost always seems cool - whether in Groundhog Day, Rushmore or Stripes - even though he never plays traditionally “cool” roles. Who else can make comic parts cool?

Jules Winfield (Pulp Fiction)

Few directors know how to make a cool character like Quentin Tarantino, and we could easily have had Jackie Brown, The Bride or Mr Blonde on this list as well. None of them are quite as cool as Jules Winfield, the man who’s wallet tells you all you need to know about him. Winfield is obviously an emalgamation of hundreds of blaxploitation characters, from hundreds of B-movies. While each one of them may be cool, it is Samuel L. Jackson that makes the role more than the sum of its parts. Sub question- which is the coolest Jules scene in the film? Ezekiel 25:17? The “say ‘What’ again” scene? The “Royale with cheese”? Personality goes a long way? The standoff between Yolanda, Jules, Vincent and Ringo? The foot massage discussion…

Philip Marlowe (The Big Sleep)

Bogart was arguably the first “cool” actor in cinema. The master of putting people in their place, his Marlowe is the marker by which all hard boiled detectives are measured against. Marlowe liked his drink, he liked a smoke and he didn’t suffer fools gladly. You get the feeling that Bogart was probably the same.

Ash (The Evil Dead Trilogy)

Like an even more over the top Indiana Jones, Ash is an all action hero with charisma and charm. Unlike Indiana Jones, Ash has a chainsaw for a hand and fights zombies with his “boomstick” shotgun. Bruce Campbell (by his own admission) might only be a B-movie actor, but nobody else could play Ash with the mixture of comic book exhuberance and (eventual) action hero machismo. Ash gets so many brilliant one liners in the Evil Dead Trilogy that is is hard to pick a favourite- “groovy”, “get some” and “hail to the king, baby” are just three lines that only work if you are A. Bruce Campbell and B.holding a shotgun and C. aiming it at zombies. The best has to be, “Good? Bad? I’m the guy with the gun”.

After a summer that seemed to last even longer than usual -even though we were treated to a particularly special European Championships- the Premiership returns this weekend. So, to whet appetites for tomorrow’s big kick off, we’ve put together a preview of the new season - but with a difference. We’ve put together the predictions of all of the big hitters in football journalism, so we can see how their predictions pan out over the season.

The Predictions

Soccerword: 1.Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Portsmouth; 6. Tottenham; 7. Everton; 8. Aston Villa; 9. Newcastle; 10. Manchester City; 11. Sunderland; 12. Blackburn; 13. West Brom; 14. Bolton; 15. Fulham; 16. Wigan; 17. West Ham; 18. Middlesbrough; 19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

The Guardian: 1. Chelsea; 2.Manchester United, 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham;6. Aston Villa; 7. Portsmouth; 8. Everton; 9.Manchester City; 10. Newcastle; 11. West Ham; 12. Sunderland; 13. Middlesbrough; 14. Blackburn; 15. Fulham; 16. West Brom; 17.Wigan; 18. Bolton; 19. Stoke; 20. Hull City

Joe Lovejoy (The Times): 1. Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham; 6. Portsmouth; 7. Aston Villa; 8. West Ham; 9. Manchester City; 11. Newcastle; 12.Blackburn; 13. Middlesbrough; 14. Sunderland; 16. Wigan; 17. Bolton; 18. WBA; 19.Stoke City; 20. Hull City.

Sky Sports: 1.Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3. Liverpool; 4. Arsenal; 5. Tottenham; 6. Portsmouth; 7. Everton; 8. ASton Villa; 9. Manchester City; 10.Newcastle; 11. West Ham; 12. Middlesbrough; 13. Blackburn; 14. Sunderland; 15. Wigan; 16. Fulham; 17. Bolton; 18. West Brom;19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

Bobby McMahon (Fox Sports): 1. Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3. Arsenal; 4. Liverpool; 5. Aston Villa; 6. Tottenham; 7. Everton; 8. Manchester City; 9. Portsmouth; 10. West Ham; 11. Wigan; 12. Sunderland; 13. Blackburn; 14. Middlesbrough; 15. Newcastle; 16. West Brom; 17. Bolton; 18. Fulham; 19. Stoke City; 20. Hull City

Nick Webster (Fox Sports): 1.Chelsea; 2. Manchester United; 3.Liverpool; 4.Arsenal; 5.Tottenham; 6.Aston Villa; 7. Manchester City; 8.Newcastle; 9.Portsmouth; 10. Sunderland; 11.Everton; 12.West Ham; 13.Blackburn; 14.Fulham; 15.Middlesbrough; 16.Wigan; 17.Bolton; 18.WBA; 19.Stoke; 20.Hull

EPLtalk.com: 1. Manchester United; 2. Liverpool; 3. Chelsea; 4. Arsenal; 5. Aston Villa; 6. Tottenham; 7. Portsmouth; 8. Manchester City; 9. Everton; 10. West Ham; 11. Blackburn Rovers; 12. Newcastle; 13. Sunderland; 14. Middlesbrough; 15. Wigan; 16. Fulham; 17. Bolton; 18. West Brom; 19. Hull City; 20. Stoke.

