Horror Movie Stars: What They Actually Look Like

The world of horror has seen it all. But beneath those terrifying masks are stars who are, for the most part, very nice and attractive people. You’ll be shocked to see what some of your worst nightmares actually look like in real life.

Murder mystery Scream set the stage for the creepy prank caller “Ghostface.” Since his first appearance in 1996, the ghost face mask has become a staple of modern pop culture and a regular costume choice for Halloween. Although it is revealed in the film that the killers were high school friends Billy and Stu, it was stuntman Dane Farwell who brought a daring physicality to Ghostface in both the original and Scream 2. Underneath that mask was a pretty pleasant looking guy.

Probably best known for his early role as Wicket the Ewok in Return Of The Jedi, Warwick Davis was granted his own lead role as a Leprechaun in the 1993 movie of the same name. The horror comedy details the story of the Irish mythological creature, who hunts a family after believing they stole his pot of gold. Leprechaun is widely regarded as cult classic and has spawned many sequels, including 2000’s Leprechaun In The Hood and 2003’s Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood.

One of the granddaddies of the slasher genre is none other than Michael Myers. The main villain of the Halloween franchise made his debut appearance in the original 1978 feature, terrorizing Laurie Strode, played by a young Jamie Lee Curtis. Originally credited as “The Shape,” the first actor to don the chilling mask was the unassuming Nick Castle. Although he isn’t really remembered for any other roles, Castle’s work as Michael Myers will be forever imprinted in Horror culture.

Jack Nicholson is a prime example of a true prolific actor. He has achieved success in an incredibly long list of iconic roles in a variety movie genres. From his twisted spin on The Joker to his Oscar-winning performance as Randle McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, the man has done it all. But Nicholson’s most chilling performance came in Stanley Kubrick’s powerful visualization of Stephen King’s The Shining. Nicholson’s character is custodian to one of the most famous lines in Hollywood history, “Herrrrrrre’s Johnny!!!”

The Creeper from Jeepers Creepers is probably one of the more obscure horror movie characters on our list. Nevertheless, his grotesque scaly appearance fittingly mirrors his bizarre behavior from the original movie. The Creeper appears every 23rd spring for 23 days in order to feed on human body parts. But you would never have expected the handsome Jonathan Breck to be the man behind the monstrous mask. 16 years after his first appearance, Breck will reprise his role as the Creeper for the third time. Jeepers Creepers 3 wrapped filming earlier this year.

In 1981’s An American Werewolf In London, David Naughton played American backpacker David Kessler, who travels around Northern England with his friend Jack Goodman. After Jack dies, David has visions foreshadowing his evolution into a werewolf at the next full moon. The stunning transformation earned the horror flick the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and it’s easy to see why. For the most part, Naughton has had a lukewarm career, but no one will forget his role as one of the most famous werewolves in pop culture.

It has been a staggering 86 years since the legendary Boris Karloff transformed into Dr. Frankenstein’s monster. It is probably Karloff’s most memorable role and at the time was groundbreaking work from makeup artist Jack Pierce. The character that was visualized onto the big screen would pave the way for many other iconic characters on this list. Beneath the deformed makeup and bolts and screws lay a classy individual in the British actor born William Henry Pratt.

It seems like there’s nothing in film that Tom Cruise can’t do. The man behind classics such as Top Gun, Jerry Maguire and Mission Impossible also dabbled in the horror genre when he portrayed Lestat the vampire in the 1994 horror drama, Interview With The Vampire. However, it’s not the most drastic transformation, as you can still tell that it’s Cruise beneath the contact lenses and fangs. The superstar will return to horror this summer in a new rendition of The Mummy.

James Wan brought the Saw franchise to the big screen in 2004 with his twisted story about a pair of men who wake up in a room, chained to a pipe, and receive a life or death game from the sadistic mastermind, Jigsaw. *Spoiler Alert* It’s not until the very end of the movie, when the apparent corpse that has been lying motionless the entire time suddenly rises and reveals himself to be Jigsaw. Needless to say, the body belonged to actor Tobin Bell.

