Some Hollywood Celebrities That Made Fictitious Characters Seem Very Real IMHO

While I personally haven't been too fond of Hollywood these days but here are some people who actually made their characters feel very real in no particular order... 

Cesar Romero as the Joker

One can argue that Adam West is Batman and we still owe him some gratitude. We ought to respect him even to his grave because he brought Batman to life. For me, the whole show had the best Joker actor for me. Romero makes Joker that scary. Man, I remembered how I hid under my blanket because of this guy!

Sean Connery as James Bond

I usually prefer the James Bond movies by Pierce Brosnan but I think Connery has the better charm and acting skills. I mean, this guy carried over a lot of his skill even in his old age. Brosnan is good but it's Connery that makes the secret agent feel very real IMHO. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan

Do you remember the movie Conan the Barbarian (1982) back in the day? I know Jason Momoa has a fanbase but I think this is just bias. He was just new when he came there but he did a pretty good job. For me, it's difficult NOT to equate Conan with Arnold himself. Sure, he can be also typecast as Terminator too but I always think of Conan when I think of him.

James Earl Jones as the movie version of Thulsa Doom

Okay, this Thulsa Doom is closer to Thoth-Amon in the comics but we now this guy means business. Jones has been known for many of his voices including the voice of Mufasa. Thulsa Doom in the movie is a cunning and malevolent warlord who would later create the Cult of Set. He used his influence to charm people into fighting and killing for him. His voice made me wish that he voiced both Wrath-Amon and Ram-Amon in the Conan the Adventurer cartoon series by Hasbro.

Jack Nicholson as the Joker 

Batman (1989) was definitely not a kid's movie. Why I watched it with my parents as a kid is beyond me. I always found this version of Joker scary that I hid under my bed way too many times. Like, who wouldn't be intimidated by this guy? 

Linda Carter as Wonder Woman

Beauty fades with age and that's true. However, even an older Linda Carter looks prettier than the younger Gel Gadot. She's the signature Wonder Woman who I'd call as the best. I won't discredit Gadot though - she did well in her own way. So why wasn't Carter cast as Queen Hippolyte in the Wonder Woman movie now that she's old enough for the role? 

Christopher Reeve as Superman

I remembered being saddened about his death when I was in late elementary. It sucks really. He had an accident from horseback-riding. I've watched Lois and Clark TV series but this Superman is really the best. Many tried to be Reeve but fail. Lesson? There's the one and only for some roles so let's just stop comparing. I don't think newer generations would want to see old school Superman movies either!

David Huddleston as Santa Claus

If this late actor appeared as a mall Santa - you'd probably wish you were a kid again! Although the Santa Claus film by the Salkinds was a flop - it had a cult following. I can't deny how Huddleston made the fictitious character feel so real. Like, who wouldn't wish he'd drop by your house on Christmas Eve with this guy? I don't think Tim Allen or the late Richard Attenborough can ever match this guy's charismatic appeal. 

Mike Myers as both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil

It doesn't matter which character Myers plays - whether it's the dimwitted spy or the intelligent idiot known as Dr. Evil. He always plays both parts rather well which makes you want to pity the dimwitted spy while Dr. Evil is just irritating at times. Dr. Evil always displays his lack of common sense in spite of his high intelligence. 

Frank Langella as the movie version of Skeletor

This is a very different Skeletor from the cartoon series. As out-of-character this Skeletor is being more scary and vicious - I don't want to deny that Langella scared me as a child. Yup, while the cartoon Skeletor makes me laugh - this makes me cringe!

Pamela Denise Anderson as CJ Parker

While the actress just didn't age well (due to those surgeries) but I have to admit that back then, I watched Baywatch having a crush on CJ Parker. Kelly Rohrbach just couldn't fit in those shoes IMHO.

Amy Jo Johnson-Giner as Kimberly

Before Power Rangers - she was already in the theater business. So it explains why she can act her character well. I always moan to why Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was never allowed by Toei or Saban to end at a high note as planned. However, I can't deny that Johnson herself is pretty much that show stealer until she left. I don't blame her for leaving the cast though - it was bringing her nowhere. Also, screw Power Rangers Zeo too for that stupid Dear John letter plot.

Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung and later Heihachi

This guy knows his art very well. I thought about how he should have been Shang Tsung way back in MK9 and not have to wait until MK11 before doing it! Tagawa makes two video game villains feel real. He's practically one of the best reasons to watch the classic Mortal Kombat film and the only saving grace of the failed Tekken film alongside Ian Anthony Dale -- who looks like MK9's version of Shang Tsung. 

