10 Forgotten Horror Movie Scream Queens
Underrated horror movie scream queens! From Katie Cassidy to Betsy Russell & more!
When one hears the term "Scream Queen," it is inevitable that a single name pops into your head. Jamie Lee Curtis was the first actress to be given this moniker in the early 1980s after following up her breakout role in Halloween with a series of similar slasher films.
Since then she has become known as the "definitive" scream queen and proudly owns that title, however a number of equally high-profile actresses have also garnered the title after appearing in a string of scary movies.
That said, for every Jamie Lee Curtis, Neve Campbell or Sarah Michelle Gellar that gets noticed, there are others of the same or greater stature that don't get the recognition they deserve. One of the downsides of the horror genre being SO vast is that a lot of very fine work goes unnoticed.
With the same names mentioned constantly, to a casual fan it would seem that the genre doesn't offer a lot of variety in terms of its "name" stars. So, let's celebrate some lesser appreciated actresses that gave their all to an impressive number of genre roles. Here are 10 Unappreciated Horror Movie Scream Queens.
10. Katharine Isabelle
Katherine Isabelle started her genre career with a bang when she landed the role of Ginger Fitzgerald in Ginger Snaps. This cult favorite ingeniously frames a young woman's transformation into a werewolf around her struggles with puberty.
Receiving acclaim for her sinister slide into lycanthropy, genre roles came Isabelle's way quickly. A serious turn in the Stephen King-penned Insomnia soon followed and she showed great versatility by then playing Gibb, the horny best friend in 2003's Freddy Vs. Jason.
Isabelle also committed to returning for both Ginger Snaps sequels. Soon after, with a tally of 5 horror films, Isabelle swapped up her career, choosing to focus on television and light comedy.
The 2010s saw Isabelle revive her genre career when she played the title role in The Soska Sisters body horror flick American Mary. This dark and twisted tale tells of a young woman using body modification surgery to avenge her brutal rape. The Soska Sisters re-teamed with Isabelle for 2014's See No Evil 2.
Away from film, Katherine has also dabbled in horror television projects, with a recurring role as Margot Verger in Hannibal, and a two season run on Netflix's The Order.
These recent parts show a woman expanding within in the genre to tackle more mature roles, and tell us that Katherine Isabelle isn't hanging up her Scream Queen crown any time soon.