The Gaffer: 1. Manchester United; 2. Chelsea; 3.Arsenal; 4.Tottenham; 5.Liverpool; 6. Aston Villa; 7.Portsmouth; 8. Blackburn; 9. Everton; 10. Manchester City; 11.Sunderland; 12. West Ham; 13.Wigan; 14. Middlesbrough; 15.Newcastle; 16.Fulham; 17.Bolton; 18.WBA; 19.Hull City; 20.Stoke

Bet123: 1.Manchester United; 2.Chelsea; 3.Arsenal; 4.Tottenham; 5.Tottenham; 6.Aston Villa; 7.Everton; 8.Manchester City; 9.Newcastle; 10.Portsmouth; 11.Blackburn; 12.West Ham; 13.Middlesbrough; 14.Sunderland; 15.Bolton;16. Wigan; 17.Fulham; 18. West Brom; 19. Stoke; 20.Hull

Interesting to see that almost everyone thinks all three promoted teams will go straight back down, even though this has not happened in ten years. The majority of people seem to suggest that it is a two horse race for the title as well, with Spurs being the most likely challenger to the Top 4 places.

Me? I don’t make predictions for the honour of beating others. I do it for cold, hard cash.

This week the BBC magazine’s weekly feature was about lunches at work and so we had to submit a picture (Click on picture number 5) of our lunch from a few weeks ago.

We had been marvelling at the astoundingly low cost of a double cheeseburger, a mere £1.19. Four whole double cheeseburgers for a shade under a fiver! This inspired Rhod to take up the challenge, but sadly he failed with 2 burgers still to go. Luckily myself and Thomas are made of sturdier stuff and had no trouble polishing off over 90g of saturated fat each.

The leap between stage and screen isn’t especially easy, and with more and more “crossover” acts having musical careers while also starring in films, it is easy to dismiss the musician turned actor. Anyone who knows the pain of watching Crossroads, Glitter, or Swept Away will know why. But alas! There are some examples where musicians and singers have appeared on screen, and genuinely given great performances.

As usual, we have a few rules. First of all, they have to have been a musician or singer first and foremost, with an established career as such. There has to have been some element of risk to their careers. Minnie Driver was an unknown singer, who became a well known actress, who went back to being a singer. That doesn’t count. The same applies to Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez and anyone else who dabbled in both acting and music.

Secondly, they have to actually be playing a role- as good as Bruce Springsteen’s cameo in High Fidelity is, it is just a cameo, and he doesn’t do any acting.

Finally, they can’t just be playing themselves. Eminem was great in 8 Mile, but it wasn’t a massive stretch for him to play a white rapper from Detroit. Keith Richards was cool as Jack Sparrow Snr, but it wasn’t really a flexing of his acting muscles. This also rules out a lot of people who play extensions of themselves in musicals- your Streisand and Minelli. It has to involve acting.

Chris Isaak - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Chris Isaak

When Kyle MacLachlan’s disagreement with David Lynch limited the appearance of Twin Peaks hero, Dale Cooper, Lynch needed an able replacement. As the film was about the days leading up to the murder of Laura Palmer, he was able to tell the story of another Special Agent, investigating the strange goings on of the town. Chris Isaak had already worked with Lynch by this time, soundtracking the vastly under-rated Wild At Heart, but it was his first lead acting role (he had a small part in Silence of the Lambs prior to this). Isaak’s Special Agent Chester Desmond was less quirky than Dale Cooper had been (as the film was in general), but it gave another level of disturbance to the series when Desmond investigates the murder of Teresa Banks- a case which mirrors that of Laura Palmer. Reaction to this film was mixed, it was famously booed at Cannes, while Mark Kermode claims it is “Lynch’s masterpiece”. Part of the problem was that it was viewed as a prequel to the TV series, when it was simply intended to enrich and deepen our understanding of the events of the series. Isaak’s character was a welcome addition.

Madonna - Evita (1996)

Madonna

It could be argued that Madonna should fall foul of our Rule 3 here, as she didn’t so much play Eva Peron, as Madonna playing Eva Peron. Certainly, there were critics who suggested it was a “role she was born to play”, but that should not take away from her performance. Madonna led the line in a film full of good performances (especially Jonathan Pryce’s Juan Peron). It is far too easy to mock Madonna’s career in films, so we will get it over with quickly- Swept Away, Body of Evidence, Dick Tracy, The Next Best Thing, Dangerous Game, and one of the worst cameos ever, ever, ever in Die Another Day. But now that we have that out of our system, we need to remember that she was in A League of their Own and Desperately Seeking Susan. Taken on their own merits (ie- don’t expect high art), these are fine performances.

