Horror is an exciting and expansive genre, one that gets better the more fans dig into the tropes, names, and developments that make it unique. While horror movies are often disregarded as serious features from cinema critics, the recent success of films like Jordan Peele's Get Out prove scary stories can garner widespread acclaim with effective screenplays, absorbing cinematography, and superb acting.
This list deals with the latter: acting. There exists a slew of character actors whose contributions to horror have furthered the genre's ability to appeal to wide audiences. Yet, few people know the names of these actors. This list hopes to rectify that by showcasing 10 important "that guy" actors in horror.
10 Brad Dourif
Brad Dourif's filmography spans decades and genres, yet he's acted in some of the most popular horror franchises to date. Dourif's first feature film role is Billy Bibbit in Milos Forman's 1975 One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and it seems he hasn't taken a breather since.
Dourif's horror credits are impressive. He plays the serial killer whose spirit inhabits Chucky in the Child's Play franchise, as well as James Venamun in The Exorcist III. He also stars in Rob Zombie's Halloween revivals. As if that isn't enough, he has memorable roles in The X-Files and HBO's 80s anthology horror series The Hitchhiker.
9 Keith David
Keith David is a recognizable face across genres, but he's one of those hard-working character actors who rarely gets the credit he deserves. While David is known for his roles in popular films like Platoon, The Chronicles of Riddick, and There's Something About Mary, he has some serious horror street cred.
He stars in two vital John Carpenter features: 1982's The Thing and 1988's They Live. He also stars in less critically-acclaimed, yet popular, features like Pitch Black and The Puppet Masters. When he's not acting in films, David is an award-winning theatre actor who won a Tony for his work in the musical Jelly's Last Jam.
8 Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley is a horror god, literally. He's acted in countless cult classic, ranging from the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 to Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses. His genre filmography is extensive, yet his most frequent collaborator is Zombie. Moseley can be found in most of Zombie's films, including his most recent, 2019's 3 From Hell.
Moseley has his feet in other franchises like Night of the Living Dead and Evil Dead. Moseley is also a Yale graduate and accomplished musician who has toured with famed bassist Les Claypool.
7 John Carroll Lynch
Another cross-genre character actor who made a name for himself in horror recently, John Carroll Lynch brought some of American Horror Story's most iconic villains to life, including Twisty the Clown and Mr. Jingles. He also starred in Syfy's cerebral anthology horror series Channel Zero, playing John Sleator in the No-End House season.
Lynch made a name for himself as Norm Gunderson in 1996's Fargo. In the new millennium, he's acted in slow-burn genre films like Zodiac and The Invitation.
6 Charles S. Dutton
This Baltimore native is an accredited actor, director, and producer. Dutton spent his early adult years in prison, and when he was released, he found an outlet in acting. He made his Broadway debut in 1984, and then his feature film debut in 1985 with Lewis Teague's Cat's Eye.
Dutton plays Dillon in David Fincher's Alien 3, as well as Dr. Douglas Grey in Gothika. He can also be seen in the science fiction and horror mash-ups like Mimic and Secret Window.
5 David Warner
David Warner is an accomplished British actor who has worked in theatre, film, and television. Warner acted in multiple classic '70s and '80s horrors and thrillers, including Straw Dogs, the original The Omen, The Company of Wolves, and Waxwork.
Since then, he can also be found in films like In the Mouth of Madness and Scream 2. You can also catch him on television shows like Twin Peaks, Tales From the Crypt, The Outer Limits, Penny Dreadful, and Inside No. 9.
4 John Saxon
You might recognize John Saxon as Lt. Donald Thompson from the original 1984 A Nightmare on Elm Street, but he is a long-time character actor who appeared in numerous films. In fact, his filmography includes over 200 credits.
In the '70s and '80s, Saxon developed a reputation for himself as a "that guy" in both westerns and horrors. He can be seen in horror classics like Black Christmas, Tenebre, and Nightmare Beach. Saxon often plays police officers or detectives. In the '90s, he made appearances in films like Wes Craven's New Nightmare and From Dusk Till Dawn.
3 Geoffrey Lewis
Geoffrey Lewis, who died in 2015, also had over 200 credits under his belt. He entered the world of horror when he played Mike Ryerson in 1979's adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot. Since then, he's acted in multiple cult classics and under-the-radar genre hits.
These titles range from 1992's The Lawnmower Man to 2005's The Devil's Rejects. Other horror films attributed to Lewis include 10 to Midnight, Night of the Comet, and Wicked Little Things.
2 Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a prolific German actor who has worked with some of the most experimental filmmakers in the industry, from Paul Morrissey to Lars Von Trier to Dario Argento.
One of Kier's earliest roles is Count Dracula in Morrissey's 1974 erotic reimagining of the vampire tale, Blood for Dracula. He is also known for his work in classic horror films like Suspiria, as well as more modern films like Blade, Shadow of the Vampire, and Love Object.
1 Frankie Faison
Frankie Faison will always be remembered as the asylum attendant Barney Matthews in The Silence of the Lambs, but his work in horror films extends before and after this ground-breaking film. Faison worked on '80s genre films like Cat People, C.H.U.D., and Manhunter, the latter of which is Michael Mann's take on Thomas Harris's Red Dragon, one that predates the other Hannibal Lecter films.
While showing up in subsequent Lecter features, Faison also acted in indie films like Do The Right Thing and Thirteen Conversations About One Thing. He got his start in Jim Jarmusch's Permanent Vacation.
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