One of the great actors of our time, Gary Oldman portrayed the legendary Count Dracula as depicted in Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1992. Oldman portrayed the shapeshifting vampire with aplomb, convincing the audience as both the young warrior, Vlad The Impaler as well as the old decrepit Count. In reality, Oldman has aged much more gracefully than Dracula, and has continued to bless the big screen with big performances, such as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series and was nominated for Best Actor for his role in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Guillermo del Toro blew theatre-goers away with his stunning visual world in his classic fantasy drama, Pan’s Labyrinth. At his disposal was the incredibly talented performance artist, Doug Jones, who lent his talents to portraying the harrowing vision of Ophelia, the Pale Man. Jones also helped bring the title character to life, Pan the Faun. In reality, Jones is a fairly peculiar looking individual, but he certainly looks more normal the Pale Man ever will.

The hockey-mask wearing maniac that is Jason Voorhees has been portrayed by a number of actors over the years. But it was Ari Lehman who played the character for the first time way back in 1980’s Friday the 13th, as a child. Since then, Lehman hasn’t really featured in anything as prominent as his role in the first installment of the slasher franchise. But he was able to bring a level of humanity to the character that would disappear by the time Part 2 came out in 1981.

As the legend goes, if you say the name “Candyman” five times, he will appear and kill the summoner. Although Eddie Murphy was the original choice for the title character, it was ultimately Tony Todd who got picked to portray the urban legend. The 1992 flick will always be remembered for its graphic content, including a scene where the Candyman’s ribcage is covered with bees. Todd explained that he couldn’t turn town the offer as he believed the script included things that had never been filmed before in the history of cinema.

With suspense driven classics such as Eraserhead, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive, it should be no surprise that David Lynch was at the helm for 1980’s The Elephant Man. But it was the late great John Hurt’s haunting portrayal of John Merrick that stole the show and earned the actor an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Makeup artists used actual casts from Merrick’s body to design Hurt’s harrowing makeup for the movie. As you can see, Hurt was completely transformed.

Another actor who made the character of Count Dracula his own was the late, great Sir Christopher Lee. The man behind classic roles such as The Man With The Golden Gun and Saruman from The Lord Of The Rings put in a shell-shocking performance as the infamous vampire in numerous films. Lee also starred in the mystery horror flick, The Wicker Man, which he received unanimous acclaim for. But for many, his interpretation of Dracula is the most iconic that has ever graced the big screen.

Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses was a callback to 70’s classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Hills Have Eyes. Despite its near universal disdain from critics, the exploitation flick has developed a cult following due to its bizarre plot and graphic violence. At the forefront of the action was Captain Spaulding, played by Sid Haig, a vulgar clown who is the owner of a gas station. Haig noted how he needed to “get in touch with [his] own insanity” for the role.

Tom Fitzpatrick played the undead serial killer The Bride In Black in both the second and third installments of the supernatural horror franchise Insidious. The man behind Saw, James Wan perfectly casted Fitzpatrick to portray the haunting character – a ghost of a young man who was abused until he became insane and started to dress as a woman. The makeup certainly helped transform the actor into a convincing ghoul and the Bride in Black is growing into a popular Halloween costume.

In 1988, Tom Woodruff Jr. founded special effects company Amalgamated Dynamics. The company is responsible for practical effects in movies such as Alien, Starship Troopers and Death Becomes Her. But the special effects wizard has also starred in a variety of movies, notwithstanding the 80’s cult classic Pumpkinhead. Woodruff portrayed the grotesque title character, a demonic monster resurrected by a witch. But as you can see, the man behind the ghastly costume is miles ahead in terms of looks.

Another one of James Wan’s horror pieces came in 2013 in the form of The Conjuring. But it was the 2016 sequel that featured Bonnie Aarons as Valak, a demon nun loosely rooted in The Lesser Key of Solomon, a spell book on demonology. In real life, Aarons is a fairly pretty actress, but the bright yellow contacts and ghastly makeup completed her drastic transformation in The Conjuring 2. A spin-off starring Aarons, titled The Nun, is scheduled for a 2018 release.