Frank Sinatra - The Man With The Golden Arm (1955)

Sinatra at his best

Equally, From Here To Eternity could be in this list, as it was almost single handedly responsible for giving Sinatra a career in the 1950’s. The Man With The Golden Arm required a little bit more acting, and was a considerably more brave role for Sinatra. The film itself was a watershed, as it was the first time that a mainstream American film had depicted narcotic addiction. To give the best possible performance, Sinatra had spent time at a rehab clinic for Heroin addicts. The result is a dark and edgy film, that features contributions from some of the all times greats of cinema - a Saul Bass opening credit, an Elmer Bernstein soundtrack, Kim Novak in full flight. It is a huge credit to Sinatra that he is the best thing about the film.

Meat Loaf - Fight Club (1999)

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf had flirted with film on several occasions- notably as Eddie in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and less notably in Spice World. As “The Martyr” Robert Paulson, we forgot that he was Meat Loaf. No longer was he bringing his personality to the screen with him, he was acting. To prove this point, how many of you started this paragraph by saying “oh yeah, I forgot Meat Loaf was in Fight Club”? All together now, his name was Robert Paulson. His name was Robert Paulson. His name was…

David Bowie - The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Bowie

Few musicians have had the acting success that Bowie has managed, and in truth he could be in this list more than once- roles in Labyrinth, Absolute Beginners, Basquiat, Twin Peaks, The Man Who Fell To Earth and The Prestige are all worth noting. His role as Pontius Pilate in The Last Temptation of Christ is arguably his finest, as he almost flirts with Willem Defoe’s Jesus. Any of the mentioned films could have been on this list, but how many musicians get the Martin Scorsese seal of approval?

Courtney Love - The People vs Larry Flynt (1997)

The People Versus Larry Flynt

Like her or loathe her, Courtney Love has survived in the entertainment industry for almost 20 years. Personally, I am quite a fan of her work with Hole, and her work as an actress. With Hole, she was always a Pop Star with real Rock attitude. And it always reeked of sexist to me, that she was so vilified, when people like Sid Vicious are seen as Rock Martyrs. In this film, she played Althea Flynt, the lifelong love of Woody Harrelson’s eponymous hero. Harrelson was nominated for an Oscar for his role in this, and it is all credit to Love that her performance is just as strong as his. If her acting work was taken on its’ own, she would have an impressive CV. As well as this film, she has put in impressive turns in Man on the Moon, 200 Cigarettes and Julie Johnson. If we didn’t know about her career in music, or her famous marriage, then she might well be lauded as one of the great female character actors.

Elvis Pressley - Wild In the Country (1961)

Elvis

This might be a hugely controvertial statement, but the majority of Elvis films are very bad. The music in them was great, but they are almost all elongated music videos (before the term was coined). Wild In the Country is different, as Elvis plays Glenn Tyler, a depressed, violent and troubled man who discovers he has a gift for writing. The difference between this film and some of the other Pressley vehicles, is that the songs are not the star. Elvis gives a genuinely edgy performance. The songs in this film are far from Elvis favourites (I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell and In My Way being the most recognisable), and only serve to enhance the story, rather than carry it. Elvis was never this edgy in a film again.

Nick Cave - Ghosts… of the Civil Dead (1988)

Nick Cave (may be a bit disturbing)

John Hillcoat’s feature debut was written and soundtracked by Nick Cave, and so it was of little surprise that Cave would play a significant part in the film. What is surprising is just how convincing (and disturbing) Cave is as Maynard, the psychotic new inmate of a maximum security prison. Maynard could well be a character from his Murder Ballads album, but it was in this film we discovered that Cave could actually push himself over the edge and become one of his creations.

Tom Waits - Down By Law (1986)

Tom Waits

Jim Jarmusch has never been worried about casting musicians as actors, having used Iggy Pop and GZA in his films. Arguably the most impressive perfomance of all was by Tom Waits in Down By Law. I only saw this film the other day, and I couldn’t believe that it was the same Tom Waits, he is that impressive as an actor. The film centres around three men who are incarcerated despite their innocence. They have to quickly learn to trust each other, so they can escape, despite obviously aggrivating each other. Waits’ performance makes me wonder why he hasn’t had more starring roles.

Kris Kristofferson - Lone Star (1996)

Lone Star

While Chris Cooper is the lead actor in this Western Thriller, Kris Kristofferson plays the murdered Sheriff Charlie Wade. The film was to rejuvinate Kristofferson’s career, and would lead to his roles in the Blade Trilogy, as well as films such as Planet of the Apes and Payback.

RZA - American Gangster (2007)

American Gangster

Initially I wanted to put Method Man in this list, because he is fantastic as “Cheese” Wagstaff in The Wire. But I decided that TV was cheating, and even though I loved the character, the list must be right! Of all the Wu-Tang acting roles, RZA has featured in the best films- Ghost Dog, Derailed and as himself in Coffee and Cigarettes. His best acting role was definitely in American Gangster, where he played Moses Jones, a detective working with Detective Roberts (Russel Crowe). RZA initially auditioned for the role of Jimmy Zee, but impressed Ridley Scott sufficiently to get the part of Jones.

Have we missed anyone? Let us know.