Iconic Horror Characters Responsible For Our Nightmares, And The Actors Portraying Them

Every horror enthusiast was at some point interested in what the character they see on the screen looks like in real life. Individual people monsters,  or bloodthirsty killers, hide their face under a ton of make-up and you more often than not, you wouldn't be able to recognise them in public. 

Samara  |  Daveigh Chase

The 26-year-old actress has made several films, but became notoriously famous thanks to her role as Samara in the horror Ring by Gor Verbinsky. She entered the film industry at the age of seven and you could have seen her in films like Donnie Darko or Artificial Intelligence: AI (both from 2001). 

Jason Voorhees  |  Ari Lehman 

Today, Jason is an iconic character whom the Paramount studio recently tried to bring back. The new Friday the 13th was stopped just a few weeks before it started filming, but given the quality of today's horror movies, it's might be a good thing they did not bring it back. Jason was played by several actors, but Ari was the first one to audition, and got the role as soon as he showed his talent. He was only 15 at the time, but 180 centimeters tall.

Freddy Krueger  |  Robert Englund

Nightmare on Elm Street is around the same level as the aforementioned Friday the 13th. The role of serial killer Freddy has become the most significant part of Robert's career. He played the main character eight times and today, he plays smaller roles in horror films. However, you won't see him in the latest film from 2010. Freddy also appeared in an episode of Rick and Morty.

Valak  |  Bonnie Aarons

Every James Wan fan knows the demonic nun from the sequel to Conjuring.  It must be acknowledged, that the actress Bonnie Aarons portrayed the nun extremely well and managed to give chills even to the toughest of viewers. Of course, credit should also be given to talented make-up artists. In addition to horror movies, you can find Bonnie excelling in comedy films.

Pennywise  |  Tim Curry

The vicious clown from the horror series It gives peoples nightmares. A relatively famous actor, singer and musician, Tim Curry, got to portray the clown. An illness confined him to a wheelchair a few years ago, however, even that did not deter Tim from composing music and he pursuing his hobbies. We can now also watch a reboot of the It story, with the charming Bill Skarsgård wearing the notorious clown make-up.

Bughuul / Mr. Boogie  |  Nicholas King

One of the newer characters in the world of horror cinema.  As for the spooky Bughuul, you probably know, that he films his victims as they die. Although the individual videos do not look too scary, with the undertone of depressing music, they get stuck in the viewer's head. These days, Nicholas is more of a stuntman than an actor.

Leprechaun  |  Warwick Davis

Warwick is one of Hollywood's most famous actors. His height may be only 108 centimeters but his talent landed him roles in some very successful films, such as Harry Potter, Star Wars and Leprechaun.

Pinhead  |  Doug Bradley

Like the aforementioned Robert Englund, Doug Bradley played a horror icon, eight times in a row. Hellraiser fans can't imagine anyone else in the role of this killer. No wonder it stuck with Doug for life. The actor tried to star in different projects, but nowhere did he excel as much as he did in this role.

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Leatherface  |  Gunnar Hansen

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a well-known bloodbath with several reboots. Seven actors took on the role of the killer, but the greatest credit goes to Gunnar Hansen, who breathed life into this character as early as 1974, when it hit the movie screens.

Michael Myers  |  Nick Castle

Halloween (1978) can also be described as a popular classic, worth rewatching even today. Nick, who plays the main antagonist, no longer acts today, but instead, makes his own films and writes screenplays.