10 Beloved Actors Who Made Their Acting Debuts In Horror Movies

The cultural standing of horror movies has changed over the years, though it remains one of the most controversial genres. During the 1970s, when gory slashers first burst on the scene, many saw the genre as pure schlock, or even worse, something sinister and immoral. In the 2010s, the perception of horror changed with the advent of the “elevated horror” genre and the success of A24’s slate of sleek, supposedly more intellectual horror movies.

And yet, horror still isn’t widely recognized as a prestigious or award-worthy genre. Horror actors rarely get nominated for big awards in these films, with Demi Moore’s surprising Golden Globe win for the nauseating body horror movie “The Substance” proving an exception to that rule. That’s probably why, when you think of beloved or respected Hollywood actors, horror usually isn’t the first genre that comes to mind, but maybe it should be.

Everyone’s got to start somewhere, right? If you take a deep dive on IMDb, you’ll find many actors with horror films on their resumes, especially in the early days. What follows is a list of stars who got their start in these oft-forgotten projects. Some of these films are hidden gems, while others are corny B-movies or overstuffed sequels. Either way, this trip down memory lane will give you a sense of how many horror movies have been the jumping-off points for some of Hollywood’s biggest names.

Though she’s starred in plenty of films over her decades-long career, Jennifer Aniston is best known for her work in television, most notably her starring role in the smash hit “Friends.” More recently, Aniston proved her acting chops in the drama-packed series “The Morning Show.” Her first few credited roles were in television, including a stint on the “Ferris Bueller” TV show. But it’s Aniston’s first movie role that has long attracted attention, and not always for positive reasons.

In 1993, Aniston starred in a movie that has now become something of a cult classic: a film called “Leprechaun.” The film’s villain is, of course, an evil leprechaun, played with unhinged glee by Warwick Davis. The creature is in search of his pot of gold, which he rightfully believes was stolen by someone in the O’Grady family. Years later, J.D. (John Sanderford) and his daughter Tory (Aniston) rent the O’Grady house, not knowing that the leprechaun is still out for revenge. Tory and her new friends Ozzie (Mark Holton) and Alex (Robert Hy Gorman) try to put a stop to the leprechaun’s murderous rampage by finding and returning the gold, but the violence continues to escalate.

Oddly enough, “Leprechaun” became kind of a breakout role for Aniston, who booked “Friends” the following year. But as director Mark Jones tells it, he had to fight to cast her in the film. He told the studio he would dye Aniston’s hair blonde for the part, but explained to her she wouldn’t actually have to go through with it. Just a few years later, Aniston’s decidedly not blonde hair would spark the most iconic cut of the ’90s: The Rachel.

Tom Hanks is one of the most beloved actors working in Hollywood today. He’s become kind of like our American movie dad, and he often stars in feel-good movies without a huge amount of shock value. Think “Forrest Gump,” “Big,” or “You’ve Got Mail.” His performance in “The Da Vinci Code” trilogy stands out as one of his most thrilling and action-packed roles, but it’s not the only time the stakes have been high for Mr. Hanks.

In fact, Hanks’ very first film and first credited role was a horror movie called “He Knows You’re Alone.” Released in 1980, the film follows Amy, a bride-to-be preparing for her wedding. Tom Rolfing plays the film’s baddie, a serial killer named Ray Carlton who goes after women just about to walk down the aisle. Hanks’ role in the movie is small. He plays a college student who befriends Amy in the park. Later in the film, he delivers what is now a trope in horror films –- an ironic commentary about the nature of horror films, canonized by films like “Scream.”

Hanks doesn’t have much to do in the movie, but his charming, affable manner is on full display here. He hasn’t done much in the way of horror since “He Knows You’re Alone,” though his second film –- following an extended stint on the series “Bosom Buddies” –- was a thriller called “Mazes and Monsters.” Neither of these films were well-reviewed at the time nor are they well-remembered now, but it’s safe to say Hanks’ legacy is very much intact.

One of the biggest names in the slasher genre, Jamie Lee Curtis comes from a family legacy of horror. The daughter of “Psycho” actress Janet Leigh, Curtis has been open about the fact that her famous mother probably helped her clinch her star-making role in “Halloween.” “I’m never going to pretend that I just got that on my own, like I’m just a little girl from nowhere getting it. Clearly, I had a leg up,” she told The New Yorker in 2019.

Curtis appeared in several episodes of television prior to the horror classic –- including a full season of the now-forgotten military series “Operation Petticoat” –- but her first big break came in the form of John Carpenter’s horror classic. In the 1978 film “Halloween,” Curtis plays Laurie Strode a teenage babysitter who encounters a masked maniac while looking after a neighborhood kid. Strode was one of the first final girls of the burgeoning slasher genre, and the film also cemented one of the genre’s most stalwart tropes –- the chaste girl gets to live another day, while her sexually active peers receive a death sentence.

