One of the great things about being an actor if you work heavily in thehorror genre. You can bounce around between different projects and go from the lead performer to a bit role. One of the great things about the horror genre is that the community of fans and its filmmakers are all a tight-knit group that looks out for one another. If you were big in the 1980s, chances are you’re not at the forefront of today’s producers, but that doesn’t mean a titan of the genre can’t pop up in something that is a wink at the audience.
Some of the major players in horror films are still actively working to this day. Some are on the indie circuit working in small films; some are even producing big indies for places like Shudder and Screambox. Some are even winning Oscars.
10Danielle Harris
Horror queenDanielle Harrisgraced the big screen as Michael Myers' niece Jamie Lloyd inHalloween 4back in the late ’80s. She would appear in many other non-horror titles, likeDon’t Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead, andDaylight. But it was in the mid-to late 2000s that her status as a true genre icon shot to the stratosphere as she appeared as a supporting role inRob Zombie’s Halloweenand the sequel that would follow.
She also paired up with horror director Adam Green forHatchet II and IIIand has been in numerous indie horror films such asStake LandandSee No Evil 2.You can catch Harris all over the horror convention circuit. And let’s not forget her podcast,Talks Scary To Me.A show she co-hosts with friend and former co-star Scout Taylor-Compton.
Related:Halloween Franchise Star Danielle Harris Calls for Jamie Lloyd’s Return
9Tom Atkins
Tom Atkinsplayed both major and supporting roles in a string of John Carpenter films in the early 1980s. Appearing inThe Fog, Escape From New York, andHalloween III: Season of the Witch.He’s an actor you smile at when he walks into a scene. As he’s grown older, he’s dialed it back on acting, but he still shows up in bit parts from time to time in genre films. Back in 2009, he appeared in theMy Bloody Valentineremake, playing the town’s sheriff.
And in 2019, he showed up in a supporting role in a film that feels like a cross between a slasher and a cop drama,Trick. Like many on this list, Atkins is seen on the convention circuit and has always seemed like an all-around nice guy. And judging by thetrailer for season four ofCREEPSHOWon Shudder,we will be able to see him back in action soon. Just like the shirt says,Tom Atkins Rules!
8Bill Moseley
Bill Moseleyfirst hit horror fans radars back in the 1980s withTexas Chainsaw Massacre 2,playing the iconic character Chop-Top. Moseley is a chameleon with every performance he does. He’s been all over genre films throughout the years. But it was his role inThe Devil’s Rejectsof Otis that got people buzzing about him once again.
Supporting roles have been Moseley’s M.O. for most of his career. There are numerous low-budget horror films that haven’t even been seen by massive audiences that Moseley will do a few scenes for. More recently, in 2021, he played opposite Nicolas Cage in the weird and wildPrisoners of Ghostland.
7Dee Wallace
Dee Wallaceplayed a super-mom in films likeE.T.andCujo,and let us not forget about her contribution to Joe Dante’s classic,The Howling. As the years have gone on, Dee will still show up in films in and outside the genre; she is one of those actors that hits the screen, and you adjust yourself in your chair because you’re a little hyped to see Dee Wallace in this.
Wallace always seems like a sweet woman, and yet she doesn’t mind being threatened and then killed by Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’sHalloween. Her work with Zombie has been a real treat for fans. Appearing in other films like3 From Helland the underratedLords of Salem. Outside of acting, Wallace is also a spiritual healer;her website is available hereif one would like to seek consultation.
6Keith David
How can we forget aboutKeith David? An actor who never really was the leading man in most films he was in, but definitely always stood out. David was one of the most memorable characters inThe Thing,a film some believe is the greatest horror film of all time. And years later, the man who went toe-to-toe with Roddy Piper for ten minutes in an alleyway inThey Live. David’s career is an article within itself–a book, even.
But he continues to pop up in genre films to this day. Including projects likeTales from the Hood 2and even big-budget Hollywood projects likeJordan Peele’sNopein 2022. you’re able to’t miss his voice, and you sure won’t forget his face, no matter the amount of screen time he has. David is one of the great all-around actors who are still out there doing it.
