Horror movies and television make so much room for show-stopping performances among all the other aspects of the perfect on-screen scary story. Audiences know that certain actors’ appearances in the same genre can sometimes become much too anticipatable, and that manner of repetition can make a piece of media with so much mystery lose a lot of its appeal. Some actors have already played unforgettable roles in horror, leading fans to speculate what else could be ahead for them. Here’s our list of 10 actors who should appear more in horror movies.
10 Robert Pattinson
Robert Pattinson is obviously a movie star, but his potential hasn’t run its course quite yet. Besides his famous portrayal of Edward Cullen in the Twilight saga, a few of his other roles have kept him up on the map. As Thomas Howard in A24’s The Lighthouse, he takes on mainstream horror well; as Reverend Preston Teagarden in The Devil All the Time, his skills appear sharpened as he personifies the epitome of sin.
9 Alex Wolff
Alex Wolff deserves another shot at a horror movie that wasn’t as traumatizing to him as Hereditary proved to be, as detailed in various articles. An NME article quotes him as saying: “That movie did about as much damage to me as a movie can do.” His performance in the film as Peter Graham appears externally great, but his well-being as a person should have and can still be respected through his job as an actor. He gave a healthier horror performance in Old, and he could continue to portray different genre archetypes in a way to reclaim the genre for himself again.
8 Owen Teague
Owen Teague appeared in It Chapter 1 and It Chapter 2 as Patrick Hockstetter, the bully to the Loser’s Club who literally becomes Pennywise’s puppet after his death in the tunnels. He also appeared on Black Mirror in the episode “Arkangel” as the villainous Trick, adding to his resume of playing teenaged bad boys in darker media. As he leaves his adolescence behind, he has a golden opportunity to show up in more horror films, as an already recognizable antagonist or as the opposite.
7 Jesse Plemons
In the horror adaptation of I’m Thinking of Ending Things, Jesse Plemons brings a complicated book character to the big screen. His work on the episode “U.S.S. Callister” of the depressing sci-fi drama Black Mirror and in the thriller movie Game Night both aided in making him a familiar face to fans of both horror and science fiction. He can adequately portray both apathetic and animated in horror scenarios, widening the scope of potential roles he might take on in the future.
6 Choi Woo Shik
Choi Woo Shik (whose name has also been spelled Choi Woo-sik professionally), a Canadian and South Korean actor, is a scene-stealer in several Bong Joon-ho films. In Parasite, he portrays Ki Woo, the only son of the Kim family who becomes a tutor and kick-starts the story. As Yong-guk in Train to Busan, he fights for survival on a terrifying journey. Among his performances, his character development in thriller and horror stories are especially important. These roles have become some of his most well-known, and his talents could definitely increase that number.
5 Ralph Ineson
Ralph Ineson portrays the devout William in The Witch, the patriarch of the story’s central family. His character will stop at nothing to secure his household’s favor with God and safety from dark forces, showcasing Inseon’s performance power and excellence in horror scenarios as the stakes continue to rise. He was also recently credited in The Pope’s Exorcist, in which Bloody Disgusting reported that he would “voice the film’s demon.” In future films, Ineson could expand beyond the religious horror subgenre into another to refine and further shape his abilities.
4 LaKeith Stanfield
LaKeith Stanfield‘s acting resume continues to increase in impressiveness, and his contemplative presence on screen contributes to his characters’ believability. In Sorry to Bother You, he dabbles in surrealism as sales agent Cassius Green. In Get Out, he delivers the line that gives the movie its title and encourages Chris’s course of action. One of his earlier credits positioned him in The Purge: Anarchy, and he’ll appear in the upcoming Haunted Mansion revival as well. Stanfield’s talents in the movie world are extensive, and films with horror elements are definitely some of his best work.
3 Matthew Lillard
Matthew Lillard is, of course, Stu Macher from the first Scream movie, and he also reprised his live-action work as Shaggy in the multiple offshoots of the Scooby-Doo world. With a clear talent for playing scary and scared, Lillard’s continuing work on spooky stuff partially defines his career – he was also recently cast in the upcoming Five Nights at Freddy’s adaptation as William Afton. Naturally, his appearances in the genre are absolutely essential, and giving him more similarly intentional opportunities will help him maintain his status as a genre darling.
2 Joe Keery
Most people recognize Joe Keery from Stranger Things as Steve Harrington, which definitely allowed him to get his feet wet in terms of exploring the horror genre. One of his more recent movies, Spree, positions him as a killer live-streamer and ride-app driver named Kurt Kunkle. Keery’s appearances in Slice and Molly’s Game contribute towards his growing roles that center around crime and the fallout it invokes. With his everyman appearance, he could absolutely play another horror character on either side of the knife.
1 Steven Yeun
The central messages of Jordan Peele’s alien invasion horror Nope, about exploitation and entertainment, were driven home through the life of one character, as several online breakdowns of the film noted – Steven Yeun‘s Ricky Park, also known as Jupe. Yeun’s similar roles have so far found him in the thriller Mayhem, Bong Joon-ho’s Okja, and Peele’s interpretation of The Twilight Zone during the episode “A Traveler.” In the future of horror films, Yeun could continue contributing to its brightness through small cameo roles as well as leading ones. Either way, his characters’ presences can serve as a puzzle piece to their respective stories’ outcomes.
