Jason Isaacs

Having emerged from his native Liverpool an established and respected performer, actor Jason Isaacs became casting directors' ideal choice for playing imperious screen villains in the early 2000s. Possessing a steely gaze and stentorian tones, he lent an elegant evil to such onscreen bad guys as Mel Gibson's British nemesis in "The Patriot" (2000), the theatrical Lucius Malfoy in the "Harry Potter" series, and Captain Hook in "Peter Pan" (2003). He showed more complex sides to his talent in films like "The End of the Affair" (1999) and "Black Hawk Down" (2001), though his finest showcases came on television series like "Brotherhood" (Showtime, 2006-08) and "The State Within" (BBC, 2006), which earned him widespread acclaim and propelled the actor to stardom in America. By the time he reprised Death Eater Lucius Malfoy for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows" (2010), Isaacs had established himself as one of England's most versatile talents who managed to also become a star in America.