Australian flick The Babadook took the horror world by storm in 2014 after successfully combining psychological terror with a heart filled relationship between a mother and her son. But at the center of the the tale is its title character. The Babadook is a physical manifestation of the grief that Amelia, the mother suffers from after the death of her husband. Tim Purcell played the creepy spirit to a tee. In reality, the actor looks disappointingly normal.

Charles Laughton is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of his generation. But before Disney released their animated version, one of Laughton’s biggest hits came in 1939, when he played Quasimodo in The Hunchback Of Notre Damme. At the time, the movie adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel was a financial and critical success. Also, the makeup for Quasimodo was groundbreaking. As you can see, Laughton looks like a totally different person compared to his portrayal of the hunchback.

In 2009, Patrick Lussier directed a remake of the 1981 slasher My Bloody Valentine. The original infamously had nine minutes of footage cut by the MPAA due to an excessive amount of violence and gore. Despite the newer version being nowhere near as controversial, it still had its fair share of brutality. And although the movie’s antagonist, the Miner, was played by Richard John Walters, it was his experienced stunt double Chris Carnel who brought an extra layer of physicality to the performance.

British indie flick, The Girl With All The Gifts blew critics away with its provoking themes contained within a dystopian zombie-oppressed future. At the center of the story is Melanie, a young infected girl with an abnormally high IQ and an ability to control her human emotions. Sennia Nanua played the little zombie covered in blood. And based on this early performance, the young actress is destined for a long, successful career.

Before his oscar-nominated performance in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, one of Liam Neeson’s less memorable appearances came in 1990, as the deformed superhero, Darkman. Neeson’s character survives horrific burns to the face and decides to take revenge on the mobsters who left him for dead. When the bandages are unraveled, Darkman is a hideous shadow of his former self. But Neeson, at 64, is still going strong in Hollywood and certainly won’t need to cover himself up any time soon.

Liverpool born Doug Bradley is probably best known for his portrayal of the Lead Cenobite “Pinhead” from the supernatural Horror flick, Hellraiser. The role of Pinhead was a clear departure from the typical 80’s horror villain, acting as a quiet but calculating mastermind, akin to Count Dracula. The head covered in pins is nowadays synonymous with horror culture and in real life Bradley is an avid fan of all things horror. Bradley and Clive Barker, the author of the original Hellraiser novels, are good friends in real life.

Supernatural remake The Grudge took the horror world by storm in 2004. But it was 2002’s original Japanese version, Ju-on, that most fans consider to be the superior version. The character Kayako Saeki draws inspiration from the popular Japanese legend Onryo, a spirit who unleashes its wrath on enemies and can even create natural disasters. Japanese actress Takako Fuji eerily portrayed Kayako in the first two installments of the franchise. But in reality, Fuji looks a lot more friendly and full of life!

It only took a quarter of an hour of screen time for Anthony Hopkins to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence Of The Lambs. Hopkins masterfully brought the twisted cannibal to life from the original novel to the big screen with a brief, but chilling performance. It only took the actor 15 minutes to capture our imaginations. 79-year-old Hopkins is still, to this day, one of Hollywood’s most respected actors.

So far in her short career, Sofia Boutella has struck gold twice, starring in action films such as Kingsman: The Secret Service and Star Trek: Beyond. This year, the beautiful French-Algerian actress will star alongside superstar Tom Cruise in her biggest role yet, putting her own spin on the classic horror character, The Mummy. Based on so-far released footage, this mummy could be the most menacing incarnation yet. The Mummy is scheduled for release on June 9th, 2017.

After Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast as the Predator for the 1987 classic of the same name, the producers decided to make changes. Kevin Peter Hall was the unlikely man to replace Van Damme, bring a more intimidating presence to the role. Hall starred alongside Hollywood mega powers Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers as an extraterrestrial monster, cunningly stalking an elite special forces unit. Sadly, Hall died in 1991 from AIDS-related pneumonia, but his menacing, physical performance as the Predator certainly put a stamp on pop culture.

One of the most gruesome transformations on this list, it’s safe to say that Jeff Goldblum knocked his role as Seth Brundle out of the park. David Cronenberg’s adaptation of The Fly saw Goldblum become the eccentric scientist, hell-bent on achieving teleportation. However, things go horribly wrong for Brundle when a fly gets caught in the same telepod, splicing their DNA to become the hideous “BrundleFly.” As the film progresses, Brundle condition worsens, until he finally becomes an actual giant fly. Thankfully, telepods don’t exist, and Goldblum can maintain his good looks.

