10 A-List Actors Who Did Z-Grade Horror Films
They probably needed the money.
There’s an unspoken rule that “serious” actors won’t do horror movies unless the director is an A-lister like Francis Ford Coppola, and if you see a big name in one then they’re either doing it for the money or their career is in serious trouble.
Horror is the red-haired stepchild the stars don’t usually wish to be associated with, although it was a different story when they were struggling unknowns. Holly Hunter, an Oscar winner for The Piano (1993), made her film debut in slasher movie The Burning (1981) while Octavia Spencer’s resume prior to The Help (2011) consisted of such unforgettable roles as Bank Co-worker (Drag Me To Hell), Nurse Daniels (Halloween II) and Landlady (Pulse).
Neither was in a hurry to return to the genre, and you could say the same about Paul Rudd, who was hilariously miscast in a rare non-comedic role in Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers (1995). Then there's Meg Ryan (Amityville 3D), Kate Mara (Urban Legends: Bloody Mary), Casey Affleck (Soul Survivors) and James Marsden (Disturbing Behaviour), to name a few.
In short, horror films are the ultimate source for watching actors make fools of themselves before we knew who they were, but which roles were the most humiliating? Step right this way….
10. Michelle Rodriguez - The Breed
To escape the stress of being a thirty-something college student, 5 friends throw a party at an isolated cabin on a remote island, unaware it’s home to a pack of genetically engineered super dogs that view humans as easy prey. Sound trite? Then consider the characters: there’s a Token Black Guy (gee, do you think he’ll be the first to go?), a whiny blond, a feisty brunette and a two brothers who argue a lot.
Fortunately, the feisty brunette is played by Michelle Rodriguez, so viewer interest is maintained no matter how plodding and predictable the narrative becomes. Cast in her customary kick ass role, Ms Rodriguez becomes a female Rambo once the dogs attack, devising eleventh hour escape plans and improvising homemade booby traps. What was her character a student of, again?
“Presented” by Wes Craven, The Breed throws in every cliché you can think of, from the power going out (hope there’s nothing lurking in the basement) to a stranger who delivers a Dire Warning to our heroes. And of course there’s an endless supply of “comic relief”, which causes characters to respond with “Woo!” or “That’s what I’m talking about!” It’s like Scream never happened.