I n the first series of Netflix’s Mindhunter, we got used to seeing Holt McCallany as detective Bill Tench, locked in mental duels with serial killers. In real life, while preparing for season two, McCallany spent four hours in the company of a convicted murderer. Not just any murderer, but a former follower of Charles Manson who, you may have noticed, is back under the spotlight in a big way. During the same month that marks 50 years since the infamous Manson Family murders – killings that saw the deaths of five people, including Sharon Tate – the cult leader is now a character (played by the same actor) in both Quentin Tarantino’s new film and Mindhunter, which returns this week.

In the second episode, Manson is named as the ideal research subject for Bill Tench and Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff), the early FBI criminal profilers trying to predict the behaviour patterns of active killers.

35 best TV villains of all time Show all 35 1 /35 35 best TV villains of all time 35 best TV villains of all time Cersei Lannister Played by: Lena Headey In Cersei, Game of Thrones has found somebody whose appearance on screen makes even the most relaxed viewer nervous. She's that terrifying type of villain who endangers the safety of anyone by merely being in the same scene – something a lot of film and TV shows shoot for with their villains, but struggle to achieve. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Jim Fenner Played by: Jack Ellis Despite being on the other side of the bars in Larkhall women's prison, Bad Girls' officer Jim Fenner was just as villainous as its inmates. His misdeeds led to his murder in the ITV drama's seventh series. Warner Bros Television 35 best TV villains of all time Gaius Baltar Played by: James Callis The debate over whether or not Battlestar Galactica's Gaius Baltar is actually a villain rages on. But the fact that he sells out humanity to the cybernetic creations they're at war with throughout the show's four seasons earns him a place on this list. NBCUniversal Television Distribution 35 best TV villains of all time Gustavo Fring Played by: Giancarlo Esposito Breaking Bad is a show with many selling points, but sitting at the top of the heap is Giancarlo Esposito's performance as Gus Fring, the pleasant fast-food restaurant owner who, behind closed doors, is a fearsome drug kingpin not to be messed with. Sony Pictures Television 35 best TV villains of all time Gyp Rosetti Played by: Bobby Cannavale Prohibition gangster Gyp Rosetti came into Boardwalk Empire like a wrecking ball. Cannavale's performance as the maniacal self-asphyxiating character intent on destroying the world of Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi) won Cannavale a well-deserved Emmy. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Doug Judy Played by: Craig Robinson A good villain returning after an absence can be an exciting moment in a television show, but it's certainly rare for the lead hero to be as excited as the viewer. Well, not when that show is Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Craig Robinson plays the affable "Pontiac Killer" Doug Judy whose elusive criminal skills leave Andy Samberg's cop Jake Peralta in awe every time he guest stars. Not all villains come in evil forms. NBCUniversal Television Distribution 35 best TV villains of all time The Gentlemen Played by: Doug Jones, Camden Toy, Don W Lewis, Charlie Brumbly Buffy the Vampire Slayer's fourth season episode "Hush" is considered by many to be one of the show's best, and it's no doubt partly thanks to the malevolent Gentlemen. Inspired by Nosferatu, Hellraiser's Pinhead and Mr Burns, the creatures would cut out people's hearts, a smile etched on their face the entire time. Chilling. 20th Television 35 best TV villains of all time Richard Hillman Played by: Brian Capron Coronation Street villain Richard Hillman had many faults (arson, murder, etc) but it was abducting his step-family and driving them into a canal that truly cemented him as one of soap's most memorable baddies. ITV Studios 35 best TV villains of all time JR Ewing Played by: Larry Hagman For 12 years, scheming Dallas character JR Ewing lied and cheated his way through the show so much that by the time he was gunned down - as part of the renowned "Who shot JR?" storyline - everyone was a suspect. Warner Bros. 35 best TV villains of all time Al Swearengen Played by: Ian McShane Al Swearengen was Deadwood's beating heart, a character whose dealings are so murky it's a wonder you actually found yourself wanting to catch up with him in every new episode. