Six Actors Who've Played The Devil
Including Peter Cook, Terence Stamp, De Niro and Ray Wise.
Aug 6, 2009
Over the years, many actors have been asked to tempt fate by playing The Devil. Here are some of the most interesting. With apologies to Walter Huston (The Devil and Daniel Webster 1941), Robert De Niro (Angel Heart 1987), Max Von Sydow (Needful Things 1991) and others, there simply isn’t enough room.
Peter Cook in Bedazzled (Stanley Donen 1967)
Cook plays The Devil as a charming ex-public schoolboy type who persuades a suicidal young man, (Dudley Moore) to sell his soul in return for seven wishes. Dud pines after fast food waitress Margaret Spencer (Eleanor Bron), however she is barely aware of his existence. Each of his wishes is an attempt to impress Margaret, but The Devil undermines him at every turn. Bedazzled was remade for morons in 2000.
Most Devilish Moment
The Devil’s appearance on a 60’s pop music show performing a song about romantic indifference, sample lyric “you fill me with inertia.” Perversely this drives the female audience wild.
Telly Savalas in Lisa and the Devil (Mario Bava 1973)
Though never directly referred to as being Satan, an al fresco painting in the town square makes it clear Leandro (Savalas) is really The Devil. Lisa (Elke Sommer) has a seemingly chance encounter with Leandro in a shop where he is buying a life-size dummy. Afterwards she loses her way amongst the backstreets and hitches a lift with three strangers. They travel to an old-looking mansion where Leandro works as the butler serving the mother and son of the household. Savalas is marvellous here as a wry, amused presence watching over his victims and waiting for them to fall.
Most Devilish Moment
Lisa catching her plane at the last moment, then realising after it has taken off there seem to be no other passengers onboard.
Terence Stamp in The Company of Wolves (Neil Jordan 1984)
Chauffeur driven through a fairytale forest in a white Rolls-Royce, The Devil stops by a teenage boy and hands him a potion telling him to “waste not, want not.” The boy drinks it and is horrified to find hair growing on his chest. Jordan collaborated with the novelist Angela Carter on this dreamlike horror film which is essentially a metaphor about the end of childhood and the onset of adult sexual desires.
Most Devilish Moment
This is Stamp’s only appearance in The Company of Wolves. Producers Steven Wooley and Nik Powell persuaded him to cameo in the film by buying the suave 60’s icon a fancy new suit.
Juliette Catton in The Last Temptation of Christ (Martin Scorsese 1988)
Towards the end of Scorsese’s controversial adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel a little girl appears to Jesus claiming to be a Guardian Angel sent by God to watch over him. She removes his crown of thorns and pulls the nails form his hands. She tells him he is not the Messiah and he can live a normal life. Jesus marries Mary Magdelane and settles down. The strikingly pretty Catton is a kindly presence gently assuaging his doubts and fears as he grows older. Until the disciples are sent by God and Judas reveals who the girl really is.
Most Devilish Moment
Catton delivering lines like “I won’t ever leave you alone again, I will protect you,” with remarkable tenderness.
Viggo Mortenson in The Prophecy (Gregory Widen 1994)
Lucifer makes no attempt to hide his identity in The Prophecy, Gregory Widen’s underrated supernatural thriller. A rebellious Archangel Gabriel (Christopher Walken) intends to destroy humanity and gain control of Heaven. Lucifer (Mortenson) likes things as they are and intervenes on the behalf of the good guys, but makes it clear he is acting out of his own interests. Mortenson, is the most obviously Satanic figure on this list, looking like Rasputin the Mad Monk and hissing out dialogue with relish.
Most Devilish Moment
Telling former wannabe priest Thomas Daggett (Elias Koteas) that he really was hiding under Daggett’s bed when he was a child.
Ray Wise in Reaper (TV 2007-)
Poor Sam (Brett Harrison) finds his father sold his soul to The Devil. Now he has to work for Satan hunting down escaped souls and returning them to Hell. Wise possesses the most unsettling stare on television. Previously best known for playing daughter-killer Leland Palmer on Twin Peaks, Wise can switch from being amusing to terrifying in a blink of his terrifying eyes.
Most Devilish Moment
Manipulating a rebellious Demon army into thinking they can kill him with a cheap sword he bought in Korea town.
Disclaimer, this article in no way shape or form condones selling your soul to Satan, even if you are in love with Eleanor Bron.
Related Article - Five Actors in Films About Christ
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