Sometimes, an actor is destined to portray a certain character. JK Simmons experienced that very thing when he took on the role of aggressively demanding (to say the least) jazz instructor Fletcher in Whiplash, in the process delivering the performance of his life in a career filled with exceptional turns.

With gargoyle-esque features, black on black attire & a way with razor sharp words that can shred your soul into itty bitty pieces, Simmons is simply demonic as one of cinema's more devious villains to stampede all over the screen. Yet vital to the power of his performance are those moments of tenderness that counter the ferociousness: a high five to a child here, a heart-to-heart conversation there...it all amounts to an exceptional display of acting.