Over the years, celebrities have been a part of many outstanding projects and have portrayed some of film and televisions most beloved and memorable characters. In this GQ series, we take a deep dive into the best roles the celebrity has played.

Where to Watch GQ Presents: Iconic Characters • 2019

27 Episodes

  • Ken Jeong
    E1
    Ken JeongKen Jeong breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Knocked Up,' 'The Office,' 'Role Models,' 'The Hangover' trilogy, 'Community,' 'Bob's Burgers,' 'Dr. Ken,' 'Crazy Rich Asians,' 'The Masked Singer' and 'Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho.'
  • Willem Dafoe
    E2
    Willem DafoeWillem Dafoe down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'The Loveless,' 'To Live and Die in L.A.,' 'Platoon,' 'The Last Temptation of Christ,' 'Mississippi Burning,' 'Wild at Heart,' 'The Boondock Saints,' 'Spider-Man,' 'The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,' 'Mr. Bean’s Holiday,' 'Antichrist,' 'The Florida Project' and 'At Eternity’s Gate.'
  • Tim Roth
    E3
    Tim RothTim Roth down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Reservoir Dogs,' 'Pulp Fiction,' 'Made in Britain,' 'The Hit,' 'Planet of the Apes,' 'Vincent & Theo,' 'Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead,' 'Rob Roy,' 'Funny Games,' 'Lie to Me,' 'The Hateful Eight,' 'Tin Star,' and 'Twin Peaks.'
  • Caleb Landry
    E4
    Caleb LandryCaleb Landry Jones breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'No Country for Old Men,' 'The Last Exorcism,' 'X-Men: First Class,' 'God's Pocket,' 'Get Out,' 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,' 'American Made,' 'The Florida Project,' 'Twin Peaks: The Return' and 'Heaven Knows What.'
  • Pedro Pascal
    E5
    Pedro PascalPedro Pascal breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Game of Thrones,' 'Narcos,' 'The Good Wife,' 'The Mentalist,' 'Kingsman: The Golden Circle,' 'The Equalizer 2' and 'Triple Frontier.'
  • Ralph Fiennes
    E6
    Ralph FiennesRalph Fiennes breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Harry Potter,' 'Schindler's List,' 'Coriolanus,' 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'Sunshine,' 'The White Crow,' 'A Bigger Splash,' 'The English Patient,' and 'The Constant Gardener.'
  • Seth Rogen
    E7
    Seth RogenSeth Rogen breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' 'Superbad,' 'Pineapple Express,' 'Freaks and Geeks,' 'This is the End,' 'The Interview,' 'Observe and Report,' 'Steve Jobs' and 'Long Shot.'
  • Sir Ben Kingsley
    E8
    Sir Ben KingsleySir Ben Kingsley breaks down his most iconic roles, including his roles in 'Gandhi,' 'Schindler's List,' 'Iron Man 3,' 'Sexy Beast,' 'The Jungle Book,' 'Perpetual Grace, LTD,' 'House of Sand and Fog,' 'Shutter Island' and 'Hugo.'
  • Alec Baldwin
    E9
    Alec BaldwinAlec Baldwin breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in '30 Rock,' 'Beetlejuice,' 'The Royal Tenenbaums,' 'Glengarry Glen Ross,' 'The Hunt for Red October,' 'Blue Jasmine' and 'Mission: Impossible.'
  • Jon Hamm
    E10
    Jon HammJon Hamm breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Mad Men,' '30 Rock,' 'A Young Doctor's Notebook,' 'Black Mirror,' 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,' 'Beirut,' 'Bridesmaids,' 'Good Omens' and 'The Congress.'
  • Jake Gyllenhaal
    E11
    Jake GyllenhaalJake Gyllenhaal breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Donnie Darko,' 'Spider-Man: Far From Home,' 'Nightcrawler,' 'October Sky,' 'Brokeback Mountain,' 'End of Watch' and 'Stronger.'
  • Alan Cumming
    E12
    Alan CummingAlan Cumming breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'GoldenEye,' 'The Good Wife,' 'Eyes Wide Shut,' 'X2: X-Men United,' 'Spice World,' 'Prague,' 'Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,' 'Black Beauty,' 'Emma,' the 'Spy Kids' trilogy, 'Josie and the Pussycats' and 'Instinct.'
  • Kevin Bacon
    E13
    Kevin BaconKevin Bacon breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Footloose,' 'Tremors,' 'National Lampoon's Animal House,' 'X-Men: First Class,' 'Diner,' 'Sleepers,' 'A Few Good Men,' 'Flatliners,' 'Friday the 13th,' 'The River Wild,' 'Apollo 13,' 'The Woodsman,' 'Hollow Man,' 'Mystic River,' 'Crazy Stupid Love,' 'The Following,' 'City On a Hill' and 'You Should Have Left.'
  • John Goodman
    E14
