15 Seemingly Terrible Horror Castings That Totally Paid Off

4. Wolf Creek - John Jarratt

Australian actor John Jarratt had been working for decades before he joined the controversial horror thriller Wolf Creek and after this, his career has never been the same. He was known for playing affable, down-to-earth characters and had even worked as a TV presenter, doing a lifestyle program called Better Homes and Gardens with his then-wife Noni Hazlehurst. 

As such, he must've seemed like a baffling choice to play a sadistic, pure-evil serial killer but director Greg McLean recalls meeting with Jarratt and knowing almost immediately that he'd found the right man for the job. And he was absolutely on the money. 

There is a strong argument to be made that John Jarratt deserved to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work on Wolf Creek. He is completely outstanding and plays a terrifying, skin-crawlingly vile monster that every single viewer will wholeheartedly loathe. He could be called the Dolores Umbridge of horror movie villains - that's just how hateful the character is. 

After seeing this, no-one will ever be able to look at Jarratt the same way again - he really did terrify us all senseless. It's highly unlikely he'll be presenting any more lifestyle programs, that's for sure!