10 Actors Who Saved Their Careers By Starring In Horror Movies

Drew Barrymore was of course catapulted to fame at just seven years of age when she played Gertie in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but the years that followed were coloured by substance abuse and a stint in rehab as a teenager, with the actress' personal issues making more headlines than her actual movies.

Throughout the early '90s Barrymore starred in a number of trashy B-movies keen to exploit her popular persona, such as Poison Ivy, Guncrazy, No Place to Hide, and Doppelganger.

It seemed like she was destined to flame out of Hollywood altogether, though everything changed when she accepted the small but unforgettable role of Casey Becker in Wes Craven's Scream.

Given that most audiences went into the film expecting her to be the protagonist, jaws were dropped worldwide when she was killed off in the opening scene.

Despite the brevity of her appearance, it got Barrymore back in the public consciousness in a positive way, and though she hasn't appeared in many horror movies since, the next decade saw her star in a number of popular films such as The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed, Charlie's Angels, Donnie Darko, and 50 First Dates.

Today Barrymore remains a well-regarded actress - even winning a Golden Globe in 2010 for her performance in drama series Grey Gardens - and seems to have put her troubled past behind her.

Without taking the Scream role, it's anyone's guess how her career might've turned out.