    John GoodmanJohn Goodman breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'The Big Lebowski,' 'Roseanne,' 'Monsters, Inc.,' 'True Stories,' 'Raising Arizona,' 'Arachnophobia,' 'The Babe,' 'The Flintstones,' 'Barton Fink,' 'King Ralph,' '10 Cloverfield Lane,' 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?,' 'Flight,' 'Treme,' 'Inside Llewyn Davis,' 'Argo,' and 'The Righteous Gemstones.'
  • Gerard Butler
    E15
    Gerard ButlerGerard Butler breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in '300,' 'How to Train Your Dragon,' 'The Phantom of the Opera,' 'Den of Thieves,' 'P.S. I Love You,' 'Law Abiding Citizen,' 'The Ugly Truth,' 'Olympus Has Fallen' and 'London Has Fallen.'
  • Sarah Paulson
    E16
    Sarah PaulsonSarah Paulson breaks down her most iconic characters, including her roles in 'American Horror Story,' '12 Years a Slave,' 'American Crime Story,' 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,' 'Ocean's Eight,' 'Game Change' and 'The Goldfinch.'
  • Cillian Murphy
    E17
    Cillian MurphyWe interviewed Cillian Murphy at the Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney, Co. Dublin, Ireland about his most iconic characters. Watch as he breaks down his roles in ’28 Days Later, ‘Batman Begins,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ ‘Inception,’ ‘Dunkirk,’ ‘Disco Pigs,’ ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley,’ ‘Peaky Blinders,’ ‘Breakfast on Pluto’ and ‘Sunshine.’
  • Forest Whitaker
    E18
    Forest WhitakerForest Whitaker breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High,' 'The Last King of Scotland,' 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,' 'Arrival,' 'The Color of Money,' 'Bird,' 'Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,' 'Lee Daniels’ The Butler,' 'Platoon,' 'The Crying Game' and 'Godfather of Harlem.'
  • Arnold Schwarzenegger
    E19
    Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'The Terminator,' 'The Terminator 2: Judgement Day,' 'Predator,' 'Batman & Robin,' 'Pumping Iron,' 'Conan the Barbarian,' 'Twins,' 'Kindergarten Cop,' 'Jingle All the Way,' 'Total Recall,' 'True Lies' and 'Terminator: Dark Fate.'
  • Edward Norton
    E20
    Edward NortonEdward Norton breaks down his most iconic roles, including his characters in 'Fight Club,' 'American History X,' 'Primal Fear,' 'Rounders,' '25th Hour' and 'Motherless Brooklyn.'
  • Al Pacino
    E21
    Al PacinoWatch as Al Pacino breaks down four of his most iconic roles, including his characters in 'Serpico,' 'Dog Day Afternoon,' 'The Godfather' and 'Scarface.'
  • Tim Blake Nelson
    E22
    Tim Blake NelsonTim Blake Nelson breaks down his most iconic roles, including 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?,' 'Watchmen,' 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,' 'This is My Life,' 'Heavyweights,' 'The Thin Red Line,' 'Minority Report,' 'Holes,' 'The Incredible Hulk,' 'Lincoln,' 'Just Mercy' and 'The Report.'
  • Mark Ruffalo
    E23
    Mark RuffaloMark Ruffalo breaks down his most iconic characters, including his roles in 'The Avengers,' 'Spotlight,' 'Shutter Island,' '13 Going on 30,' 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' 'Zodiac,' 'The Kids are Alright' and 'Dark Water.'
  • Ray Liotta
    E24
    Ray LiottaRay Liotta breaks down his most iconic roles, including his characters in 'Goodfellas,' 'Something Wild,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'The Rat Pack,' 'Hannibal,' 'Heartbreakers,' 'Blow,' 'The Place Beyond the Pines,' 'The Iceman,' 'Shade of Blue' and 'Marriage Story.'
  • Octavia Spencer
    E25
    Octavia SpencerOctavia Spencer breaks down her most iconic roles, including her characters in 'The Shape of Water,' 'Hidden Figures,' 'The Help,' 'Snowpiercer' 'Fruitvale Station,' 'Ma' and 'Truth Be Told.'
  • Danny DeVito
    E26
    Danny DeVitoDanny DeVito breaks down his most iconic roles, including his characters in 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,' 'Batman Returns,' 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' 'Taxi,' 'Throe Momma from the Train,' 'Twins,' 'Matilda,' 'Hercules,' 'L.A. Confidential,' 'Curmudgeons' and 'Jumanji: The Next Level.'
  • Jack Black
    E27
    Jack BlackJack Black breaks down his most iconic roles, including his characters in 'School of Rock,' 'Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny,' 'Nacho Libre,' 'Tropic Thunder,' 'The Holiday,' 'King Kong,' 'Orange County,' 'Shallow Hal,' 'High Fidelity,' 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' and 'Jumanji: The Next Level.'