10 Movies Scenes That Genuinely Terrified Actors

Few films have managed to convert the enduring appeal of Roald Dahl’s prose into silver screen successes, with many attempts either neutering the author’s dark sense of humour or creating darkly funny classics which are simply far too scary for most young kids. Yeah, we’re looking at you, Nicholas Roeg’s The Witches—Who on earth decided it was a good idea to hand the directorial reins of a children’s film over to the Don’t Look Now helmer anyway?

One standout exception to this rule is Mel Stuart’s adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a Gene Wilder vehicle which sees the quirky actor at his best playing the titular eccentric mogul. Much of the film’s acting relied on the element of surprise, with the lavish sets being hidden from the younger actors in order to capture their unfiltered awe onscreen.

A less fun instance was Wilder’s decision to begin a terrifying monologue during a dark tunnel ride interlude, scaring the crap out of his young co-stars in the process. The children were given no prior warning of the unsettling recitation which gradually grows in both volume and inexplicable anger, leaving them terrified and convinced Wilder had lost his mind.