10 Horror Movie Scenes That Genuinely Terrified Actors
3. The Chestburster - Alien
During THAT scene in Ridley Scott's Alien, the Nostromo crew are having lunch, oblivious that their executive officer, Kane (John Hurt) has an extra-terrestrial embryo growing inside him. As the creature grows to full-term, Kane begins spasming in agony, much to the horror of his shipmates. While they try to calm him down, the alien bursts out of Kane's chest before scurrying away.
Despite what many believe, the actors weren't in the dark about Kane's fate, since this scene was laid out in the script. But apart from John Hurt and Tom Skerritt, none of the cast knew the specifics.
Even though the ensemble had an idea what was going to occur, everyone was caught off guard, thanks to the phenomenal special effects and Hurt's frighteningly believable performance. According to a BBC interview, Sigourney Weaver actually believed Hurt was dying!
Although Veronica Cartwright knew a monster was going to appear, she let out a legitimate scream when the blood from Kane's body spurted into her face. Because nobody knew what the titular beast looked like, the cast's bewildered reactions while gazing at the newborn critter were the real deal.