Max von Sydow

Can be thoroughly chilling. That quiet, austere, gentlemanly demeanor hiding terrible, merciless evil.

Hey, anybody who can play the main part in an Ingmar Bergman film and also play Ming the Merceless in Flash Gordon can only be described as "versatile."

His flawless dramatic roles under Ingmar Brgman notwithdstanding, von Sydow can go from a chillingly cold hit man in 'Three Days of the Condor' to devilishly mercurial in 'Needful Things' (my bad).

His role as the sinister shop keeper, in Needful Things is the best thing about the movie.

He is a really wonderful actor; always riveting to watch. Im not sure but he may have also been one of the only guys to ever play both the devil (A Soldier's Tale (animated film), 1984 ) and Jesus Christ (The Greatest Story Ever Told, 1965). I'd say that shows an extraordinary amount of range on a rather cosmic level.