While some people watch movies and quietly root for the villain (no lie, I thought Bane in The Dark Knight Rises was bad a**!), many of us do the complete opposite–we watch these cocky, disrespectful, distasteful and often violent characters with disgust. Some are so good at being bad that we equate the actors with these characters for a long time, and some are eerily effective, to the point that you watch the character, act like you know them, and scoff at the fact that you dislike them so much. If you ever say, “UGH!” when you watch these movies, or shake your head at these characters a few times, then you’ll probably agree that they were villains you loved to hate.

Sanaa Lathan in The Family That Preys

If you watched just 30 minutes of The Family That Preys and viewed Lathan as Andrea, you were probably just as sick of her as we were. She was a conniving cheater, dogging out her hard-working and fine man (Rockmond Dunbar) for the town’s stuck-up socialite and trust-fund baby. And in the end, she revealed that *SPOILER* the son her husband thought was his blood was a product of her affair. She didn’t even look remorseful at all! Who else wanted to reach through the screen and shake her real good???

Black women aren’t always given the opportunity to portray strong or positive female leading characters on-screen, particularly because Hollywood is dominated by men…white men. Somehow, however, the following women have struck gold in films and television shows that would have them act as outstanding characters, showcasing strength and character in multiple capacities, depicting black women who are struggling with death, romance, violence, revenge, scandal, betrayal or simply trying to survive–all in a gracious and entertaining way.

“Scandal”: Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington stars in ABC’s Scandal as crisis manager, Olivia Pope. Pope’s character is loosely based on the real life crisis manager, Judy Smith. Washington portrays Pope as a headstrong, heavy-hearted woman who personally bears each burden that presents itself in her life. Pope leads a team of attorneys who are tasked with the goal of solving issues for politicians, celebrities and athletes. Scandal doesn’t elude Pope’s personal life, after all, she was carrying on an affair with the president of the United States–making the show all the more interesting.

Lord knows Angela Bassett can deliver the mess out of a line. Whether she’s playing the battered woman, the maternal figure, or a snobby housewife, Angela always makes you believe in her portrayal. Check out her best lines over the years.

Bernadine to John Sr.  in Waiting to Exhale

John: Oh by the way, I’m coming to pick up my kids on Saturday.
Bernadine: Yeah? And if I hear you had em anywhere near that tramp bi**h, you’re gonna regret it for the rest of your life!

It’s one thing to be pissed at your unfaithful husband; but you can’t rightfully keep him away from his children, even if he is morally bankrupt. Bernie recognized this but at the same time she wasn’t about to have her soon-to-be ex husband parading his new woman in front of their children. And with this line, we think she made that perfectly clear.

We’ve been watching Jenifer Lewis for years! When we see her pop up in a movie or on television, it’s never a surprise. She’s always around! We had the pleasure of chatting with one of our favorite actresses about her favorite role, how she’s been able to sustain herself in this competitive industry and why she’s always playing somebody’s momma.

More on Madame Noire!

• “You Can See How Black People Evolved From Apes” and Other Racially-Charged Comments That Left Me Speechless
• The Business Of Our Periods: Why Are Feminine Products So Darn Expensive?
• Listen Up Fellas! 7 Signs SHE’s Just Not That Into You
• No Way Out? Don’t Blame The Day26 Break Up On Diddy and The “Bad Boy Curse”
• Cute Kid Alert: Diddy’s Girls, Tiny & T.I.’s Kids Celebrate Her B-Day & More
• Single Black Male: Should Women Still Expect Men to Pay for Dates?
• Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “Waiting to Exhale”

When Rock and Roll icon, Tina Turner co-wrote her biography I, Tina, alongside Kurt Loder in 1986, she probably didn’t imagine it would be transformed into a blockbuster hit in 1993 and go on to become a cultural staple. Lines from the movie, specifically “Eat the cake, Anna Mae,” would become catch phrases in the black community. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you probably have a friend who has it memorized.  There are people who can recite entire scenes from that movie. They may know the plot and the all the lines but we’d bet money, most people don’t know the back story behind this classic.

When I watch a movie, if it’s good, I’m all in. Completely invested, often times too much so. Throughout the duration of the movie, I struggle with the characters. When they laugh, I laugh. When they cry, I cry. I go through it. And if the film is really good, I find myself trying to find solutions to the problems they encountered, long after the movie is over. Some stories and the characters in them just stick with you. This is particularly true when it comes to the “bad guys.” From an early age we think we know who falls into that category and we try to avoid the bad dudes at all costs. But in these memorable movies, the bad guy is thrown in your face. You have to deal with him and sometimes he’s a bit terrifying. See who I’m talking about.