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Since the beginning, the Walt Disney Company has had many hits and misses with its live-action films. Some have become iconic for the cast alone. Characters would be nothing more than words on a page without actors there to breathe life into them. An actor's ability to make the audience feel a certain way about their character is only a testament to their talent.
While a modest list of live-action films has been adapted from their animated counterparts, live-action Disney films have been around for several decades. From princesses to villains, several actors have made certain characters unforgettable by nailing their roles.
10 Johnny Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow Is Irreplaceable (Pirates Of The Caribbean)
When Pirates of the Caribbean was released in 2003, audiences fell in love with the story and characters. One character remains a fan favorite - Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack Sparrow's perpetually inebriated state and rugged nature were aspects that only Johnny Depp could have pulled off.
Johnny Depp made Jack Sparrow a compelling character with a quick wit and somewhat heroic drive to do what's right. While Jack Sparrow's might have been intended to provide humor rather than move the story along, he became one of the franchise's most beloved characters. While it's hard to imagine what the Pirates franchise would be like without Jack Sparrow, it's also important to acknowledge that Depp's public and private behavior includes alleged substance abuse and makes this character a lot less amusing.
9 Glenn Close Truly Embodied Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmations)
While Emma Stone impressed audiences with a new look at the villain in Cruella, Glenn Close embodied this role in the live-action 101 Dalmatians. Cruella is genuinely criminal in the animated film, but Close gave several layers to the disturbing character in the live-action movie.
Close not only pulled off Cruella's outrageous fashion choices but also nailed the villain's psyche. After seeing Glenn Close laughing evilly at a dark joke about wearing a coat made of dalmatian fur, audiences knew the actor had successfully brought the devilish character to life.
8 Lily James Gave Depth To Cinderella (Cinderella)
Though the animated Cinderella is a stunning classic, Lily James made a previously flat character into a three-dimensional presence. The Kenneth Branagh-directed film boasted spectacular costumes and a heartwarming script that elevated the original story.
Though the animated Cinderella is a kind and selfless individual, she lacks the personality that Lily James gave her in the live-action film. Where the animated servant-princess cried over her torn dress and fell in love at first sight, James' Ella wept over the branch her late father sent home and verbally sparred with the prince.
7 Angelina Jolie's Maleficent Is A Scene Stealer (Maleficent)
Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent was already an iconic villain in the animation, but Angelina Jolie made the character sympathetic in the live-action film, Maleficent. Her depiction of the sharp-horned magic-bearing creature made audiences forget about the king and care about the villain.
Maleficent wasn't perfect, but Jolie's presence as Maleficent was unforgettable. Instead of being a simple monster, Maleficent gave the character a chance to be someone better. From the way she spoke to how she carried herself, Angelina Jolie's portrayal of the fairy witch gave the character a significant new purpose.
6 Luke Evans Brought Gaston To Life (Beauty And The Beast)
It's challenging to make a villain humorous and evil, but in 2017's Beauty and the Beast, Luke Evans did just that. His portrayal of Gaston delivered some of the film's best lines while he also physically embodied the overconfident antagonist.
Audiences recognize Gaston on sight, and no one could have pulled off the physical presence of the character quite as well as Evans. In addition to his comical take on the man who prides himself on eating five dozen eggs, Luke Evans sang well enough to make his duet with Josh Gad's LeFou possibly better than the original.
5 Amy Adams' Giselle Is Funny And Refreshing (Enchanted)
The live-action-animated hybrid film Enchanted twisted Disney fairytales by reversing roles and playing with overused tropes. Amy Adams played Giselle, the princess who went from singing with animals in a magic forest to rescuing a single father from Queen Narissa in New York City.
Despite its flaws, Enchanted is severely underrated. Adams led an extremely funny cast and, while her character remains a pure-hearted fish-out-of-water, she nailed the transition from a gullible damsel to a heroic stepmother.
4 Jeff Bridges Made Audiences Root For Gamers (Tron)
Tron was ahead of its time during its release in 1982 and perhaps even when its sequel came out in 2010. The story focuses on Kevin Flynn, a video game developer who makes it into the computer-generated world he created. Jeff Bridges portrayed Flynn in both the original and the sequel.
Bridges' take on the character made Flynn a lovable tech-oriented adventurer, navigating a video game system in a world so foreign yet familiar to audiences. While not everyone plays video games, most Tron fans agree that Jeff Bridges made everyone want to be like Kevin Flynn.
3 Dick Van Dyke's Bert Is A Lovable, Talented Man (Mary Poppins)
Though the author of Mary Poppins disagreed with the casting, no one could have suited Bert's role as well as Dick Van Dyke. He made this supporting character feel meaningful and memorable, as Bert provides companionship to Mary Poppins in her adventure with the Banks children.
Despite being at best slightly magic, Dick Van Dyke's presence as Bert never fails to feel just as magical as Julie Andrews' Poppins. His ability to sing and dance while acting out an empathetic character makes Van Dyke an essential performer in Mary Poppins.
2 Neel Sethi Made CGI Animals Believable (The Jungle Book)
Jon Favreau's live-action take on the Disney classic The Jungle Book wouldn't have had its magic if it hadn't had the right Mowgli. The young actor chosen to play the boy raised by wolves was Neel Sethi, and he made sure the computer-animated animals he was interacting with felt more natural to the audience than they were to him.
Sethi made sure Mowgli was tangible. Despite having to act alongside puppet figures in place of animals against a blue screen, Sethi made viewers laugh and cry.
1 Bette Midler's Winifred Is A Halloween Icon (Hocus Pocus)
An annual Halloween must-watch, Hocus Pocus is an iconic film from the '90s because of the witch sisters it was centered on and the comedians who portrayed them. The ringleader of the three witches, Winifred Sanderson, was played by Bette Midler. She encompassed everything a Disney witch should be.
Midler made Winifred into a pop culture fixture, from her bright red hairstyle to her overbite. Aside from her subtly dark humor, her role as the eldest Sanderson sister can't be matched. She even transformed and adopted the famous song "I Put a Spell On You" and made it into a spooky classic.