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time The Demon Headmaster Played by: Terrence Hardiman Despite being on screen for just three years, the Demon Headmaster - a disciplinarian who attempts to use hypnosis to control the children in his school - has wedged his way into the history books as one of children television's most chilling villains of all time. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Arthur Mitchell Played by: John Lithgow Arthur Mitchell – also known as The Trinity Killer – was a key part of why the fourth season of Dexter was its greatest. Though he was a loving family man by day, Mitchell's murderous ways would come to the fore at night and an Emmy-winning Lithgow balanced that tightrope to disturbing degrees. His ultimate clash with Dexter led to one of the show's most heartbreaking climaxes. Showtime 35 best TV villains of all time The Daleks As one of Doctor Who's longest-running villains, the Daleks - a race of emotionless machines bent on universal conquest and domination - are beloved by pretty much everyone thanks to their spine-tingling wail: "Exterminate!" Whenever they return to the BBC show, it becomes headline-worthy news. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Trevor Morgan Played by: Alex Ferns Perhaps of all the villainous characters EastEnders has had over the years, Trevor is an unexpected choice, but none came more malevolent. His storyline of domestic abuse against wife Little Mo (Kacey Ainsworth) was heralded as one of the soap's most accurately depicted, and the country wasn't just celebrating the arrival of 2002 when she beat him with an iron in a special New Year's Eve episode in 2001. So successful was actor Alex Ferns's depiction of Trevor that he received death threats and had to travel the London underground in disguise. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time VM Varga Played by: David Thewlis Thewlis was rightly Emmy-nominated for his role as the very British VM Varga in the third season of Fargo, a cunning and manipulative mastermind who has a knack for leaving destruction in his wake without ever getting his hands too dirty. Impressive. 20th Television 35 best TV villains of all time Godmother Played by: Olivia Colman It's testament to Olivia Colman's acting ability – and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's writing – that someone so likeable can play someone quite so appalling, but her role as Fleabag's sneering, judgemental and domineering Godmother in the series is one of comedy's most detestable creations in quite some time. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Mr Bronson Played by: Michael Sheard Mr Bronson was every Grange Hill viewer's worst nightmare, arriving as part of the eponymous school's merging with another in 1985 eight years after the show first began. Bronson became a fan favourite and, despite leaving in 1987, remained a legend of the show right up until it ended in 2008. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Aunt Lydia Played by: Ann Dowd Further proving that Ann Dowd's niche is playing villains is her role of Aunt Lydia in The Handmaid's Tale. As the God-fearing matriarch who polices the fertile “handmaids” who bear children for the brutal theocrats of a government called Gilead, she is all the more unnerving for occasionally showing the tiniest glimmer of humanity. Hulu 35 best TV villains of all time Hannibal Lecter Played by: Mads Mikkelsen Taking on a role made famous by acting heavyweights Brian Cox and Anthony Hopkins is no mean feat, but it's one that Mads Mikkelsen feasted upon with relish. As the Dr Hannibal Lecter in the short-lived TV series, he was able to, er, flesh out the role in a way that the aforementioned were unable to do in just four films, respectively. Sony Pictures Television 35 best TV villains of all time Skeletor Voiced by: Alan Oppenheimer Skeletor's willingness to put up with useless henchmen may have made him less scary than his face would suggest, but he caused enough of a problem for the heroic He-Man to warrant a placement here. NBCUniversal Television Distribution 35 best TV villains of all time Villanelle Played by: Jodie Comer Are villains meant to be this likeable? Thanks to Comer's performance as the sprightly assassin in Killing Eve, she certainly bridges the gap. IMG 35 best TV villains of all time Patti Levin Played by: Ann Dowd The Leftovers may not be a show in which its characters are distinctly good or bad, but the Rapture – an event that saw two per cent of the world's population disappear into thin air – certainly sent some on a darker path than others. None came more ominous than Patti Levin, the leader of a cult who smoke, dress in white and communicate only in writing. