Vincent Price, Robert Englund, and Christopher Lee are all names associated with monsters, maniacs, and madmen of the silver screen. Actors like those mentioned have made their careers on scaring the living daylights out of audiences everywhere starring as iconic horror villains. But, just because they're known for slipping on bladed gloves, donning garish makeup, or biting the necks of beautiful damsels in horror adaptations of the '30s that are still scary to this day doesn't mean they're one-trick-ponies.
Many of horror's greatest performers have starred in award-winning films, beloved video game franchises, and binge-worthy TV shows throughout their blood-splattered legacies. While their frightening feats have earned them much acclaim, their other roles deserve just as much praise.
10 Boris Karloff - The Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
Boris Karloff made the role of Frankenstein's Monster a film legend, he stalked stranded guests in The Old Dark House, and he had a friendly rivalry with Bela Lugosi, but Karloff the Uncanny was known for much more than a bolted neck and a few terrified villagers. Just ask the Whos down in Whoville.
Before the likes of Carey and Cumberbatch brought the character to life, Boris Karloff was the original Grinch in the animated version of Dr. Seuss's Christmas classic. His otherworldly yet somehow soothing voice has elated viewers and listeners every holiday season and is as associated with the Grinch as he is his monstrous alter ego.
9 Vincent Price - Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective)
Vincent Price has a laundry list of roles both in and out of the horror genre, but, if there is one role of his that deserves more acclaim, it's that of the World's Greatest Criminal Mind. He's portrayed a mutant fly, the Invisible Man, and even the devil himself, but a Disney role will make anyone immortal.
Price's biggest strength in any of his roles is simply how much he clearly enjoys what he's doing, and no role better demonstrates that than Professor Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective. Like his actor, Ratigan is absolutely giddy with his dastardly deeds, a frame of mind the actor knows all too well. It's always wonderful when someone loves their job.
8 Christopher Lee - Saruman (The Lord of the Rings)
Christopher Lee has plenty of horror roles, but he holds a record for playing Count Dracula more than any other actor out there, often alongside the legendary Peter Cushing. But, even in the realms of horror, Christopher Lee is known for a multitude of roles that display his phenomenal film presence. But there is perhaps one role that will make him live on even longer than Dracula.
Saruman The White is one of the most intimidating magical villains in all of fantasy, and he wouldn't be the icon he is without the thundering voice and mystical persona of Christopher Lee. It's not easy to make a staff and bright white robe daunting, but no one else would be able to pull it off.
7 Lance Henriksen - Fleet Admiral Steven Hackett (Mass Effect)
Lance Henriksen has definitely made his mark on the horror genre in films like the Pumpkin Head series, Gingerclown, and more, but he's perhaps more at home in the annals of science fiction. Granted, those entries are mostly in the Alien franchise, but Henriksen has done much more than portraying robots and the face of Weyland/Yutani.
Bioware will almost always be associated with story-heavy RPGs, but Mass Effect is home to a galaxy of stars and celebrity voices, as well. Henriksen portrays Admiral Steven Hackett, one of the highest officers in Mass Effect 3, proving that he still knows how to take a commanding role in a sci-fi epic.
6 Brad Dourif - Billy Bibbit (One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest)
Before he was possessing redheaded dolls in Chuky, sharing a body with the Gemini Killer, and a whole other list of unsavory activities with more than dangerous characters, Brad Dourif was nominated for an academy award. This means Chucky technically has an Oscar nod under his belt.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest might have won Jack Nicholson plenty of acclaim, but it also put Dourif on the map with his portrayal of the tragic Billy Bibbit. Before he had his own body count, he was the most famous victim of Nurse Ratched in the Ken Kesey classic.
5 Keith David - Goliath (Gargoyles)
Keith David has been involved with several iconic action-horror films, undertaking such roles as Spawn and the devil in Tales From The Hood 2, just to hit a couple of highlights. But, along with films like They Live and The Thing, David has made a name for himself playing the hero as much as the monster, sometimes even both.
Gargoyles was Disney's answer to Batman, and Keith David stands out in the starring role as Goliath, the leader of the gargoyle clan. It easily takes the top spot in David's filmography, and the series is one of the most beloved products of the '90s.
4 Doug Jones - Captain Saru (Star Trek: Discovery)
If there was a record for actors who played monsters over and over again, Doug Jones is the heavyweight champion. Everything from cryptic fauns, eyeless ogres, demons, elemental entities, and more have graced this man's decorated career. A master of creature features on the big screen, the actor has also made a name for himself at the far reaches of the galaxy.
When he's not playing horrifying or benevolent behemoths, Jones plays the Kelpien Starfleet officer, Captain Saru in Star Trek: Discovery. Bringing to mind similar officers like Spock and Data, Doug Jones is perfect for the role of the nervous yet ambitious alien captain.
3 Daveigh Chase - Lilo (Lilo And Stitch)
The Ring was one of the most iconic horror movies of the 2000s, and it made dozens of viewers afraid of VHS tapes for years. This was undoubtedly thanks to the performance from Daveigh Chase as the sinister Samara that came creeping out of the video screens. Horror fans know Chase as the evil spirit of a drowned girl, but younger viewers have seen her somewhere a bit more welcoming.
As shocking as it might appear, Daveigh Chase was hanging out with a certain blue-furred extra-terrestrial before she was oozing out of TV sets, providing the voice of Lilo from Lilo and Stitch. Although the actress has gone on to more projects, including video games and short films, her time with Stitch has been remembered well after the days of VHS.
2 Malcolm McDowell - Thomas Pembridge (Mozart In The Jungle)
Malcolm McDowell is one of the most underrated English actors working today, and his breakout role as Alex DeLarge from Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange will forever remain a piece of film history. But, his impact on the horror genre is just as big as his acting talent, having worked on various projects including Tales From The Crypt, and a handful of Rob Zombie horror films including Halloween and 31.
McDowell's gift for playing expressive, intelligent, and eccentric characters definitely gives him an upper hand when playing characters like the over-the-top Maestro Thomas Pembridge from Amazon's Mozart In The Jungle. He's practically the prime example of the phrase "mad genius."
1 Robert Englund - The Scarecrow (Injustice 2)
Freddy Kreuger and his many one-liners will forever and always be tied to Robert Englund despite his appearances in other films, genres, and projects. It's the role that made him an icon of the horror genre, and one of the most recognized creature performers in the business. But, there's one other role that Englund was simply born to play, and it's hard to believe it didn't happen sooner.
Injustice 2 brought the terror of Gotham into DC's fighting series by introducing the Scarecrow into the roster. Who else could play a villain that uses fears, phobias, and nightmares as weapons better than the man behind Freddy Krueger himself? All he's missing is the needle glove from the Arkham Asylum games.
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