Mainstream stars who got a start in horror

[deadeye]

I've been trying to think of mainstream celebrities who were in horror films early in their careers. Who I've come up with so far (not many)...

Johnny Depp--Nightmare on Elm Street. And god bless him for returning to horror movies once in a while, ala The Ninth Gate.

Nicole Kidman--Dead Calm. The wife of Sam Neill and terrorized on a boat by Billy Zane.

Meg Ryan--Amityville 3D. Walk on part as Lori Laughlin's friend.

Kevin Bacon--Friday the 13th. And good to see him in Stir of Echoes and The Hollowman. Also for swingin' that shwang in Wild Things.

And I guess you can count Jamie Lee Curtis for Halloween, although I don't remember how big of a star she was before this movie, and being the child of 2 celebrities, I don't think you can count her as unknown.

Give me some others, y'all

[Elgyn]

-Crispin Glover and Corey Feldman in "Friday the 13th, Part 4: The Final Chapter"
-Clint Eastwood in "Return Of the Creature" (I think it was that one).
-Michael Wincott in "Curtains"
-Joe Pantolineo (sp?) was in some 80`s slasher, I forget the title
-Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter (or was it Helen Hunt?) and Fisher Stevens in "The Burning"
-Laurence Fishburne in "A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors"
-Dana Carvey in "Halloween 2" (as a news cameraman)

There`s more, they`ll come to me....

[Draven2277]

Originally posted by deadeye
I've been trying to think of mainstream celebrities who were in horror films early in their careers. Who I've come up with so far (not many)...

Johnny Depp--Nightmare on Elm Street. And god bless him for returning to horror movies once in a while, ala The Ninth Gate.

Nicole Kidman--Dead Calm. The wife of Sam Neill and terrorized on a boat by Billy Zane.

Meg Ryan--Amityville 3D. Walk on part as Lori Laughlin's friend.

Kevin Bacon--Friday the 13th. And good to see him in Stir of Echoes and The Hollowman. Also for swingin' that shwang in Wild Things.

And I guess you can count Jamie Lee Curtis for Halloween, although I don't remember how big of a star she was before this movie, and being the child of 2 celebrities, I don't think you can count her as unknown.

Give me some others, y'all


"Halloween" was Jamie's first film, and she still mentions John Carpenter in her interviews today, stating that she wouldn't be where she is now if it weren't for him!

[deadeye]

Okay, here's another: Steve McQueen, The Blob.

[Cabrini Green]

Jack Nicholson started in pictures with Roger Corman’s Little Shop of Horrors, The Raven, & The Terror.

[teenkiller]

Jennifer Aniston got a career boost with The Leprechaun. Dicaprio's first film was Critters 3. Well thats all for now GOoD JOURNEY my fellow schmoes.

[!MorganOnyx!]

SAM ROCKWELL star of films like CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND, MATCHSTICK MEN, THE GREEN MILE, CHARLIE'S ANGELS, GALAXY QUEST etc made his first film appearance in CLOWNHOUSE at the age of 17.

[!MorganOnyx!]

Oh, CHRISTIAN SLATER in TWISTED.

[Kaos]

Originally posted by Elgyn
-Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter (or was it Helen Hunt?) and Fisher Stevens in "The Burning"

You were right the first time, it's Holly Hunter who had a small part in The Burning, she played Sophie.

[Klownzilla]

Naomi Watts, Charlize Theron and Eva Mendes had parts in Children of the Corn sequels.

[!MorganOnyx!]

KLOWNZILLA -

Yeah good call bro, the gorgeous hottie that is EVA MENDES was in the awful CHILDREN OF THE CORN V.

[NuclearMisfit]

Clint Eastwoods first films was in Revenge of the Creature of the Black Lagoon and Tarantula both movies came out in 1955 and he was a hired extra.

[spacemonkey]

Lets not forget Renee Zelweger and Mathew McConaughey both getting their first feature film roles (as extras) in the horror comedy My Boyfriends Back, they also ended up working together on a much larger scale in Texas Chainsaw The Next Generation.

[Klownzilla]

Jennifer Connelly was in Argento's Phenomena. And just a few weeks ago, she graced the cover of Entertainment Weekly along with Watts and Theron. One of EW's best!

[Jack_Cheze]

Amanda Bearse (Married with Children) was in "Fright Night", ok she's a has been now but she used to be in a hit show

[Nekroman]

Bill Paxton starred in Mortuary and Night Warning during the early 80's. I thought of him right off the bat since I watched Night Warning last week.
David Copperfield was in Terror Train.
That's all I can think of right now.

[ERIN_LoJ]

Patricia Arquette in Nightmare on Elm St 3 (Dont think she's been mentioned, if so my eye overlooked her, I'm skimming fast :D )

Meg Ryan in Amityville 2 (or was it 3?)

Not sure if it was her first but Barrymore in Cats Eye and Firestarter

[Kaos]

Originally posted by ERIN_LoJ
Not sure if it was her first but Barrymore in Cats Eye and Firestarter

No, she was in Altered States and E.T. before Firestarter.

[deadeye]

I forgot about Brad Pitt in Cutting Class. I hear he hates that film now and wishes it didn't exist.

