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They say hard work beats talent, and there’s plenty of truth to that. However, there’s no denying that some people have a natural gift for what they do.

Take the world’s greatest movie stars, for instance. It feels like they were made for the roles they play, leaving us completely spellbound every second they’re on screen.

Redditors recently weighed in on this and shared their thoughts about which actors delivered performances that can never be topped. Scroll down to see their picks and let us know if you agree!

This post may include affiliate links.

#1

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Alan Rickman is Snape. Always.

caskei , Warner Bros Report

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#2

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Prof_Walrus:
The fact they're trying to replace/reboot him is a guaranteed box office flop.
anonymous:
The role was actually written for Hugh Jackman but Johnny Depp had more star power.

Jane_Austen11 , Walt Disney Pictures Report

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Chich
Chich
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1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of." "But you have heard of me."

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#3

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown.

enricopallazo22:
There's only one doc Brown and only Marty Mcfly and it should always be that way.

legojay , Universal Pictures Report

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Peppy
Peppy
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And Micheal j fox as Marty, can’t imagine anyone else in that role

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#4

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Hugh Laurie as Dr Gregory House.

unstopablystoopid:
There can be only one!

LongrodVonHugedong86 , NBCUniversal Report

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#5

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter, the dude out performed the books.

badlysighteddragon , Orion Pictures Report

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Sue User
Sue User
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The man won Best Actor with something like 25 minutes appearance ( 16 minutes screen time ).

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#6

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Harrison Ford. Indiana Jones and Han Solo.

Far-Government5469:
Harrison brought just the right amount of incredulity to his circumstance to sell them.

BeerGutNinja , Paramount Pictures Report

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Peppy
Peppy
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read that they wanted Tom selleck to play Indie, just wouldn’t have been the same

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#7

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Michael Keaton did great with Beetlejuice.

DeeVa72:
I also think he was the best Batman

D1Rk_D1GGL3R , Warner Bros Report

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LMr
LMr
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be higher in the list considering Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. He is Batman!!!

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#8

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Gene Wilder will forever be Willy Wonka.

thegreatresistrules:
This... my little daughter loved the Johnny Depp version until she finally saw the original. Now she hates the Depp version.

KevinJ2010 , Paramount Pictures Report

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#9

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Rowan Atkinson as Mr Bean.

DoctorSkelly , Tiger Aspect Productions Report

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#10

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Viggo Mortensen in Lord of the Rings. That wasn't how I pictured the character reading the book 40 years ago, or any time re reading it before the films, but that is Aragorn for me now.

Visible_Star_4036 , New Line Cinema Report

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#11

Tim Curry as Frank N Furter in Rocky Horror.

DirtRockEngineer:
This is so true. He didn't cross my mind until I read this comment and now I can't forgive myself.

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#12

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool.

warchiefx:
Reynolds was practically born to play that role.

Mono_Clear , 20th Century Fox Report

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notlikeyou1971
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ryan Reynolds is the ONLY person that should play Deadpool. He's the ONLY person who should continue to write the movies as well because he stays true to the character and won't change anything to please Disney and their modern methods of changing characters and sticking ideology in things where they don't belong. He's fighting really hard for the future of the character and the whole Mutant Saga right now. In my opinion he's irreplaceable.

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#13

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Heath Ledger's Joker.

FloydsForked:
This is the one for me. The most epic performance of all time.

WriteOrDie1997 , Warner Bros Report

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#14

Ian McKellen as Gandalf.

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#15

Sigourney Weaver as Ripley.

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Jeff White
Jeff White
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I understand, and hope it is actually true, that the role for Ripley was written as a male actor. Then they found Saint Sigourney and went with her. And didn't change the character dialog, actions, anything. Sigourney IS Ripley.

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#16

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Patric Stewart/Picard.

craigerstar:
Stewart is the biggest reason for the success of a Star Trek reboot. If not for Stewart's Picard, I believe every Star Trek vehicle made since would not have happened or been some low budget hatchet job, including the current Chris Pine movies.

Ldemirci , CBS Studios Report

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#17

Raul Julia as Gomez Addams.

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#18

David Suchet as Hercule Poirot. Everyone else pales in comparison.

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#19

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. if Hugh dies they should retire that character same with the Black Panther.

Environmental_Stay83 , 20th Century Fox Report

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Sandra Angulo
Sandra Angulo
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think Jackman is terrific as Wolverine, but I’d love to see other actors’ takes on the character. And Chadwick Boseman was great as Black Panther, but there’s no way he would’ve wanted the character retired after his death. It’s a very important character for many young people who don’t see themselves represented enough in superhero roles. Besides Shuri already took up the mantle of Black Panther in the sequel, but I’m not certain that will stick. And really Black Panther is a character that makes the most sense to change actors since it is a position passed down in their culture.

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#20

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Tom Hanks and in Forest Gump.

tojifajita:
Honestly for me it is actually Tom hanks in Cast away, I see that character in every other movie, lonely deranged man.

AussieGirl2022 , Paramount Pictures Report

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#21

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It RDJ as Iron Man and Chris Hemsworth as Thor.

Aggressive-Command-8 , Marvel Studios Report

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#22

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes in 1990 film adaptation of Stephen King's 1987 novel "Misery".

mohksinats:
Just rewatched this at the local theater recently, and she is the reason that film holds up to this day.

velvetrevolting , Columbia Pictures Report

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Bear Hall
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Kathy Bates is great in pretty much anything and everything. Even in her sitcom appearances.

