It’s understandable. Him and Mark Hamill both went from being known for lawful good characters, like characters so good they were on the border of being annoying (or even crossed it), to playing one of the characters that best embodies the chaotic evil alignment, plus managed to combine fun with brutality while he did it.

The best actors disappear into their roles to the point where it’s hard to see them as someone else. Luke Skywalker wouldn’t have been able to pull off a good Joker, neither would the son from the Patriot or knight from Knight’s Tale. So, in a way, being skeptical of an actor’s ability to play one role because you can only see them as their previous characters is a compliment to their skill.

Just like I couldn’t see Hal playing a drug lord, but Bryan Cranston did it perfectly. It was only after seeing Malcolm in the Middle again after BB that I realized how talented of an actor he was the whole time (along with the rest of the MitM cast).