The trope of the Scream Queen resides in a certain niche block of pop culture. Scream Queen is the term used to describe a lead female actor in ahorrormovie. But just what makes someone a Scream Queen? First off, they must be in a horror movie, hopefully, a good one. The kind of scary movie certainly plays a role. A film likeScreamis filled with people hollering at the top of their lungs (hence the title). An atmospheric movie likeIt Followsis… not. Yet, they are both very, very scary. Second, calling somebody a Scream Queen is something of a misnomer. An actress can be called that without ever actually screaming (though some Scream Queens do, in fact, scream very well).
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How a Scream Queen distinguishes herself in a given role, however, is far more important than how often she exercises her vocal talents. The many shrieks and squeals she elicits from the audience are a good indication, of course, but they should not be the only ones. The truth is no matter what an excellent Scream Queen does on screen, the audience should always be able to resonate with her in some way. The best of them give us an insight into hope and loss and a sense of undying resiliency against all odds. These are just some of the women who have stuck with us throughout the years. Perhaps they, too, will give you something to scream about!
17Allison Williams
WhileAllison Williamsmay not (yet) have nearly as many films under her belt as others on this, what she has managed to accomplish in her few terrifying endeavors has been beyond commendable. While primarily known for her role on the hit HBO series Girls, her breakout horror role was in Blumhouse’s favoriteGet Out. Her spine-chilling portrayal of girlfriend turned foe in the film was nothing short of inspiring, particularly when we finally get to see her evil genius at work. She recently returned to Blumhouse, starring in the February 2023 release ofM3GAN. Williams likely has a long, horror future ahead of her.
16Felissa Rose
Felissa Roseis brilliant because she completely takes you by surprise. The film that put her on the map wasSleepaway Camp. Also, like future honoree Jamie Lee Curtis, this was her very first film and the film that gave her the Scream Queen pedigree to boot.
Of course, Felissa Rose has gone on to do a bevy of other films, with names likeSatan’s Playground,Aliens vs. A-HolesandSilent Night,andZombie Night.However, she could have retired from the business and moved away to a remote island, and her work as Angela inSleepaway Campwould have more than solidified her status as Scream Queen. Either way, this actress has certainly made her bones in the genre.
15Betsy Palmer
With more than 60 films to her credit, crossing a litany of genres,Betsy Palmermight just be the grand dame of Scream Queens. She played Pamela Voorhees, the scariest mother of all time inFriday the 13th.The franchise’s first killer would later serve as the inspiration for her son Jason. What makes her unique is her ability to radiate both warmth and cold-bloodedness. What gives Betsy Palmer her cachet is that she essentially brought the spawn of Satan into the world. Her performance is so strong, so measured, and so well conceived that nobody wonders who Jason’s dad is.
It is Betsy Palmer, and Betsy Palmer alone, who elevated the Scream Queen by making her one of the toughest mothers to ever grace the silver screen. While Palmer was dismissive of the role and grew to hate it, her legacy as the character lives on to this very day as Pamela Voorhes will gether own prequel series fromHannibalcreator Bryan Fuller. Palmer showed that the Scream Queen is a flexible title and not just one reserved for the victims but also the killers.
14Sarah Paulson
There are a limited but slowly increasing number of Scream Queens who come from the small screen, butSarah Paulsonwas one of the first. WhenAmerican Horror Storyfirst became a hit success in 2011, it was unlikely Paulson, or anyone else for that matter, knew just how long the edgy series would last. From an intrepid reporter to a medium to a coven leader and cult follower, Paulson has played it all on the program (including a pair of conjoined twins!).
This, however, was far from Paulson’s first foray into the television horror scene. She’d played Merlyn Temple in 1995’s ever-creepyAmerican Gothic. She recently starred inRatchet, focusing on the character of Nurse Ratchet fromOne Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. She has also taken center stage in a variety of horror films recently, from 2019’sGlassto 2020’sRun. Regardless of her roles, she brings about an element of theatricality and grace that are unique to her and her alone.
