Allow me to set the scene: you’re a twenty-something unemployed acting school graduate, who parades around informing the world that you’re destined to be the next big thing. If asked, you say that you’ve already managed to land speaking roles in various televised advertisements, and have even played as an extra in some Hollywood blockbuster. You’re understandably impressed by the steady progression of your career, though the rest of the world doesn’t necessarily share your optimism for the future. Aghast by the underwhelming response to your accomplishments, you set out for bigger and better horizons. After countless months of demoralising failure, lo and behold, you score a role in an up-and-coming horror movie. The director seems a few cards short of a full deck and the dialogue seems a little weak in your opinion, but none of that matters; you’ve got your foot in the door, and that’s what counts.

Alas, although somewhat fictitious and hyperbolic, this is the story of many an aspiring actor. Generally speaking, the horror scene hasn’t been the source of much success of late. Indeed, since the heydays of the Hammer Horror era, there haven’t been many horror films that have genuinely stood out; as such, the fat cats at Hollywood just aren’t as interested as they used to be. Due to this, horror films don’t tend to have massive budgets, meaning that they provide rookie actors with the springboard needed to launch themselves straight into stardom.

With that said, not everybody will use horror as a stepping stone. Of the actors who are already established, those that take the plunge often do so in order to branch out and add to their credentials. Or, in the case of a bigger production, the allure of an improved paycheck may simply be too hard to resist. Whatever the case may be, many actors do star in horror films and, with it being horror and all, often die; though the list of those that do might be more surprising than at first you would’ve thought …

(please note: this list is not in any particular order);

We are currently seeking Film contributors on WhatCulture. To find out more about the perks of being a Film contributor, click here.

You Might Also Like...

In this post: • •