A list actors in horror films

[Evan3]

On almost every entertainment magazine that I have seen, Naomi Watts keeps being listed as on of the top 25 rising stars in Hollywood (and she is attractive to boot, great eyes) anyways, if she is getting so famous, I think it is interesting that she chose a horror film.... the Ring, as her newest movie. I think she did really well in it and I wonder what other A-list, or at least, mainstream actors, have gone into horror films, cheesy or not, and here are the ones I can remembe. Also, I think it is such a career risk to do any sort of scary flick

Good:
Gregory Peck in the Omen
Elijah Woods and Josh Hartnett in the Faculty
Donald Sutherland in one of the Invasion of the Body Snatchers remakes
Denzel Washington in Fallen
Kevin Bacon in Tremors
Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey in Seven
Vin Diesel in Pitch Black
Bruce Willis in Sixth Sense
Anthony Hopkins in SOTL
Kevin Woods in John Carpenter's Vampires
Arnold Shwarzeneger in Predator
Neve Campell in Scream

Bad:
Kevin Costner in Waterworld
Haley Joel Osmet in Sixth Sense (he really annoys me)
Vincent Price in almost all of his movies
Arnold Schwarzenager in End of Days (I thought it was good, but changed my mind later)
Sigourney Weaver in almost any of the Alien movies
Nicholas Cage in Kiss of the Vampire
Cathy Bates in Misery
Liam Neeson and Owen Wilson in the Haunting (so bad)
Josh Hartnett in Halloween H20

Well, that is my list. Do you agree or disagree. Do you know what else is out with famous actors? Do you think they take a big risk when they do this? Let me know.

[emils]

I would also like to add to the list of bad ones....Johnny Depp...He was excellent in Edward Scissorhands, but three movies come to mind:  The Ninth Gate, Sleepy Hollow, and whatever that new Jack the Ripper movie is, in which he was terrible.

I would also like to add that Al Pacino was great in "Devil's Advocate", but Keanu Reeves sucked it up, and i did not appreciate seeing his hairy ass.

One movie that I think is incredible, based on the fact that the entire cast is comprised of really good, notable actors is "Mars Attacks!"  I still love that movie, but it makes you wonder why people like Jack Nicholson would want to do such a cheesy flick.

[Fearless Freep]

but it makes you wonder why people like Jack Nicholson would want to do such a cheesy flick.

You ever been at a rehersal for a rock band and watch them spontaneously break into a silly C&W vamp or something?  Sometimes it's fun to just be silly and do something a bit different.  I suppose actors like to have fun as well, especially with their peers.

[Evan3]

I must agree with Mars Attacks, I really enjoy it. But, I think Keanu gets a bad rap sometimes. I think he is a fine actor, not great, but capable of holding his own in movies. I liked him in Devil's Advocate (Charlize Theron was great in it and i liked her in Astronaut's Wife with Johnny Depp, a very good, obscure horror film)

[emils]

Keanu does get a bad rap, but in this case, I just can't get behind his performance.  Theron did very well, I thought, and the supporting actors were all very impressive.

But I think the role was a bit too deep for him.  He's great in things like "Speed" and "Point Break"  but I wasn't convinced for D.A.

[AndyC]

Fearless Freep wrote:
>
> I suppose actors like to have fun as well,
> especially with their peers.

Just look at the old Batman TV series.

[mmv3000]

I would take issue with listing Bates and Weaver in your "bad" list. It certainly didn't hurt either of their careers, and in fact, Misery and Alien, respectivey, were what really made them stars. Won one of them an Oscar too.

Also, some of those people were far from A-List actors when they did the movies. Vin Diesel in Pitch Black for example.

But this thing goes way back. Even Humphrey Bogart did one horror movie, The Return of Dr. X.  He didn't want to do it, though, but back then, actors had a different contract system, and he was forced to do it by the studio.

[AndyC]

I agree that some of those actors had not quite made the A-list when they made those movies.

It's also worth noting that some of the movies are not really horror flicks. Predator is an action movie with sf/horror elements. End of Days is also action/horror. I'd be inclined to say that Silence of the Lambs and possibly even the Sixth Sense fall into the category of suspense thriller. We're still not likely to see many A-list actors in a real slasher, monster or zombie picture.