[spacemonkey]

Originally posted by ERIN_LoJ

Meg Ryan in Amityville 2 (or was it 3?)


It was on part III. She was the rebellious young teenager who was interested in the house's gruesome supernatural past. She also organizes a quija board session in which the contact "the demon".

[pyscho dude]

Wasn't Species Natasha Hendstridge's first film?

[spacemonkey]

Yep it was.

[darchangel]

how about Laurence Fishburne in ANOES 3? i don't know if it was his first film, but it had to be one of the first seeing as how he's listed in the credits as Larry Fishburne...


Death to Beth

~darchangel~

[saintofscars]

Didn't John Travolta first appear in Carrie?

[Duke Nukem]

Tom Hanks film debut was a small role in 1980's "He Knows You're Alone," one of the many Halloween/Friday The 13th knock-offs in early 80's.

[Cabrini Green]

Originally posted by saintofscars
Didn't John Travolta first appear in Carrie?

Travolta had a small roll in Robert Fuest’s horror movie The Devil’s Rain before Carrie. Also that was around the time Welcome Back Kotter started too.

[Andrew Tom]

I wouldn't probably count Laurence "Larry" Fishburne in this thread, since he did get his big start with Apocalypse Now!. Granted he wasn't a huge star after that, but neither was he a huge star after NOES3. Not to knock of anything from NOES3 it's a great movie.

[darchangel]

jebus god, andrew tom...is your avatar what i THINK it is???

could it be????


GOTHIC LILY IN LEGEND????


Death to Beth

~darchangel~

[IamNoOne666]

Demi Moore starred in a movie called Parasite. I think it was her first. very low budget and very crappy.

[Jason13thh]

Tom Hanks in He Knows You Are Alone (slasher, short role)
Brook Shield in Alice Sweet Alice (slasher, short role)
David Copperfield in Terror Train (slasher)
Holly Hunter and Jason Alexander in The Burning (slasher, short role)
Georges Clooney in Return To Horror High (slasher, short role)
Kevin Bacon in F13th (slasher)

[deadeye]

Just checked my facts before coming up with this one:

Kim McKamy, aka Ashlyn Gere porn star in Evil Laugh. The funny part is that she used a body double in Evil Laugh because at this point in her career she did not "do" nudity.

Sharon Stone in Deadly Blessings.

[spacemonkey]

Hey also:

Alicia Silverstone on The Crush

David Arquette: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Movie

Mathew Lillard: Ghoulies 3: Ghoulies go to College

[Elgyn]

Originally posted by Andrew Tom
I wouldn't probably count Laurence "Larry" Fishburne in this thread, since he did get his big start with Apocalypse Now!. Granted he wasn't a huge star after that, but neither was he a huge star after NOES3. Not to knock of anything from NOES3 it's a great movie.

I didn`t even know he was in "Apocalypse Now"! And I`ve seen that movie a couple times.

[!MorganOnyx!]

Yo I really want to see that TOM HANKS slasher HE KNOWS YOU'RE ALONE!! You would have thought they'd release it on dvd and sell a few units just by advertising that he's in it!!! (Just like LEONARDO DICAPRIO on the front of CRITTERS 3 LOL!)

[Jason13thh]

As written above he has a tiny role, so.

[Andrew Tom]

Originally posted by darchangel
jebus god, andrew tom...is your avatar what i THINK it is???

could it be????


GOTHIC LILY IN LEGEND????


Death to Beth

~darchangel~

Why , yes it is. Thank you for noticing...

[*Escapade*]

Leslie Nielsen starred in PROM NIGHT (not sure if it's his actual first movie or not)

[neco82]

Kevin Costner was also in an early horror movie. Can't remember the name though, I just hope he died in it.

[Cabrini Green]

Originally posted by *Escapade*
Leslie Nielsen starred in PROM NIGHT (not sure if it's his actual first movie or not)

Nielson was in a handful of other horror films before Prom Night. The rare Dark Intruder that started out as a TV pilot and I have been trying to find and Girdler’s Day of the Animals were he plays a hiker that goes berserk and wrestles a bear. Truly one of the best over the top performances seen in horror. His career started in the late fifties I believe.

[saintofscars]

Just watched Anaconda!!! That featured Jennifer Lopez before she got really famous. Doubt if she'll be in the sequel!! It also had Owen Wilson... he might be up for it!!!!!!!!

PS I want to be Jon Voight when I grow up!;)

[slasherfan]

Kevin Costner was in Shadows Run Black
George Clooney was in Return Of The Killer Tomatoes
Joe Pantoliano, Daryl Hannah and Rachael Ward where in The Final Terror (Directed by Andrew Davis)
Tony Goldwin in Friday The 13th part 6.
Angela Bassett in Critters 4
James Camron directed Pirhana 2

[deadeye]

okay, here's another one--Jack Black in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

[Duke Nukem]

Originally posted by deadeye
okay, here's another one--Jack Black in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.

Sorry. Jack Black was in 1997's "The Jackel" with Bruce Willis as a minor character.

[slasherfan]

Actully Jack Black started out in The Never Ending Story 3.