10 Horror Movies Actors Want Us To Forget

Breaking into the acting business isn't an easy feat. Many people pursue the profession with hopes of red carpets, screaming fans and choice roles to really test their talents, but that's not always what they get. Like most dream jobs, the reality of the acting profession is much harsher than the idealized fantasy.

When one starts out their career on the screen, anything is better than nothing. Still, despite all of its box office success, Hollywood still seems to frown on horror as that red-headed stepchild of a genre.

With many "choice" actors unwilling to commit to genre roles, it often falls to those on their way up to tackle such gigs, and a struggling actor isn't about to turn down a meaty part. However, sometimes the films aren't great, and sometimes said performer improves with age and experience and cringes at their earlier genre fare. Or, sometimes an established star takes a part for a huge payday with no real interest. Whatever the reason, the result often ends up being that many established actors regret their involvement in horror projects. Although many have since gained cult status, some stubborn stars even refuse to talk about their bloody pasts, and that's a shame.

With all of this in mind, let's take a look at ten such horror movies that actors are desperate for audiences to forget about.

Starting off this list is the queen of the 2000s rom-com, Katherine Heigl.

Before her Emmy success with Grey's Anatomy and her breakout into leading feature roles with Knocked Up, Katherine Heigl was a working actress and established television regular. Her role on the WB series Roswell ensured that people were beginning to take notice of her presence in Hollywood.

With some clout behind her, including a starring turn in 1998's Bride of Chucky, Heigl was offered the role of Shelley Fisher in the 2001 slasher film Valentine. The role was patterned after Drew Barrymore's shocking death in Scream, with the consensus being that folks would assume an established TV star like Heigl would live only to be dispatched within ten minutes.

Heigl worked for two days on the project before having to resume her Roswell duties. Later, she attended the premiere and even gave some very flattering words to the press about the film. So, you can't help but wonder what went wrong?

In the years since her rise to stardom, Heigl has lambasted Valentine for its "gratuitous violence" and "poor treatment of women," claiming she accepted the role without seeing a full script. In further years, Heigl has gone a step further by telling the press she wanted to move away from rom-coms into something more serious, adding "I've never done horror."

One can't help but scratch their head at Heigl's comments about this relatively tame slasher, but, as an actress, she seems to make a habit of disowning her work. Be it 2007's Knocked Up or Grey's Anatomy, Heigl has little praise for most of what she's done. Thankfully, the evidence is all there on celluloid and her rather unremarkable performance doesn't ruin an enjoyable, cheesy slasher.