12 Movie Con Artists We Can't Help but Fall for Every Time

      Here are 12 movie con artists we can’t help but fall for every time.

      From charming tricksters to smooth seducers, they all make you willing to part with your cash.

      Let’s dive in.

      **Louis Winthorpe III and Billy Ray Valentine in Trading Places (1983)**

      In this classic film, Dan Aykroyd plays Louis, a wealthy yuppie who finds himself homeless, while Eddie Murphy portrays Billy Ray, a homeless man who enters the affluent world. After a cruel wager leads to them swapping lives, they join forces to outsmart the wealthy brothers, Randolph and Mortimer Duke (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche), who manipulated them like puppets. Louis gains street smarts, and Billy Ray learns the art of market manipulation, allowing them to excel as con artists from opposite ends of the social spectrum. Trading Places suggests that luck is just as crucial as hard work — unless you can manipulate the odds. It’s hard not to cheer for Louis and Billy Ray, especially when they enlist Jamie Lee Curtis’ Ophelia, a sex worker with a heart of gold.

      **Henry Gondorff and Johnny Hooker in The Sting (1973)**

      Everything about George Roy Hill’s caper set in the Depression era, The Sting, is delightful — from the Scott Joplin score to the reunion of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid stars Robert Redford and Paul Newman, to its perfect pacing. The most enjoyable part is figuring out the intricacies of the scams. The film builds to an ingenious, mind-bending betting parlor scheme devised by Newman’s Henry and Redford’s Johnny, two iconic movie con artists. The film rightfully earned numerous Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay.

      **Lawrence Jamieson and Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)**

      Steve Martin and Michael Caine shine as a pair of rival con artists who become partners in Frank Oz’s brilliantly creative comedy set in the French Riviera. Caine’s character, Lawrence Jamieson, is suave and sophisticated, while Martin’s Freddy Benson is unrefined and tacky. When they attempt to con Janet Colgate (played by the fantastic Glenne Headly), the naïve “United States Soap Queen,” things take unexpected turns. You’ll endearingly root for these con artists — or my name isn’t Dr. Emil Schaffhausen. This film is a remake of the 1964 movie, Bedtime Story, featuring Marlon Brando, David Niven, and Shirley Jones.

      **'Fast Eddie Felson' and Vincent Lauria in The Color of Money (1986)**

      In this sequel to 1961’s The Hustler, Paul Newman returns as “Fast Eddie” Felson, a role that earned him an Oscar. In the original, he was a cocky player humbled by Jackie Gleason’s Minnesota Fats. Now, he’s the seasoned player, mentoring Tom Cruise’s Vincent, a brash young talent. One of the film’s pleasures is exploring how being an expert pool hustler involves more than just pool skills: Felson must always gauge his abilities relative to his opponents and mislead them when needed. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film has an intriguing stretch where Newman’s Eddie and Cruise’s Vincent transition from partnership to rivalry, and the nature of Eddie’s con keeps you engrossed. Although Tom Cruise was the young star during its release and Paul Newman the classic icon, you’ll find yourself rooting for the older actor. Both films are based on novels by Walter Tevis, who also wrote the book that inspired the Netflix hit The Queen’s Gambit.

      **Kelly Van Ryan and Suzie Toller in Wild Things (1998)**

      Young people can also be con artists. Kelly (Denise Richards) and Suzie (Neve Campbell) manipulate their perceived innocence to craft a complex and twisted scam in this captivating modern noir where appearances are deceiving. Both lead performances are remarkable, and the film’s sleazy undertones make you feel like you’re witnessing something illicit. While many aspects of Wild Things might not resonate with contemporary critics, its undeniable atmosphere and slow-burning tension are hard to resist. And if you find the storyline somewhat exploitative, at least Kevin Bacon's unnecessary shower scene makes it an equal-opportunity affair.

      **Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me If You Can (2002)**

      Charm can compel someone to agree before they even know the proposal, and Leonardo DiCaprio embodies this quality in his roles. He excels at portraying charismatic young con artists who effortlessly attract people, especially women, to their schemes instead of alerting the authorities. One of the best illustrations of this is his role as Frank Abagnale Jr., a real-life young con artist turned security consultant in Steven Spielberg’s lively and entertaining Catch Me If You Can. The film features an impressive cast, including