Just the same, I think the newer generation of stars are not quite as hung up on doing genre pictures. If they're offered a role that's interesting, and the movie looks like it will be successful, they do it.

[Mofo Rising]

Geoffrey Rush springs to mind.  Gets critical acclaim for SHINE and movies like QUILLS, but spends a lot of time acting in movies like MYSTERY MEN and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL.

(Actually, his IMDb page lists tons of movies.  Maybe the b-movies are the only ones I watch.)

[frannie]

jennifer anniston in leprechaun?  or were you referring specifically to a well known actor that went into horror after becoming established?

[Evan3]

Hmm, Well, I just personally thought that Cathy Bates didnt do a good job in Misery. I am asking for people who became A list after their roles or were already A- list when they did it, which I think is more impressive (like Naomi Watts, Gregory Peck, Geoffery Rusch, cant think of others). Also, would you consider Jaws a horror movie, there were a couple actors in that one. Also, I think the role is bad when you are pidgeonholed for that role, has Neve Campell done anything worth seeing since Scream? Sigourney Weaver had to take roles in all four alien films, probably out of desperation, I think Haley Joel Osmet will always be known as that sixth Sense kid. Those were bad moves I think for all of them. Unlike Vin Diesel in Pitch Black, or Elijah Woods in the Faculty who have gone on to hold their own in non horror filmes. (see XXX or Lord of the Rings for further proof). Anyways, I guess my real interest is how many A-list or at least famous mainstream stars have done a horror movie, and did it work or not.

[peter johnson]

George C. Scott was in "Firestarter" -- which got a lot of very bad press, but, doggone it, I still sort of liked it.  It didn't seem to take itself too seriously, nor did Scott, playing as he was a sort of crazy-homicidal Indian shaman.  He was also in an Omen-like film whose name -- "Incubus"(?) I can't really remember the title -- concerning a demonic child, in which he plays an angelic figure and was very very good indeed.  He made both of these pictures long after he had "A" status.   He worked very well in both pictures.
"The Swarm" -- by all accounts a very wretched picture -- was packed to the gills with "A"-list players:  Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, etc., for the most part sleepwalking through their roles or phoning-in the parts.  How come?  I dunno.
Olivia de Havilland and Bette Davis -- "AA+"list actresses -- both comport themselves very well indeed in "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?", about as creepy as they come.  I think direction makes a difference.  Also, sometimes actors sense that what they've signed on for isn't going to be very good, and just say their lines & get through it as quickly as they can.  This is what happened to a lot of Vincent Price projects.
Bette Davis was in pictures of varying quality over the years, but never gave a bad performance.  When she was no longer beautiful, she took roles like the "Jane" one and one where she plays a twin who murders her sister & then roasts her own hand with a hot poker to cover the dissimilar handwriting, etc. etc., and made the most of them.
Poor Joan Crawford in "TROG" was an all-around bad idea.
peter johnson

[John]

>Vin Diesel in Pitch Black

I'd never heard of him before Pitch Black.

>Kevin Woods in John Carpenter's Vampires

Who's Kevin Woods?

[Mofo Rising]

peter johnson wrote:
>
> George C. Scott was in "Firestarter" -- which got a lot of
> very bad press, but, doggone it, I still sort of liked it.
> It didn't seem to take itself too seriously, nor did Scott,
> playing as he was a sort of crazy-homicidal Indian shaman.
> He was also in an Omen-like film whose name -- "Incubus"(?) I
> can't really remember the title -- concerning a demonic
> child, in which he plays an angelic figure and was very very
> good indeed.  He made both of these pictures long after he
> had "A" status.   He worked very well in both pictures.

Scott was also in THE CHANGELING, which I would consider a forgotten classic.  (Well, except for the stupid wheelchair.)

[AndyC]

Loved the Changeling. It was made back before filmmakers got the mistaken idea that special effects are scary. A big, empty house is scary all by itself, if you're a decent filmmaker. The closing door and the bouncing ball scared me more than any of today's crappy CGI ghosts.