Curtis clearly has a lot of affection for the decades-spanning franchise, as she returned as Laurie Strode in an impressive six sequels. Indeed, Curtis shared her love for genre films in her Oscar acceptance speech in 2023. “To all the people who have supported the genre movies that I’ve made for these years, the thousands and hundreds of thousands of people, we just won an Oscar together,” she proclaimed from the stage.

Renée Zellweger’s career has run the gamut. From her turn as Bridget Jones in the beloved rom-com series to her jazzy excellence in “Chicago,” she’s received plenty of acclaim during her time in Hollywood. With two Oscars to her name –- for “Cold Mountain” and “Judy” -– she’s secured her place in the history books. But her origins are more humble than her recent projects would suggest.

Her very first credited role was in the 1992 TV movie “A Taste for Killing.” The film centers on two wealthy college graduates (played by Jason Bateman and Henry Thomas) traveling to Texas to work on an offshore oil rig for the summer. They’re faced with a cantankerous boss, and something even more sinister, a shady figure with violent intentions. Zellweger plays Mary Lou, a snobby society girl who sadly only appears in one scene in the film.

It’s not a memorable role for Zellweger, whose next project was a disturbing miniseries called “Murder in the Heartland,” about a man and his 14-year-old girlfriend who go on a murderous rampage. She then booked blink-and-you’ll-miss-them roles in ’90s classics “Dazed and Confused” and “Reality Bites” before returning to the horror genre in 1994 with “Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.” Zellweger, a Texas girl herself, finally scored a leading role in this forgettable slasher, in which she starred alongside another notable Texan -– Matthew McConaughey.

Best known for her comedic roles in shows like “Seinfeld” and “Veep,” Julia Louis-Dreyfus has made a name for herself as a legend within the genre. Her career started off strong, with a three-year run on SNL from 1982 to 1985. She’s since proven her dramatic chops as well in films like “You Hurt My Feelings” and “Tuesday.” But Louis-Dreyfus’ first acting role came from an unexpected place –- the whacky and wonderful world of horror.

You’ve probably never heard of the film that marked Louis-Dreyfus’ big screen debut, as it’s not exactly a beloved classic. Released in 1986, “Troll” centers on a powerful wizard named Torok who was turned into a troll and wants to return to his original form. Torok’s plan is to annihilate all humans and transform the world into the fairytale land of his former life. The troll possesses a young girl named Wendy (Jennifer Beck) before turning the other residents of her apartment complex into magical creatures.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays one of the apartment tenants, and she has the misfortune of being turned into a wood nymph. On an episode of “Day Drinking With Seth Meyers,” Louis-Dreyfus told the host that “Troll” –- which also stars Sonny Bono, for some reason –- is easily the worst movie she’s ever done. But it wasn’t all a wash for the future sitcom star, as she met her husband, Brad Hall, while working on the film. Four years later, Louis-Dreyfus booked a leading role in “Seinfeld,” and the rest is history.

Patricia Arquette is no stranger to the world of spooks and frights, as she played a psychic for six years on the NBC series “Medium.” But it was her very first acting credit that gave her major horror movie cred. In 1987, at the age of eighteen, Arquette starred in “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors,” arguably one of the best films in the franchise. The film brings back Heather Langenkamp as Nancy Thomas, the final girl from the first movie. Now a psychiatrist, Nancy starts a new position at a psychiatric hospital populated by teenagers.

Arquette plays the most important teen in the group, a girl named Kristen whose dreams have been invaded by Freddy Kruger. Nancy, having battled Freddy in the past, believes Kristen and tries to help, but Kristen’s special abilities – she can bring people into her dreams – may be the only thing that can release the teens from Freddy’s vice grip.

Filled with plenty of goofy and gross special effects -– handcuffs made out of tongues, a puppet made of skin –- Arquette emerges as the film’s MVP. In Kristen’s dreams, she becomes an Olympic-level gymnast and frequently whips out some sick moves while fighting Freddy. When asked if she’d ever return to the franchise, Arquette told ComicBook.com that she’d return under one condition. “Can I change my superpower? Maybe I’ll come back if I can change my superpower,” she joked.

Technically, Oscar-winning actor and ’90s heartthrob Leonardo DiCaprio got his start in television. He appeared in several TV shows when he was a kid, with his most substantial role being in the 1990 version of “Parenthood,” where he played one of the family’s children. “Parenthood” only lasted for 12 episodes, and shortly after it ended, DiCaprio booked his first role in a motion picture.

