Horror movies are a true rite of passage in Hollywood. A look at these great actors who starred in horror films before finding success.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Amy Adams, Charlize Theron, Demi Moore, George Clooney… these important Hollywood figures are known for their legendary roles in classic literature. But many started out in horror movies. A goal that propelled a career despite some lackluster productions.
If the horror genre does not appeal to everyone, some films have become real references in pop culture. like Halloween (1978)Carrie at the Devil’s Ball (1976), Or Friday 13:00 (1980), which brought the then unknown actors to light. Claws of the night (1984) thus became a real springboard in Johnny Depp’s career. At that time, the actor attracted the attention of one of the daughters of the king of horror films Wes Craven (The hill has eyes, scream). Johnny Depp gets the role of the friend of the heroine, who falls into the clutches of Freddy Krueger. The irony is that six years later the actor finds himself with blades at his fingertips Edward Scissorhands (1990) by Tim Burton.
famous Friday 13:00 Sean S. For Cunningham (1980) actor Kevin Bacon, it was a chance to step into the limelight. In the early 1980s, the latter had already played mostly in small productions soaps. It was only after becoming one of the 13 victims of Jason Voorhees, the terrifying masked killer, that he saw the doors of Hollywood open.
Haunted house and spells
In the ghost and demonic genre, the franchise Amityville it is also important. The story of America’s most famous haunted house has been the subject of many adaptations. At age 8, Chloe Moretz starred in the 2005 Andrew Douglas version. A role that allowed her entry into major productions and launched the career of a very young actress.
Anya Taylor-Joy, who is a year older, has been revealed The sorcerer By Robert Eggers in 2015. The story takes place in 1630 in the oppressive atmosphere of New England, where a young woman is accused of witchcraft. The film was critically acclaimed, won a Sundance Directing Award, and gave Anya Taylor-Joe access to Hollywood productions. In 2016, she was seen opposite James McAvoy in a psychological thriller A split by M. Night Shyamalan. And his notoriety, which exploded in 2020 after the release of the Netflix miniseries Queen’s game.
Few viewers remember, moreover, John Travolta’s debut in horror cinema. It has been around since the 1970s Carrie at the Devil’s Ball (1976) by Brian De Palma. He makes his debut in the role of Billy Nolan, the investigator of a bad prank that will drive Carrie to massacre her school friends. Based on the novel by Stephen King, this classic has seen several adaptations. A springboard for John Travolta, who landed the role of Tony Manero a year later Saturday Night Fever (1977) by John Badham, as well as worldwide recognition.
there”Scream Queen»
Jamie Lee Curtis’ first big screen role was Laurie Strode, a nanny on the run from masked killer Michael Myers. Halloween (1978) by John Carpenter. The film was an international success and the actress, then 21 years old, became a star of the genre. He then went on to play roles in other horror films such as The ball of horror (1980) or: A deadly distraction (1981), hence his nickname “Scream Queen” (“scream queen” Editor’s Note). In 2023, the Oscar-winning actress then established herself in successful comedies such as A fish named Wanda (1988) or: True Lies (1994). Throughout his career, Jamie Lee Curtis has reprized his role in the saga several times halloween, which now has thirteen films. She frequently shares posts related to the saga with her 5.9 million followers on Instagram, such as these photos taken on the set of the first installment posted on October 19.
Springboard The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
From Matthew McConaughey to Jessica Biel: The Saga The Texas Chainsaw Massacre allowed many actors to make their first steps on the big screen. Leather face. Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) has as its hero Viggo Mortensen, Aragorn’s translator lord of the rings who went on to make a string of second-rate films, a hit a year after the horror film’s release Indian Runner, directed by Sean Penn. Chainsaw Massacre, New Generation (1995) was also the springboard for Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger, the lead actors of the 4th film in the franchise.
Jessica Biel, in turn, is the heroine of 5e The 2003 film of the saga is a remake of the original 1974 work. It is one of the roles that allowed the actress. 7 at home shedding her demure young girl persona to anchor herself in sexy heroine roles. Despite the negative reviews, this transformation The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the biggest financial success of the entire franchise.
Stories and parodies
Horror movies have also had bad productions and botched parodies (intentional or not) that left audiences cringing. George Clooney tried his hand at the genre The return of killer tomatoes (1988). The synopsis speaks for itself. a mad professor develops a process that turns tomatoes into killers. Will the pizza delivery man manage to save the planet from this danger? The sound suggests the level of the film. This “nanar”, which was very poorly received by critics, is said to be a setback for the actorOcean’s Elevenwho went through a rough patch in the 1980s, although his career struggled, George Clooney found success in the mid-1990s as Dr. Ross. EMERGENCY.
Amy Adams also lands her first role in a comedy horror film. Thriller Psycho Beach Party (2000), completely insane, takes the codes of horror. young people on vacation, mysterious murders and a killer on the loose. In the same genre, Brad Pitt also tried his hand at a horror parody Cutting class (1989), set in high school and revolving around a bloody love triangle. If these productions were considered mediocre by critics, they did not prevent him from getting a role in Ridley Scott’s film. Thelma and Louise (1991) two years later.
His ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston, also tried her hand in that genre. Actually, forward friendsthere was Leprechaun (1993) by Mark Jones. The actress, therefore, did not debut as Rachel Green, but in a horror series where she had to face a leprechaun, a small, crazy elf from the Anglo-Saxon countries. Despite poor reviews, the film was somewhat commercially successful. A year later, his heroine joined the cast friendswhich marks the beginning of a great career.
Child star
Another successful saga highlighted a young actor who became a star. That’s how Leonardo DiCaprio made his debut Creatures 3: (1991) by Christine Peterson, a kitsch horror film that is very popular in the United States. The actor was only 9 years old when he met these very greedy fur aliens. A performance that did not go unnoticed. But in 1993, he landed two major roles Secret wounds Next to De Niro and in Gilbert Grape Next to Johnny Depp. This film, directed by Lasse Holström, brought him his first Oscar and Golden Globe nominations.
Charlize Theron and Eva Mendes can also be cited in the saga Corn devils(1995 and 1998), Hugh Grant White worm’s den (1988), Harrison Ford The bewitched (1977), Demi Moore A parasite (1982), Tom Hanks Blood wedding (1980), Sharon Stone Terror farm (1981), Jim Carrey Toothless temptation (1985) and many others. Proof that horror movies, which are sometimes criticized, have allowed the most promising actors to stand out in the game.
Source: Le Figaro