What makes for a great performance in horror films? Is it simply creating an iconic character? Or is there much more to it than that? When it comes to male actors, they need to have a ruthless, imposing presence, while also displaying at least a small amount of vulnerability. Being able to relate to, at least in part, and sympathize with their plight goes a long way in creating a memorable role.
In part one, we took a look back at some of the greatest acting performances by females in horror films. Now we examine some of the very best work in horror by males. Often cast as villains and killers, their roles and motivations differ quite a bit from the women in horror. Here then, in no particular order, are the 10 Greatest Male Performances In Horror Film History.
Bruce Campbell - The Evil Dead
Although he had appeared in a handful of films (mostly shorts) prior to starring in The Evil Dead, it was Sam Raimi’s 1981 supernatural horror flick that launched the careers of both men. Produced on a shoestring budget of around $350,000, The Evil Dead would go on to gross nearly $2.7 million worldwide and become a massive cult hit.
Although it was the extreme, and quite frankly comical, gore and violence that had people talking after its release, Campbell’s charisma and over-the-top performance truly made the film memorable and created one of the most unforgettable roles in film history, launching one of the unlikeliest of franchises.
Kurt Russell - The Thing
In what was the third of his five collaborations with John Carpenter, Kurt Russell gave an unforgettable performance in what is considered by many to be the greatest remake in horror movie history.
The ultra-charismatic Russell, who had played Elvis Presley and Snake Plisskin previously, shines as R.J. MacReady, a helicopter pilot investigating a number of unusual deaths at an Antarctic research base. Dripping with paranoia and suspense, the film never lets up. Russell leads the charge to discover what the other-worldly title creature is and how to stop it.
Boris Karloff - Frankenstein
Making his film debut in 1919’s The Lightning Raider, Boris Karloff would go on to appear in over 200 films. He starred in classic films such as The Mummy, the original Scarface, and The Mask of Fu Manchu, but it was his star turn as The Monster in 1931’s Frankenstein that solidified Karloff’s place in film history and created an iconic monster.
Based on Mary Shelley’s book of the same name, it was Karloff’s performance and look that became forever linked to Frankenstein’s monster.
Anthony Perkins - Psycho
In the 60 years since Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho first terrorized audiences worldwide, there have been countless imitations and attempts to recreate the magic of the film. A precursor to what would become known as the “slasher” subgenre, Hitchcock’s use of music and misdirection in Psycho created the template for multiple generations of filmmakers.
Anthony Perkins’s performance as Norman Bates played a big role in the film’s success, as he brilliantly portrayed the deceptively meek Bates and his fractured psyche’s alter ego, Bates’s own (deceased) mother. Based in part on real-life killer Ed Gein, Perkins made the role his own and created a legendary character in the process, unfortunately to the detriment of his acting career due to typecasting.
Ted Levine - The Silence Of The Lambs
At the time of its release, Anthony Hopkins received much of the praise and attention for his performance as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. While he was excellent, no doubt, Hopkins’ Oscar-winning turn was too obvious a choice for this list.
However, in the 29 years since, much of the attention and acclaim has gone to the film’s true villain, Jame Gumb, also known as “Buffalo Bill.” Brilliantly portrayed by Ted Levine, Gumb’s unmistakable drawl and iconic lines such as “It puts the lotion in the basket” (not to mention “the dance” that scarred many a viewer) have made the character just as memorable, if not more so, as Hopkins’s Lecter and one that will endure for decades to come.
Gunnar Hansen - The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
How do you make an impression without ever showing your face or uttering a single word? This has been accomplished many times in horror over the past five decades, most notably with silent psychopaths Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees. But it was Gunner Hansen’s performance as Leatherface that laid the groundwork for all the quiet killers to come.
Imposing and completely terrifying, Hansen also imbued Leatherface with a vulnerability rarely seen in modern monsters. He created a unique character that helped The Texas Chainsaw Massacre become a macabre masterpiece and was the first of the iconic slashers that we take for granted today.
Michael Rooker - Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer
First released on the film festival circuit in 1986, the highly controversial film kicked around for four years before finally being picked up for distribution in 1990. Initially rated “X” by the MPAA, the version that eventually got released was unrated.
Michael Rooker, now know for playing Yondu in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, played brooding killer Henry. Although the idea for the character was based in part on real-life serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, Rooker made the part his own, staying in character throughout the entire shoot, on-set and off. Despite the uproar over the film for its graphic depictions of rape and violence, the film was a huge critical hit and became a massive cult favorite, much of that due to the incredible work of Rooker.
Jack Nicholson - The Shining
One of the most powerful performances in film history, Nicholson elevated the role of Jack Torrance to another level in Stanley Kubrick’s classic The Shining.
Although he played the character a little different from how Stephen King wrote him, with the insanity creeping in earlier than in the novel, Nicholson nevertheless gives a masterful performance as father/husband Jack Torrance descends into complete madness. Even though the three-time Academy Award winner didn’t receive an Oscar nomination for The Shining, it may be the best of Nicholson’s career.
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out
The surprise hit of 2017, Get Out deals with issues of cultural envy, oppression, slavery, and racial ignorance and indifference. Jordan Peele’s directorial debut earned the writer-director-producer three Academy Award nominations, Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay, for which he won.
The film also earned a fourth nomination in the Best Actor category for Daniel Kaluuya’s affecting performance as Chris Washington, a young black man in a relationship with a seemingly loving young white woman, Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). The emotional journey that Kaluuya’s Washington goes through as everything begins to unravel around him during a trip to meet Rose’s parents left an indelible mark on audiences worldwide.
Christopher Lee - Dracula
Before we get to our last selection, honorable mentions go out to Duane Jones (Night of the Living Dead), Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), Brad Douriff (Child’s Play), Tony Todd (Candyman), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th Part VII: A New Blood), Chris Sarandon (Fright Night), Donald Pleasence (Halloween), Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), and Bela Lugosi (Dracula).
While there are multiple vampires on that honorable mentions list, Christopher Lee’s career-defining turn as Dracula in the Hammer Horror films – particularly the first (later retitled Horror of Dracula) – is the definitive portrayal of the Count. Displaying a viciousness and sexuality absent from the earlier films, Lee’s performance as Dracula is one that will forever be considered among the greatest in horror history.
