Actors/actresses who nailed their role?

[Timeforanamechangey]

In contrast to the unconvincing role thread, are there any actors/actresses who you think did a brilliant job as their characters?

My first thoughts are Harry Potter related :/

Michel Gambon as Dumbledore - I know he wasn't the original choice but I thought he was such a good Dumbledore, really captured the fire and humour of book Dumbledore, especially in the later books (no offence to the first Dumbledore)

Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid - maybe not quite big enough but short of using CGI (which would have been a terrible idea) I'm not quite sure they could have done better. He really played that well.

Anyone think of any others?

David Suchet and Poirot - even the good earlier adaptations (like the Ustinov Death on the Nile) just don't seem quite right now.

Not a film, but Hugh Laurie in House. Perfect.

Yes Imperial! Actually good casting choices not limited to movies, could include TV too.

In that case I think pretty much all the characters in Game of Thrones ae very well cast too.

Well Alan Rickman as snape obviously nobody else could do it i luvs him.

Yep, him too Mrs! Totally can't imagine anyone else playing Snape.

And Maggie Smith as McGonagall :)

Oh aye her too.

Charlize Theron as Aileen Wuornis in Monster.

*Wuornos

I was going to say Joffrey in game of thrones!

I think she won an Oscar for that didn't she patience? Deservedly so, she was amazing. That movie was heart breaking, so sad for everyone involved :( Even DP, who rarely shows emotions, was affected by it.

Joffrey was breathtakingly awful in a good way. It's a testament to what a good actor he is that he was hated so much!

Oh yea she is brilliant in monster its a good film . This is low brow but i cant imagine anybody else being john mcclean in Die hard Bruce could pull off a dirty vest

Emma Thompson in Love Actually. Shit film, but she makes me howl.

I love Gambon but as HP book lovers know he ruined this line:

HARRY DID YA PUT YA NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIYAH?! (Dumbledore said calmy)

Eddie Redmayne as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything. Sublime.

Julie Walters nailed it in Educating Rita - brilliant film.

(Ancient)

Vicky McClure as Lol in This is England - utterly convincing, such a completely believable deep character study, and so unusual for a female role.

Maxine Peake in pretty much everything I've seen her in, but most recently in The Falling. A supporting role but a character you wanted to understand and know more about throughout the film.

And Philip Seymour Hoffman, again in most of the things he was in.

Colin Firth is Darcy- that casting is perfection itself.
Aiden Gillen as Stuart in Queer as Folk.

Marion Cotillard in La Vie En Rose.

matthew mcconaughey In true detective. Played same character several years apart. Wasn't a fan of his until I saw him in this.

Ooh yes Cuckoo - had never rated him till True Detective, but he was magnetic in that. He was pretty good in Dallas Buyers Club.

Daniel Day Lewis in My Left Foot.

Sam Rockwell as Billy the kid in green mile. And his character in seven psychopaths (think he was called Billy too).
He's my all time fave actor!

was going to say Hugh Laurie in house.

he's strangely sexy in it too

Ellen DeGeneres as the voice fir dory. perfect

I was watching blackadder the other night and thinking how is it possible that hugh laurie is now sexy cos he is in a rugged sort of way back then you just wouldnt would you