play the heavy

Idioms  

1. Act the part of a villain; take the blame for unkind behavior. For example, She can't bear firing an employee, so she relies on Jim to play the heavy. This colloquial term comes from the theater, where heavy has been used for a stern, serious role or that of a villain since the early 1800s.

---

Example Sentences

Sometimes you play the heavy, you play the bad guy, you're the creepy guy.

From Salon

He could play the heavy in floor debates and committee meetings, pressing Democrats with tough questions and drawing blood with verbal jabs.

From Washington Post

And I found myself saying, “Well, he’s just got all this range. He can play the lighthearted keys, but he can also play the heavy keys in the bass clef. And somehow the character contains both.”

From The Verge

Mr. Lloyd went back to the New York stage until Houseman brought him to the attention of Hitchcock, who was seeking an unknown to play the heavy in “Saboteur.”

From Washington Post

The only question is, which parent has to play the heavy while the other pretends to be deeply absorbed in washing the dishes?

From Washington Post