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?

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes

Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad. I cannot imagine any other actor on Earth who could have nailed that role the way he did.

Mandy Patinkin as Saul Bereson in Homeland. He plays it so understated

The entire cast of The West Wing

Meryl Streep in owt.

Ah no mrsjayy me and my friends definitely would have. We used to stalk him like anything as teenagers. As much as one could pre-Internet and living in the sticks of course. (Waves to friends if any are on here).

Yes to Bryan Cranston. Brilliant.

Yeah am sure CT won an Oscar for Monster. When you see AW on film she really did nail the part.

Really Laura didnt see it myself

The 3 leads in Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister - as watchable now as when it was made (and strangely relevant..!)

It's an old one but I just loved Diana Dors in The Amazing Mr Blunden...as the housekeeper. She hammed it up perfectly and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing the part. She was so glam in real life.

Bryan Cranston as Walter White . Also loved Raymond Cruz as Tuco in it, heard him interviewed and he said the character was so violent he asked them to kill him off as he couldn't cope with playing the role for more than a few weeks.

Emma Thimpson in just about everything I've ever seen her in.

Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs.

There are loads I coukd think of....l

Jennifer Ehle (spelling ?) as Lizzie in the tv version of Pride and Prejudice.
Alec Guiness as George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Ron Perlman as Clay Morrow in SOA. I'm insanely in love. Hard to believe he was not the first choice for that character (original was Scott Glenn)

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara.

And yes, Colin and Jen as Lizzie and Darcy - perfection.

John Hamm, Don Draper.

I have to say Charlize Theron immediately sprang to mind when I read the first post - and if you saw Nick Broomfield's documentary you'll see why. Can't believe Charlize is South African either - IMHO her accent was flawless. Such a moving portrayal.

Jude Law in The Talented Mr Ripley was amazing as the playboy, actually all the actors in that film were on top form.

James Mason in the Boys from Brazil.

Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot.

Jennifer Lawrence in Winters' Bone.

Peter Weller in Robocop.

Javier Bardem in Biutiful.

Dean Winters in Oz.

Michael Keaton in Birdman.

Robert Redford in All the President's Men.

Marlon Brando in Streetcar Named Desire.

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind.

Everyone in Frankie and Grace.

AngelinaJokie in Changeling

*Angelina Jolie

@ Angelina Jokie.

Jeff Bridges as 'The Dude' in The Big Lebowski.

Sandra Oh as Cristina Yang. She is utterly believable as a character.

My first thought was Bellamy Young as Mellie in Scandal.

Second was Bryan Cranston as Walter White in Breaking Bad.

Third Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Robert Englund as Freddy Krueger in Nighmare on Elm Street!

Agree with oneflewoverthedodo - the entire cast of the West Wing but especially Alison Janey as CJ.

Angelica Houston as Morticia Adams - perfect