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Lindsay Denton Played by: Keeley Hawes Line of Duty wouldn't have gained half as much attention if it wasn't for the critical frenzy whipped up by Keeley Hawes for her portrayal of DI Lindsay Denton in the show's second and third outings. She was the perfect emblem of the show's (initial) premise that kept fans guessing whether she was good or bad right until the very end. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Benjamin Linus Played by: Michael Emerson The writers of Lost were such a fan of Michael Emerson's guest performance in season two that they ensured his character, Benjamin Linus, became the show's central villain right through to his final episode. As the one-time leader of the mysterious Others residing on the island, Ben was a master manipulator who played everyone off of each other and constantly remained five steps in front of the characters – and viewers – in the process. Disney–ABC Domestic Television 35 best TV villains of all time Alice Morgan Played by: Ruth Wilson Alice Morgan may have started out as the primary villain in BBC show Luther, but over time, she became the perfect foil - and Hannibal Lecter-style adviser - to Idris Elba's titular detective. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Alfie Solomons Played by: Tom Hardy Peaky Blinders isn't the same without Alife Solomons. It's Tom Hardy who breathed life into the volatile yet loveable baker who, thanks to the pitch perfect writing from creator Steven Knight, was the television equivalent of a lion waiting to pounce on the BBC drama's characters. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Montgomery Burns Voiced by: Harry Shearer Could Mr Burns be the greatest animated villain of all time? Quite possibly. As the wealthiest man in Springfield – loyally backed up by sidekick Smithers – he's also the town's most evil and the source of many of the long-running show's most "excellent" moments. 35 best TV villains of all time Livia Soprano Played by: Nancy Marchand The Sopranos was a show full of villains, but none came more Machiavellian than Tony's mother, Livia. The first few seasons saw her conspiring with brother-in-law Junior (Dominic Chianese) to bump off her own son. Nihilism at its coldest. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Malcolm Tucker Played by: Peter Capaldi Don't be mistaken - The Thick of It's sweary spin doctor Malcolm Tucker may be one of the funniest characters to ever appear on television, but he's also one of the most awful. The kind of character you're happy to sit back and watch take down others, but would be trembling at the thought of encountering yourself. BBC 35 best TV villains of all time Maryann Forrester Played by: Michelle Forbes True Blood was a show that may have outstayed its welcome, but it was never more brilliantly bizarre than in the days of Maryann – an ordinary women until she transformed into a bullheaded Maenad who wanted to turn The fictional Louisiana town of Bon Temps into a Dionysus-worshipping bacchanalian wasteland. As you do. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Nina Myers Played by: Sarah Clarke 24 featured many notable villains over its 10 seasons, but Nina Myers sits top of the list. Why? Because she was first introduced as Jack Bauer's most trusted colleague at intelligence agency CTU before a huge season one finale twist that saw her unveiled as a corrupt deep-cover spy working for the bad guys. 35 best TV villains of all time Killer BOB Played by: Frank Silva It would be hard for Twin Peaks' nightmarish Killer BOB not to go down in history as one of TV's best villains, considering he's an inter-dimensional entity who possesses humans and commits heinous acts of murder in their name. 35 best TV villains of all time Dick Dastardly Voiced by: Paul Winchell You've got to respect Dick Dastardly. The Wacky Races baddie, alongside his canine pal Muttley, was intent on wreaking havoc upon his fellow racers, despite his ploys always backfiring. He was as resilient as villains come. 35 best TV villains of all time Marlo Stanfield Played by: Jamie Hector In The Wire, unpredictability reigned whenever Marlo Stanfield was on screen. The character, introduced in season three, overtook Avon Barksdale as overseer of the Baltimore drug trade, and his quiet intensity made for unbearably tense television. Marlo was the kind of villain who had someone killed for merely "talking back" to him. HBO 35 best TV villains of all time Cigarette Smoking Man Played by: William B Davis Such was the success of Cigarette Smoking Man that he was one of very few X-Files characters away from Mulder and Scully to return in the recent Fox revival series. He's a mysterious representative for the shady corporation hiding the truth behind alien existence on Earth.