That film was “Critters 3,” a forgotten horror sequel from 1991, though it wasn’t really DiCaprio’s first time on the big screen, as it was direct-to-video. If you don’t remember this rousing horror classic, here’s the gist. The critters in question are furry, bloodthirsty aliens intent on devouring human beings. The film follows Charlie (Don Keith Opper), the protagonist of the second film, as he continues to hunt down the aliens that have invaded Earth. The critters go after a newly relocated family and their new neighbors, as well as the landlord and his stepson (played by DiCaprio).

As you might expect, the film was neither a commercial nor a critical success, and it didn’t exactly turn DiCaprio into a household name overnight. He returned to television for his next role, appearing in a full season of “Growing Pains.” The following year, DiCaprio starred in two notable projects, “This Boy’s Life,” where he acted alongside Robert De Niro and Ellen Barkin, and “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” But, while it may not be as prestigious as a De Niro picture, “Critters 3” was the start of it all.

Charlize Theron knows how to go dark. She won her first and only Oscar for the film “Monster,” in which she plays serial killer Aileen Wuornos. A decade later, she achieved acclaim for her gritty and powerful performance as Furiosa in “Mad Max: Fury Road,” and returned to the action genre in films like “Atomic Blonde” and “The Old Guard.” Theron has a classic Hollywood origin story; she was discovered by an agent in a bank, but it took her a while to find the meaty roles she’s become known for.

Her first role was a minuscule part in one of the many forgettable horror sequels of the 1990s and 2000s: “Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest.” The 1995 film follows two brothers from Nebraska who move to Chicago following the violent death of their father. One of the brothers, Eli (Daniel Cerny), has magical abilities that allow him to control those around him. He eventually convinces the other students to join his cult, assisting him in his quest to destroy all adults.

Theron plays one of Eli’s followers, though her non-speaking role was uncredited. You can find all 19 seconds of her screen time on YouTube, where she gives us a brief taste of her powerful, piercing gaze. The following year, Theron appeared alongside Tom Hanks in “That Thing You Do!” which the actor also directed. She returned to the horror genre in 1997 with “The Devil’s Advocate,” which stars Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves and marks an important step on the road towards becoming the Charlize Theron we know and love today.

In one case, two familiar actors both appeared in a horror movie at the very start of their careers. “The Burning,” the film in question, takes place at a classic horror movie location: summer camp. You can probably guess the plot; a badly damaged man returns to the camp to get revenge on those who wronged him. Though we’ve seen this kind of film many times before, it’s a well-made iteration of the trope, filled with good acting and plenty of entertaining slasher scenes.

Critically acclaimed talent Holly Hunter was one such actor, and the film marked her first credited role. Hunter appeared alongside Jason Alexander, an actor who, in the next decade would become a household name among TV fans thanks to his role in “Seinfeld.” “The Burning” was also Alexander’s first role, though he had the good luck of booking a larger role than Hunter, who mainly appears on the sidelines of the action.

Six years later, Hunter starred in the film that would deliver her first Oscar nomination, the splendid rom-com “Broadcast News.” (She lost to Cher.) 1993 provided her with more recognition for her work, as she snatched Best Actress for her role in “The Piano.” Alexander went a slightly different route. Eight years after his appearance in “The Burning,” Alexander secured a starring role in the beloved sitcom “Seinfeld.” He was nominated for an Emmy seven years in a row for his performance as George Costanza. Both actors achieved great success later in their careers, but it all began with an unassuming teen slasher.

Bill Paxton was a legend. Both sensitive and heroic, Paxton starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, including “Titanic,” “Twisters,” and “Aliens.” But, like most actors, Paxton didn’t start out as a leading man. First, there were small roles in which he didn’t have much time to make an impact. Following his appearance in a short film, his first credited role was in the 1981 Bill Murray and John Candy film “Stripes.” Paxton plays a character listed as “Soldier #8,” and it’s truly a blink-and-you-‘ll-miss-it role.

Later that year, Paxton showed up on screen in a slightly more significant role. The film was “Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker,” a tragically underrated campy ’80s horror flick directed by TV producer William Asher. Jimmy McNichol plays Billy Lynch, an orphaned teenager who lives with his doting aunt, Cheryl (Susan Tyrrell). Cheryl’s affection for Billy takes a dark turn when it becomes clear she will stop at nothing to keep him at home with her –- even murder.

Paxton plays Eddie, a jock who bullies Billy. Though not a hugely important character in the film, Paxton’s appearance gave viewers their first taste of his easy charisma and star quality. Paxton continued to act in numerous horror movies throughout the ’80s and ’90s, including rousing titles like “Mortuary,” “Deadly Lessons,” and “The Vagrant.” Paxton even directed a horror movie himself. It was also during this period that he began his career-spanning collaboration with James Cameron, beginning with “Aliens” and ending with Cameron’s documentary “Ghosts of the Abyss.” The next time you speak about Paxton, remember his storied history as a scream queen.