Robin Shou as Liu Kang

Here's one guy I wish was my father. In fact, he's old enough to be my father. I could consider him to be a father figure as well because Liu Kang is my favorite Mortal Kombat character. I just felt he made the character more real. I'm not getting surprised that MK9's Liu Kang and MKX's Liu Kang tend to look like him even when he never voiced either which. Heck, even MKX's old man Liu Kang looks like Shou in his later years!

Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage

I have to admit that this guys' face somehow made it to MK9 to MK11 even without the actor's voice. The aging Linden Ashby looks like the older, more mature Johnny Cage too. Too bad he never provided the voice!

Brigitte Wilson-Sampras as Sonya Blade

Maybe my dislike for Ronda Roussey as Sonya has to do with Sampras being that iconic Sonya. Heck, I also disliked Sandra Hess as Sonya because of her. It's not just because Sampras is hotter than the two. It has to do with her acting ability and I just can't forget how she made that Kano fight memorable. I'm glad that somehow her face was used in MK9 (younger version) and MKX (older version).

Trevor Goddard as Kano

Goddard may be DEAD but he feels alive with later versions of Kano in the video games. Ever noticed that MK vs. DC and later MK9 made it look like he never died back before the games were finished? Kano's new design based on the movie is just badass tough. I also like how the knife is still referenced in MK9. Now, why didn't MK9 include the "ear to ear" in the dialogue too?

Jim Carrey as the Riddler

Frank Gorshin was okay and he did Riddler justice. But for me, it was Carrey's antics that made the Riddler feel more like a real, wacky villain. Maybe, I'd say he also brought Ace Ventura and Stanley Ipkiss to life too!

Kevin Sorbo as Hercules

Best. Hercules. Ever. Hands down! You probably watched Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and you would probably never regret it. I know the ending was kind of disappointing with how Ares just ended up getting humiliated or how I'm not even a fan of Xena either. I think every other person who tried to be Hercules just can't match up to Sorbo's acting. He'd probably put every other Hercules incarnation down including Jetlag's and Disney's disgracefully done portrayals of said character too. 

Kevin Smith as Ares

The late Smith is really one badass actor. His death really is bad if you ask me. I always thought that Ares finally appearing to Hercules in person rather than by proxy made it more personal. Ares is a confrontational god and nobody does it better than Smith himself. Oh, should I mention that Justice League somehow copied his face into Hades?

Meg Foster as Evil Lynn and Hera

Foster had her role as Evil Lynn in the failed Masters of the Universe movie. I think she did bring the character Hera to life. So why the directors made Hera only appear as a pair of glaring eyes first is a mystery. She has the two eyes that outglare the pair of glaring eyes Hera appeared as originally. Maybe, some can say that Honor Blackman makes a good Hera. Well, Foster is the best Hera portrayed for me. She had the menacing eyes and voice that made her more terrifying than the CGI eyes with the voice provided by the late Joy Watson. Too bad, she never acted as Hera in other projects outside Hercules and her time there was rather short! She could have made a good Hera in the Hallmark version of Jason and the Argonauts. 

Patrick Stewart as Professor X

I always think about it that if there any better Professor X - it's Patrick Stewart. The later Professor X's incarnations in the Marvel Cinematic Universe will NEVER match up to this guy. What do you expect from the guy who's had a lot of experience playing his characters such as Jean-Luc Picard. Though I always associate him with Professor X.

Ian McDiarmid as Palpatine/Darth Sidious

NOBODY steals the show like McDiarmid does it! I have to admit that he didn't get much time in Return of the Jedi but he stole the spotlight from almost everyone in the prequel trilogy. Sure, Natalie Portman is hot but she doesn't make Padme that real. I don't even feel the vibes with Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker before the Dark Side. But this guy really makes the scheming politician and Sith lord very real. He appears to be a benevolent guy yet he's secretly the evilest guy in the Universe. I just love how this guy makes his transition to becoming the Galactic tyrant. Hmmm... is Disney's sh*tty canon trying to get him to bail them out for the ninth movie? 

Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in the X-Men movies

Yeah, I know the height retcon is very controversial for some BUT I'm actually a fan of it. Wolverine himself was only 5'3 at first yet his height is so inconsistent! Hugh Jackman makes Wolverine feel very real even if he's a foot taller than the character. I'm just so sad that the rumors of him not appearing in Avengers: Endgame didn't come true. Like, Wolverine has been both X-Man and Avenger in many issues he's in. Screw you Fox TV executives and Marvel!

Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew

This may be controversial though I think she did make the character come to life. Addie Singer in Nickelodeon? Not really. I can't even be too convinced about her performance as Madison Montgomery in The American Horror Story either. But she did make Nancy Drew feel real and I wish she were Belle in the 2017 remake of Beauty and the Beast. But she's not that flexible for an actress though. 

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This is but a short of the many!