13Emma Roberts
It would be difficult to have a modern list of horror divas without at least mentioning an actor or two from the TV seriesScream Queens.Emma Robertsis a major recurring horror star. She first entered the genre in 2011 with a role inScream 4. She starred inAmerican Horror Story: Covenin 2013. She has since gone on to star in follow-up seasonsFreak Show, Cult,Apocalypse,1984,and will star in the upcoming seasonDelicate.
Related:The Best New Horror Movie Scream Queens For the Modern Era
In between this, she helped headline the short-lived horror comedyScream QueensTV series. She has been a recurring figure in horror films, including 2020’sThe Huntand 2022’sAbandoned.
12Adrienne Barbeau
Where does one begin with this 1970s Scream Queen who broke the mold? First off, she was inSomeone’s Watching Me!,The Fog,Escape From New York,Swamp Thing,Creepshow…and we haven’t even gotten out of the early ’80s!
What makesAdrienne Barbeauso great to watch is not just her brainy beauty but the fact that she isn’t trying to be a Scream Queen but that she’s just trying to play each person to the best of her abilities. With afairly lengthy resumeof more than 125 films, Adrienne Barbeau seems to have done it all; however, it’s her work as a Scream Queen that is the stuff of legend.
11Mia Goth
Mia Gothis the indie wild child of this group. Born Mia Gypsy Mello da Silva Goth, her role as unassuming yet ethereal Scream Queen is one that is jam-packed with films over the last decade… and with a last name like Goth, how couldn’t she be?
Roles inA Cure for Wellnessand the reboot ofSuspiriahave helped to solidify her as a Scream Queen for a whole new era. Yet it is her role in filmXthat shot her to horror superstar status. In it, she plays the dual roles of both the main heroine and the main villain. She then starred in the films prequel filmPearl, which became a fan favorite among horror audiences and an instant iconic Halloween costume. She will return for thethird entry in the franchise,MaXXXine. Goth is also set to star in Marvel Studio’sBlade, as her bona fide Scream Queen status will give the superhero film some horror credentials.
10Linnea Quigley
Known for such films asThe Return of the Living Dead,Creepozoids, andSilent Night, Deadly Night,Linnea Quigleyis truly the quirky pledge of the Scream Queen sorority. It seems from the very beginning that Linnea Quigley knew the kind of actress she wanted to be.
Her career began in the mid-1970s with films likeDeath SportandDon’t Go Near the Park.The 1980s saw more of the same with roles in films likeHollywood Chainsaw Hookers,Dead Heat,andRobot Ninja. She began the 1990s withVirgin Highand went on to doPumpkinhead II: Blood Wings,Innocent Blood, and many other films that are the epitome of campy horror. Perhaps, this grand dame of Scream Queens summed it up bestwhen she said, “It’s really boring to play the good, nice girl.”
9Sarah Michelle Gellar
Sarah Michelle Gellaris, without a doubt, a legendary Scream Queen icon. While some might know her best from her stint as the titular character in the hit television showBuffy the Vampire Slayer, her claim to Scream Queen fame comes from more than just battling the bloodsucking undead of Sunnydale. Back in 1997, she also starred in back-to-back horror releases in the form ofScream 2,andI Know What You Did Last Summer. She’s iconic in the latter for taunting the serial murderer stalking her and her friends.
She would later star in the American remake ofThe Grudge. She also played the role ofDaphne in both live-actionScooby Doomovies, which while not horror movies, very much are horror adjacent for kid audiences, and Daphne would traditionally be a victim in a traditional horror film. Gellar currently stars onWolf Pack, a Paramount+ spin-off ofTeen Wolf, and sees the star return to the horror television series roots that spawned her career.
8Heather Langenkamp
With more than 30 films to her credit,Heather Langenkampseems pretty comfortable with just being Nancy from theA Nightmare on Elm Streetseries, a move which audiences clearly approve. Her work in this role is so good, so solid, and so uniquely her own that despite Rooney Mara being an incredible actress, she could not capture the magic in the 2010 reboot.Langenkamp has expressed interest in reprising her roleas Nancy inA Nightmare on Elm Streetfollow-up, let’s hope she gets the chance someday.
