Before Fame & Fortune, Big Stars Who Started in Horror

Some celebrities are consistently cast in horror films, forever to remain on the run from knife-wielding maniacs. However, some actors have successfully used the horror genre to launch mainstream careers that have catapulted them into the A-list, leaving the world of psychos and monsters firmly in their past. Here we celebrate the film stars who began their careers in the world of horror.

Jamie-Lee Curtis (Halloween, The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train)

The original ‘Scream Queen’ had her film debut in 1978 in John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’, playing Laurie Strode, the unfortunate sister of psychopath Michael Myers. The film was credited with launching the ‘slasher’ genre and continued to have seven sequels, three of which Curtis appeared in.

Carpenter went on to cast her in his film ‘The Fog’, which did well in the box office, but was slated by critics. Curtis continued to appear in the low budget films ‘Prom Night’ and ‘Terror Train’ but never reclaimed the horror success of ‘Halloween’. In 1983 she appeared in her first mainstream film ‘Trading Places’ and has never looked back (with the exception of the Halloween series which she re-visited in 1998!)

Mila Kunis Piranha

Mila Kunis went on to TV fame starring in that 70’s show and a slew of romantic comedies. She got her break however in the 1995 film PIRANHA where she played the lead characters daughter.

Jennifer Aniston (The Leprechaun)

Despite quite a few fairly successful mainstream films, Aniston is still best known for portraying ‘Rachel’ in ‘Friends’ (and for being the ex-Mrs Brad Pitt). However, her film debut was in the 1992 horror film ‘Leprechaun’, which was badly received at the time of release but has since gone on to become a cult classic.

She played teenager Tory Redding, who was terrorised by a demon Leprechaun intent on reclaiming his stolen gold coins. Two years later ‘Friends’ began and Jen went on to become a household name with a much copied haircut and 10 years of work before the series ended in 2004.

Johnny Depp (A Nightmare on Elm Street)

Best known as Captain Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ series, Depp began his film career playing Glen Lantz, Nancy Thompson’s boyfriend in the 1984 film ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’, where he was unfortunately slaughtered by dream stalker Freddie Krueger.

With the exception of 2007’s ‘Sweeny Todd’, Depp has largely stayed away from the horror genre, preferring to stick mainly to quirky Tim Burton films and the aforementioned Captain Sparrow.

Paul Rudd (Halloween – The Curse of Michael Myers)

Paul Rudd really entered the consciousness of the general public playing Mike Hannigan, Phoebe’s boyfriend in ‘Friends’. However, like fellow cast member Jennifer Aniston, his first film role was a horror. In 1995 he played a teenage Tommy Doyle, the little boy who survived the original ‘Halloween’ film in ‘Halloween 6 – The Curse of Michael Myers’.

He then went on to have a role in the same year in the moderately successful ‘Clueless’ before joining friends in 2002. Since then he has become a hugely successful comedy actor, regularly appearing in films with the Will Ferrell gang.

Laurence Fishburne (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 – Dream Warriors)

Best known as Morpheus from ‘The Matrix’ films, Laurence Fishburne had his first big film role in Apocalypse Now in 1979. However, even he wasn’t immune to the lure of the horror film, appearing in 1987 as orderly Max Daniels in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 – Dream Warriors’ (which also starred a young Patricia Arquette). Since then he has rarely been out of work and is now regarded as one of the most respected and bankable film stars in Hollywood.

Linda Hamilton (Children of the Corn)

Despite a long and varied film career, Linda Hamilton is still best known as Sarah Connor from the ‘Terminator’ films. However, 1984, the same year as the original of the Schwazenegger series she also starred in the film adaption of Stephen King’s ‘Children of the Corn’. As Vicky Baxter, she and her boyfriend Burt have to battle against a remote town of murderous children who follow a boy-preacher and a supposed demon that lives in the corn fields. The film went on to have six sequels, none of which involved Hamilton, who was content to battle robots from the future instead.

Naomi Watts (Children of the Corn 4 – The Gathering)

The ‘Children of the Corn’ series also gave Australian actress Naomi Watts a helping hand into the movie industry. In 1996 she starred as Grace Rhodes in the fourth film where the children are trying to resurrect their murdered child preacher. The film was not successful, but Watts became well known battling another creepy child in ‘The Ring’ films and is now a highly successful and bankable actress (and Nicole Kidman’s best friend).

Seth Green (IT)

Scott Evil starred as 12 year old Richie Tozer in Stephen King’s ‘IT’ in 1990 where he battled an evil force presenting itself as a clown. Although released as a television film it went on to be a success, and also starred a grown up John- Boy from ‘The Waltons’. Green had several film appearances following ‘IT’ but didn’t become a household name until 1997 in ‘Austin Powers:International Man of Mystery’.

The film had two sequels which he was also involved in. Despite a few big blockbusters since, his other main claims to fame are as Oz in the ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ series and as the voice of Chris Griffin in ‘Family Guy’.