Related:Keith David and John Carpenter Reunite After Nearly 40 Years
For 35 years now,Brad Dourifhas been the voice of Chucky. Yes,Mark Hamill’s contribution to the 2019 rebootis warranted and respected, despite most fans finding the overall movie polarizing, but it is Dourif’s interpretation of the character that we all flock back to. Outside of being the voice of the infamous killer doll, Dourif has hada career spanning nearly 50 yearsin supporting roles within the genre and outside of it. Dorurif has popped up in films likeThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy.
A franchise that is fantasy but does have some horror undertones due to a director like Peter Jackson being behind it. And, like many on this list he appeared in both of Rob Zombie’sHalloweenfilms as Sheriff Brackett. More recently, Dourif dove back intoChucky with the recent television series. But his filmography is loaded with gems.
4Tony Todd
Tony Toddgave us one of the most brilliant performances of all time in the title role in the originalCandyman. His presence on screen was highly unpredictable, and his dialogue was poetic. He is highly deserving of being on this list due to his work outside of that role. Appearing in supporting roles in Adam Green’sHatchetseries',Tales From the Hood 3,andWishmaster.
One of his biggest contributions to the genre over the last 20 years has been his role in theFinal Destinationfranchise. His mysterious character, named William Bludworth, shows up in four films in the franchise. He’s a coroner who seems to know way too much about death. His character being such a favorite of the films, many fans have made their owntheories about him.
Related:Tony Todd’s Best Performances, Ranked
3Barbara Crampton
It’sBarbara Crampton’s world, and we’re just living it. Over the last decade, the genre film queen who wowed us back in the Stuart Gordon films of the 1980s and then up and vanished on us has been back, and she’s just been going non-stop as of late. She first resurfaced in 2013’sYou’re Nextand then began to show up more and more in indie horror hits likeBeyond the Gates, Super Host, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich,andAlone With You.
It wasn’t a supporting role, but what needs to be mentioned is that her performance inJakob’s Wifeopposite Larry Fessenden is one of the best of the last few years. Crampton also works behind the scenes as a producer, helping get horror hits likeGloriousand the more recentSuitable Fleshout into the world. She doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and we don’t really want her to.
2Jamie Lee Curtis
Maybe in a few years we will revisit this list, and unfortunatelyJamie Lee Curtisgets moved around a bit as her supporting roles in other genre films and shows are quite limited. But for now, she is the scream queen (and she may always be) and the currentBest Supporting Actress at the Oscars.Curtis has had a brilliant renaissance these last few years since stepping back into the world of Haddonfield, Illinois, to do battle with the guy who used to be her brother, but now that plot point has been debunked. We’re talking about Michael Myers, if you haven’t caught on yet.
Since the Blumhouse-producedHalloweenreboot trilogy began, she has been inKnives Outand gotten the golden statue for her role inEverything Everywhere All At Once.And let us not forget her Oscar speech, in which she thanked all the genre fans for loving her all these years. In television, she had taken on a supporting role back in 2015 in Fox’s two-season run of the slasher showScream Queens. You couldn’t have a show with that title and not have Curtis on there. She has never turned her nose up at what gave her a career.
1Robert Englund
Robert Englundhas also never turned his nose up at the genre, and as a matter of fact, he’s never left the genre, and we’re all thankful for that. Robert Englund has played Freddy Krueger eight times in movies and a television series as well. But he never let up since the days of haunting our nightmares.Englund would show up in supporting roles in other horror filmslikeUrban Legend, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, and Hatchet. Englund appeared in a slew of mid-2000s straight-to-video horror films.
But it was last year when viewers were hyped to see him back in a major project like Netflix’sStranger Things, even if it was for only a few moments. The most recent season felt a lot like it was pulling from some of the best things aboutA Nightmare on Elm Street, so why not get Englund to come out and play a role in this world?
It’s Englund’s resume that gets him this spot on this list. His filmography is strong in the horror genre; he’s played numerous supporting roles in films ever since he hung up his red and green sweater and glove. His work is a testament to his love for horror, and his fans love him back for years of great contributions to the genre.