One of the oldest horror movie characters on this list, Max Shreck portrayed Count Orlok in one of the earliest horror flicks in cinematic history. It’s amazing to think that German horror classic Nosferatu is approaching its 100-year anniversary. Beneath the prosthetics, which were obviously groundbreaking at the time (and amazingly still hold up to this very day), there was a respectably good-looking man in Max Shreck.

Carrie is another character on our list that was once inspired by a Stephen King novel. Despite the character’s iconic bloody appearance, Brian de Palma’s 1976 film adaptation perfectly captured King’s more cerebral style of horror. Sissy Spacek’s performance of Carrie White earned her critical acclaim, as well as an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Beneath all that corn syrup, Spacek was one of the most stunning actresses of her time.

Who would’ve thought that the man behind the mask of the disgusting Leatherface would be the late Gunnar Hansen? The Icelandic-American brought the iconic mentally-deranged character to life in 1974’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The actor apparently took inspiration from special needs children to develop Leatherface’s behavior. At the time, it was one of the most controversial movies due to its graphic content and was even banned in some countries. Hansen seemed such a friendly looking individual.

Following the original film starring Boris Karloff, Frankenstein’s monster received his own love story, when Bride Of Frankenstein was released 1935. The transformation that Elsa Lanchester took to become Mary Shelley aka The Monster’s Bride, with her frizzy hair and white streaks, is instantly recognizable for any true movie fan. At the peak of her career, Lanchester was one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in Hollywood. And even 82 years later, the Bride Of Frankenstein is still synonymous with horror culture.

The actor who’s probably best remembered for his portrayal of Batman also played the crazy spirit of the afterlife in Tim Burton’s dark horror comedy, Beetlejuice. After a married couple die quickly after moving into a haunted house, they stumble across Michael Keaton’s grotesque character. Since his recent resurgence in Oscar-winning films such as Birdman and Spotlight, it’s safe to say that Keaton, who was originally loved for his charming style and good looks, has never undergone a more extreme transformation.

Many have worn the costume of the most iconic character in the Alien film franchise. But it’s amazing to think that the Xenomorph was first portrayed all the way back in 1979 by Bolaji Badejo. In 1992, at the young age of 39, the Nigerian visual artist sadly passed away. But there is no denying the importance of Badejo’s contribution to one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood history. The character requires such a peculiar type of physicality and Badejo did not disappoint.

Inspired by the legendary Stephen King’s novel IT, Tim Curry majestically helped translate King’s vision of Pennywise, the demonic clown to TV back in 1990. A remake of IT is scheduled for release this year, but it’s going to take a monumental performance from young actor Bill Skarsgard to top Curry’s iconic rendition of Pennywise. In real life, Curry also possesses a fairly sinister smile, but there’s no denying that he looks better without the makeup of Pennywise.

The late great “Master Of Horror” Wes Craven brought his harrowing vision to the big screen when he wrote and directed A Nightmare on Elm Street. The 1984 slasher classic introduced the world to one of the most iconic figures in horror, Freddy Krueger. The burnt serial killer with daggers for finger nails terrorized teenagers in their dreams, most notably Nancy Thompson, for the good part of twenty years. And it was Robert Englund who donned the burnt mask for the majority of the film series.

Starting off our list is the star of 2002’s The Ring. It’s amazing that Daveigh Chase was only 11 years of age when she transformed into Samara Morgan, the vengeful spirit who attacks people who watch the videotape she came from. Since then, Chase has blossomed into a beautiful young actress.

The Exorcist will go down in film history as one of the most controversial movies ever to grace the big screen. After there were many reported incidents of viewers fainting at early screenings, one of the main reasons behind this was Linda Blair’s fantastic portrayal of Regan, the child who was possessed by the demon Pazuzu. The makeup, combined with Blair’s twisted behavior took Hollywood by storm. In real life, Blair has retained her beautiful looks, but she will always be best remembered for her portrayal of Regan.