While the many of the big stars of Hollywood wouldn’t want their name associated with the latest teen slasher movie or the latest edition of a horror franchise today, it was horror films that gave many of them their early breakthrough in the movie business. Here are some of those big movie stars who you probably never realised have appeared in horror movies.
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John Travolta Was In Carrie
In the 1976 classic film adaptation of Stephen king’s Carrie, John Travolta makes an appearance as Billy Nolan, the boyfriend of Chris Hargensen, Carrie’s classmate who plans the fateful prom night prank. Egged on by Chris, it is Billy Nolan, who slaughters the pig for the bucket of blood that eventually falls on Carrie and triggers her wrath. Chris Hargensen eventually pays the price for the disastrous prank in the spectacular exploding car sequence below. This was only John Travolta’s second role in films; his next was to be The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, followed by Saturday Night Fever.
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Jennifer Aniston Was In Leprechaun
Before Jennifer Aniston found fame in playing Rachel Green in Friends, she made her film debut in the 1983 fantasy/slasher horror film Leprechaun. In the film, Warwick Davis played the vengeful leprechaun who takes out his revenge on a family that he believes has stolen his pot of gold. Jennifer Anniston played the part of Tory Redding, a teenager who becomes a target for the murderous little Irish fella. Leprechaun was hardly what you would call a horror film classic, but it is good fun and it spawned six sequels.
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Kevin Bacon Was In Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th was the 4th film that Kevin Bacon had appeared and in this famous 1980 slasher film, Kevin Bacon played one of the hapless victims of Jason at Camp Crystal Lake. Now a cult classic horror film, The Friday the 13th film was the catalysts for twelve sequels, but poor old Kev came to a grisly end in the original Friday the 13th, as you can see below.
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Jack Black Was In I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
I Know What You Did Last Summer’s vengeful fisherman Ben Willis returned with his deadly hook for second slasher putting in the horror sequel, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, which was released in 1998. In this outing of the slasher classic, Jack Bank makes a brief and uncredited appearance as pool boy Titus Telesco who meets his maker, thanks to a pair of garden shears. Watch Jack Black get cut down to size below!
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Leonardo DiCaprio Was In Critters 3
Leonardo DiCaprio made his screen debut in the science fiction horror comedy film Critters 3. There’s not really much one can say about Critters 3, other than, at least Leonardo DiCaprio went onto to better things! Here’s the immortal moment that Leonardo DiCaprio spoke his first ever onscreen line in Critter 3.
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Macaulay Culkin Was In Jacob's Ladder
In between Uncle Buck and Home Alone, Macaulay Culkin appeared in the 1990 American psychological horror film Jacobs Ladder, which also starred Tim Robins in the lead role of Jacob "Professor" Singer. Tim Robbins later played Andy Dufresne in the hugely successful 1994 film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption. Macaulay Culkin played the role of Gabe Singer, Jacob’s young son. Despite the pivotal role that young Gabe plays in the story of Jacob’s ladder, for some reason, Macaulay Culkin wasn’t credited for the part.
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Tom Hanks Was In He Knows You're Alone
Tom Hanks’ appearance in the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s The Green Mile wasn’t the first horror movie that the now celebrated actor had; his very first onscreen role was in the 1980 American slasher film, He Knows You're Alone. Tom Hanks played the role of psychology student Elliot, who makes a brief appearance jogging along a forest trail. It was his next film, Splash, which set Tom Hanks well and truly on the path to stardom.
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George Clooney Was In Return of the Killer Tomatoes
No, seriously, George Clooney starred in the 1988 American comedy horror film Return of the Killer Tomatoes. It was his 5th film appearance, after which he went to make far lower quality films, such as O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Ocean's Eleven, Gravity, The Monuments Men, and Nespresso ads. Quite obviously, Return of the Killer Tomatoes was the pinnacle of George Clooney’s career, and it all went downhill from there. Here’s a clip of George Clooney’s stunning portrayal of Matt Stevens in Return of the Killer Tomatoes.
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Meg Ryan Was In Amityville 3-D
Meg Ryan’s 2nd appearance on the big screen was in the 1983 American supernatural horror film Amityville 3-D, which was also known as Amityville III: The Demon. Chosen by many people as one of the worst films of 1983, Amityville 3-D won’t go down in history as a horror classic, but surely it can’t be as embarrassing as having Return of the Killer Tomatoes on your resume, can it?
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Brad Pitt Was In Cutting Class
In 1989, Brad Pitt appeared in the comedy slasher horror film Cutting class. Pitt pays Dwight Ingalls, a local high school basketball star, who gets caught up in a messy love triangle with Paula Carson (Jill Schoelen) and the school “problem teen”, Brian Woods (Donovan Leitch), who has recently been released from a physiatrist hospital. Cutting Class was Brad Pitt’s 7th onscreen appearance and his first major role.
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Johnny Depp Was In A Nightmare on Elm Street
Johnny Depp’s first ever feature film role was in the classic Wes Craven horror movie A Nightmare on Elm Street. Johnny Depp played the part of Glen Lantz, one of the teenagers who faced Freddy Kruger in their nightmares. Check out Johnny Depp’s famous death in A Nightmare on Elm Street below.
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