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#23

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Bryan Cranston as Walter White "Heisenberg".

Sharp_Ad_6336:
The fact that he was able to break the mental association we all had of him as Hal from Malcolm in the middle is the true tribute to how well he nailed that role.

certified-fumbler , Sony Pictures Report

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#24

Andre The Giant as Fezzic in The Princess Bride.

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#25

Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

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#26

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon. He played his role so well that fans of Game of Thrones made him quit acting all together.

glamscum , HBO Entertainment Report

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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Poor guy got so much hate for that, people are strange.

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#27

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Henry Cavill as a Witcher.

Velzevulva , Netflix Report

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#28

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator.

Rambo_1923:
No one else can be Terminator!

Classic-Row-2872 , Pacific Western Productions Report

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Sandra Angulo
Sandra Angulo
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1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I guess they mean the original Terminator, but Robert Patrick was excellent and scary as hell in the sequel as the T-1000

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#29

John Cleese as Basil Fawlty.

PumpJack_McGee:
Was always surprised Cleese didn't give himself an aneurysm playing Fawlty. Imagine even just pretending to be that high-strung all the time.

beave9999 Report

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Sandra Angulo
Sandra Angulo
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cleese kinda comes off high strung in real life, too. Still, A Fish Named Wanda is one of my all time favorites (not to mention Monty Python).

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#30

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Robin Williams, Mrs Doubtfire.

neercsnus1 , 20th Century Fox Report

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Danni
Danni
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anything he touched was gold. what a terrific actor. Dead poets society, What dreams my come, good morning Vietnam, Moscow on the Hudson. Oof, I could go on and on. I miss him so so much.

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#31

Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting, or most any role he had.

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Biofish23
Biofish23
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They never should have remade Aladin, because without Robin Williams as Genie why bother

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#32

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Jack Nicholson - "One flew over the cuckoos nest" and "The Shining".

DeadRed402 , Warner Bros Report

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LaserBrain
LaserBrain
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you liked the movie, I recommend reading the book. It goes a few levels deeper, has a different ending, and is told from the perspective of the Chief, not McMurphy. Not talking about the Steven King book.

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#33

Sean Connery as James Bond.

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L H
L H
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The best. Roger Moore was cool but I don't think anyone else has had much personality.

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#34

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Cristof Waltz/ Hans Landa.

Shumuu:
Actually Tarantino wrote Landa and after seeing actor after actor try it he believed the character to be "unplayable" because no one could pull it off. Well, thank God he found Waltz because wow!

Canonboy621 , Universal Pictures Report

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#35

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Jim Carrey as the Mask.

shuashy , Dark Horse Entertainment Report

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whineygingercat
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because of Jim Carey's natural facial features, and what he can do with them, the budget for visual effects was barely touched on that film

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#36

Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone.

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#37

Hugo Weaving as Agent Smith.

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#38

Brandon Lee - The Crow.

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Tiffany Marie
Tiffany Marie
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This should be higher up and not #66. It needs more up votes. There's already been a recent remake and it flopped. The dude died for the original film. He was absolutely perfect. Taken too soon.

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#39

Dustin Hoffman in Rainman.

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Sarah Jones
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Tom Cruise was really great in it too. I’m not normally a fan of his, but he was amazing in Rain Man

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#40

Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca and Alan Alda in MASH.

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#41

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh.

Sayon7:
I think he’s the scariest villain ever

anon , Miramax Films Report

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Lyop
Lyop
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG! He scared me so much how unsettling he was in the role. That hair do didn't help either.

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#42

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It James McAvoy in Split.

Pitiful_Winner2669:
It's so good it makes me uncomfortable to such a degree. Incredible performance(s).

goated95 , Universal Pictures Report

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#43

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It James Gandolfini. Tony Soprano.

DarthDregan:
All these takes I'm seeing and thinking "I can see someone else doing that."
And then I saw this post. And... yeah. That's all James.

Doctor_Nowt , HBO Entertainment Report

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LaserBrain
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

He was good in True Romance also. Classic movie, one of QT's earlier ones

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#44

50 Times Actors Nailed A Role So Flawlessly, Nobody Will Be Able To Live Up To It Sylvester Stallone, Rocky.

KeyKick7759:
I agree I've enjoyed other boxer films but none have ever got to me like Rocky did.

Talkndirty33 , Winkler Films Report

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XenoMurph
XenoMurph
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The first Rocky, and the first Rambo were both pretty serious hard hitting movies. How did they descent both franchises into such terrible slop

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#45

Milla Jovovich as Leeloo.

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Hellcaste's Wife
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Milla Jovovich as Alice (Resident Evil). She's why those are my favorite movies!

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#46

All of the Harry Potter cast was perfect, it better not be redone. Not even that big of a fan but they're good movies with great casting.

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Jaya
Jaya
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think most of them were pretty unremarkable and very replaceable. Most roles could have been done by some random other good actor and turn out just as well. I feel like people are attached to those actors because they happened to see them as kids and the movies/books meant so much to them.

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#47

Gregory Peck in To Kill A Mockingbird.

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#48

Jeff Bridges as The Dude! There’s no way anyone else could play that roll.

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#49

Daniel Radcliffe as Harry potter.

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#50

JK Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.

Cuppieecakes:
He so good they just made him a multiversal constant

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Carrie B
Carrie B
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was a huge OZ fan. It took me awhile to not see him as Schillinger. Amazing actor.

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