Peter Stormare is Hollywood’s ultimate "bad guy” — and he’s perfectly fine with that. The Swedish actor’s knack for playing villains in hits like Constantine and Minority Report is no accident. For Stormare, it’s about timing, challenge, and embracing complexity.
He told The Direct about arriving in Hollywood in the late ’80s, when studios shifted villain roles to Europeans because "no one here… knows any language from Europe." When asked if he could speak Serbian, he said yes — not because he could, but because it was "good timing."
But there’s more to his love for villains than just opportunity.
"When you’re on stage, you want to do very complicated characters," Stormare explained. "You want to do a Macbeth, or you want to do a Hamlet that kills six people." For him, playing a villain means diving into layered, intense roles that challenge him as an actor.
He also reflected on how boring it would be to always play the "Prince on a White Stallion," suggesting that villains offer more depth and excitement — much like the witch with the apple in Snow White is far more intriguing than the prince. For Stormare, villains provide richness and fun, a chance to unleash wild, unforgettable characters while keeping audiences hooked.
That’s why Peter Stormare owns his "villain" label with pride — because behind every great hero is an even better bad guy.
