Do you ever wonder how your favorite actors started their acting careers and became the huge celebrities they are today? Some of them had to work really hard and act in super cheesy horror movies to get to where they are now. While not all of the old horror movies are cheesy (a few of them are pretty scary even now), most of them will just make you giggle.
Horror movies like Psycho Beach Party, Critters, and My Boyfriend’s Back are some of the best examples of cheesy horror movies. They probably won’t even make you jump, but they did introduce us to some of the greatest actors of our lifetime. From Jennifer Aniston to Leonardo DiCaprio, here are 10 a-list actors who got their start in horror movies.
10 Amy Adams
Amy Adams is one of the most popular and most frequently Oscar-nominated actresses in Hollywood. She just starred in a new hit called The Woman in the Window, which made the top ten movies on Netflix. She’s also known for her roles in Arrival and Enchanted. Most people don’t know that the famous actress got her start in the cheesy horror movie, Psycho Beach Party.
9 Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace Moretz is another popular actress in Hollywood. She was only about eight-years-old when she began her career with the horror movie, The Amityville Horror. “The 2005 reboot of the horror classic was her first feature film role. She starred alongside then up-and-coming actor Ryan Reynolds,” according to Insider. Chloë has been in a couple horror movies since then, including Greta and the 2013 version of Carrie.
8 Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd gained his popularity by starring in hilarious comedy movies such as I Love You, Man, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up. Even though he’s had a lot of success in comedy, horror movies are what launched his career. According to ScreenRant, “Before he became America’s sweetheart, the lovable Paul Rudd would start his career by starring in the critically panned Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers. This fifth sequel to the long-running franchise was a production nightmare, and the final product shows it… While this movie was a failure, Rudd would find fame later that year for his role in Clueless.”
7 Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp is famous for his roles in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland, and the Pirates of the Carribean series. He mostly stars in adventure and fantasy movies now, but his first big movie was a horror movie. “Nightmare On Elm Street is a horror classic in so many ways. It also introduced the world to Johnny Depp, one of the most unique and talented actors of this generation,” according to ScreenRant. He plays Glen who is the boyfriend of the iconic main character, Nancy.
6 Matthew McConaughey
Matthew McConaughey has been the heartthrob in a lot of romantic comedies, including How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Failure to Launch. But he was in the horror movie, My Boyfriend's Back, before anybody knew who he was. According to Insider, “Before his breakout role in Dazed and Confused, McConaughey had a minor role as ‘Guy #2’ in this '90s horror comedy.”
5 Seth Rogen
Along with Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen is another famous actor who’s known for his roles in comedy movies. They both starred in Knocked Up and The 40-Year-Old Virgin together. Seth has been in a lot of other movies as well, including the horror film, Donnie Darko, which was one of his first acting roles. According to ScreenRant, “While he did have his start in the short-lived Freaks and Geeks TV series, his first movie role would be in the 2001 horror/sci-fi cult hit, Donnie Darko, where he plays your typical high school bully. The character of Ricky isn’t that crucial to the plot and Rogen received very little screen time.”
4 Leonardo DiCaprio
Every Titanic fan knows who Leonardo DiCaprio is. Before he was in the ultimate love story, he was in a low budget horror movie when he was 17. According to ScreenRant, “While he may be one of the greatest actors working today, Leonardo DiCaprio actually had his film debut as Josh in Critters 3, a direct-to-video sequel to the horror-comedy series. The only thing he had done prior to this was an uncredited role in Roseanne.”
3 Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck usually does drama and thriller movies, but he made a cameo in Buffy The Vampire Slayer when he was first starting out. “Not to be confused with the popular TV show, one of Affleck's first roles on the big screen lasted for mere seconds in this early-'90s horror film,” according to Insider. It was also Hilary Swank’s first feature film, but she had a much bigger role than Ben and played Kimberly Hannah, who was one of Buffy’s friends.
2 Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl has made her name in Hollywood by starring in several romantic comedies, such as 27 Dresses, Killers, The Ugly Truth, and Knocked Up. One of her first huge roles was surprisingly in a horror movie. She played Jade in the Bride of Chucky, who gets taken hostage by Chucky and Tiffany (Chucky’s bride) with her boyfriend.
1 Jennifer Aniston
If you haven’t seen the horror movie, Leprechaun, you probably didn’t know that Jennifer Aniston didn’t start her successful acting career on Friends. It turns out she was Tory before she was Rachel. According to Insider, “Before nabbing her iconic role as Rachel on Friends, Aniston made her film debut as the leading lady in this now fan-favorite film about a vengeful leprechaun looking for his stolen pot of gold.”