Considering Manson wasn’t available to meet – he died in November 2017, weeks after the first season was released – McCallany settled for the next best thing. Bobby Beausoleil became associated with Manson in 1968 and, one year later, tortured and killed musician Gary Hinman, seemingly under his leader’s spell. Just one week after fleeing the scene, Beausoleil – once described by Truman Capote as “the key to the mystery” of the cult’s “homicidal escapades” – was apprehended by police and has been behind bars ever since. Chillingly, it’s his arrest that’s believed to have instigated the Manson Family’s infamous murder spree, which took place just two days later. So, what did McCallany find?

“Bobby did kill a man – I’m not trying to diminish that – but he’s done half a century in prison for that crime,” the gravelly voiced actor says on the phone, continents away. “I asked him every detail about the Manson crimes and I can tell you right now that I honestly believe Bobby deserves a second chance in life. He’s spent 50 years in jail and will not commit another crime. I’d bet my life on it.”

It’s a bold statement and one I wonder whether he’d apply to all convicted murderers in similar positions.

You can’t just paint them all with the same brush; you have to look at each individual guy Holt McCallany

“Absolutely not. But you can’t just paint them all with the same brush; you have to look at each individual guy.”

This, McCallany tried to do. His Mindhunter research brought him to Shawangunk Correctional Facility in New York, the home of David Berkowitz, who’s the first new criminal Tench and Ford meet in season two. Berkowitz terrorised the city of New York in the summer of 1976 with a series of random shootings following which he’d taunt police with letters signed with his moniker “Son of Sam”. McCallany found himself moments away from meeting Berkowitz when the proverbial cell door was slammed in his face.

“That was very disappointing to me,” the 55-year-old says. “I wanted to sit in front of him and have the experience of looking in his eyes to try and make a determination in my own mind of whether this was the same man who murdered those people in the 1970s. My instinct is it probably isn’t. There isn’t a tremendous amount of support in the law enforcement community for the idea of rehabilitation, so it’s about putting myself in the situation so I can get the fullest understanding of who these people were.”

Holt McCallany (left) and Jonathan Groff in the new season of ‘Mindhunter’ (Netflix) (Courtesy of Netflix)

His dedication to the acting profession stems from a gratefulness to actually be a part of it. McCallany (pronounced “mick-al-uh-nee”) wanted to be on screen from the age of six, but found those wishes blocked by his parents who demanded he complete his education before following them into showbiz – his mother being celebrated cabaret singer Julie Wilson and his father Tony-winning producer Michael McAloney. Their friends included the legendary Steve McQueen. (“Steve would occasionally come to the house and I thought he was absolutely the coolest guy on the planet,” McCallany says).

Insistent to the end, his parents sent their sons – including Holt’s brother, Michael Jr – to study in Dublin, far away from the allure of Hollywood. But after their divorce, McCallany returned to the US and took matters into his own hands. “I won a bit of money in a poker game when I was 14 years old and the next day, I bought a ticket for the Greyhound bus to Los Angeles to try and be a movie star,” he recalls, laughing.

His efforts failed. After a short period in which McCallany sold screwdrivers to make ends meet, his father tracked him down and sent him back to Ireland. It wasn’t until he reached 24 – after studying art at the Sorbonne, theatre at L’École Marcel Marceau (both in Paris) and partaking in an extensive course on Shakespeare at the University of Oxford – that he landed his first film role in the (dreadful) horror sequel Creepshow 2 (1987).

Enter David Fincher. The American director plucked McCallany out of obscurity to cast him in his first feature: Alien 3 (1992). Legend surrounds the production of the film, which was plagued with so many issues that Fincher declared he’d “rather get colon cancer” than direct again. McCallany blames 20th Century Fox.

“Part of that problem stemmed from the fact studio producers weren’t putting as much confidence in David as he deserved,” McCallany says. “They were constantly rewriting it and the cut of the film that was released wasn’t his, which was really frustrating for him. They should have trusted him more. In light of the enormous success he’s had, no one would second guess him now.”

Over that next decade, McCallany was never far from Fincher’s mind. In 1993, he appeared in the director’s music video for Madonna single “Bad Girl” (the one with Christopher Walken) and appeared in 1999 drama Fight Club as one of Brad Pitt’s scrappy disciples. (McCallany calls the film Fincher’s “masterpiece”). Two years later, the filmmaker offered him a role opposite Jodie Foster and Forest Whitaker in Panic Room (2002), but he turned it down due to scheduling conflicts.

McCallany co-starred with Brad Pitt in David Fincher’s ‘Fight Club’ (Rex) (Rex Features)

They reunited on Mindhunter in 2017, more than 20 years after first working together and it’s no surprise that Fincher, who directs three episodes of the new season, called upon McCallany for the role of Tench. His is a character whose gruff exterior belies a dormant tenderness – in other words, McCallany in a nutshell. With the character, who is based on living profiler Robert Ressler, McCallany has found someone he not only hopes to play for three more planned seasons, but one he’ll be remembered by. “It’s a transformational experience in my life,” he acknowledges.

Mindhunter season 2 trailer

And as long as Netflix continues to bet on the show, McCallany will try to meet the real-life criminals it depicts regardless of how infested his mind becomes with the brutal crimes they committed. He feels, as an actor, it’s the least he can do.

“I don’t shy away from any of it,” he says. “I try to put myself into the mind of the murderer and really break it down. But, at the same time, I’m not under the tremendous pressure actual FBI agents are under in trying to get these guys off the streets. If they don’t do that job well, more people will be killed. They pay a real price to do that kind of work and I have a lot of respect for them. Me? I’m just an actor on a television show.”