One of Freddy Kreuger's first-ever victims was none other than Johnny Depp (well, a character played by him in 1984 rather). Legendary actor Leonardo DiCaprio's first feature film credit was 1991's Critters 3. Through the prolific, low-budget universe of the horror film genre, many a famous foot has tread.
Below, more specifically and intriguing, are a set of comedy actors who have appeared in horror movies. They've turned their smile upside-down, so to speak. Finally and most notably, these characters are not victims or bystanders like Depp and DiCaprio played. The following comedy actors truly made a turn and went full frightening for these (mostly) scary flicks.
Tim Curry in IT
One of Stephen King's most famous books amid a legendary career is It, the tale of the terrifying Pennywise. He is really an immortal shape-shifting being who has terrorized a small town for generations. In this 1990 TV series, American treasure Tim Curry became part of that shape.
The veritable eccentric of titles like The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Clue, Curry's lively-yet-oddball "humor" is translated into pure viciousness for this all-time scary character. Behold, the concept of the scary clown
Jonah Hill in Maniac
Triumphantly re-pairing a duo from perhaps the predominant laugh-out-loud comedy of the 2000s, Netflix tapped Jonah Hill and Emma Stone to star in the 2018 psychological thriller Maniac.
Expectedly, many of the following entries will demonstrate how comedy-to-horror is a step further than comedy-to-drama. For Hill, a multiple-Oscar nominee by 2018, the transition was smooth and critically-acclaimed. As an on-the-verge schizophrenic, he is as tense as some of his former characters have been loose.
Ryan Reynolds in The Amityville Horror
The Amityville Horror is among the best in the familiar class of possessed house movies. In both the 1979 original and this 2005 remake, the poor Lutz family moves into a fixer-upper with a demonic past. Sure enough, it's not long before patriarch George has turned on his family most violently.
As George, Ryan Reynolds is just a tad too handsome to be truly terrifying. When he dutifully recreates the intimidating wood-chopping scene from the original, all focus is on his figure rather than his ominously changing character.
Vince Vaughn in Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock's films are very rarely remade, arguably for the good reason that he is one of the greatest directors of all-time. In 1998, avant-garde sensation Gus Van Sant took his shot with a Vince Vaughn-starring adaptation of Psycho.
At this point in his career, Vaughn was not at all associated with only laughs. Still, the entire project was something of a bold move, and history has regarded it as such (per an IMDb score of 4.6 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 38%).
Will Poulter in Midsommar
Throughout most of Midsommar, Will Poulter's obnoxious character Mark can be counted among the innocent victims of the nefarious element present at a Swedish holiday weekend. But there is a single shot in a single dream sequence scene that is enough to land him on this scare-er (vs. scare-ee) list.
The secret of Midsommar is that it takes place from Dani's (Florence Pugh) perspective in which everyone and everything are potential antagonists. This explains why, according to some, the ending is a happy one.
Jim Carrey in The Number 23
While primarily known as an all-out goofball, Jim Carrey has done well to stretch his career when called upon. Classic performances in films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Truman Show, and Man on the Moon proved his straight-face chops long before 2007's The Number 23.
But was going full maniac, rather than muted dark comic, a step too far for Carrey? The film is mostly forgotten today. If anything, that may be due to the recycled double-identity plot than his legitimately eerie performance.
Tim Heidecker in Us
The comedic mind of Tim Heidecker is like no other in the business. As part of the weird and wacky Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, he announced himself as offbeat. In stunts like a multi-day mock murder trial in 2017, he solidified it.
It's no surprise up-and-coming auteur Jordan Peele recognized this singular mind and tapped into it for his sophomore film Us. Heidecker's character is arguably a protagonist at the film's outset, but of course, everyone has an alter ego, Peele would venture.
John Goodman in 10 Cloverfield Lane
If the filmmakers of the beloved horror genre can be commended for one thing, it's making anything scary. Children, dolls, carnivals, puppy dogs – they are all scary. Now consider the schlubby and loveable John Goodman, of television's Roseanne and, often, Saturday Night Live.
Sure enough, Goodman is turned into a cruel captor, in a film whose primary antagonist is a gigantic space monster, no less. If this movie had not come out but one year after the Oscar-winning abduction thriller Room, it, and Goodman's performance, may have proved even more compelling.
Matthew Lillard in Scream
An inevitable mention in any study of the intersection of comedy and horror is Wes Craven's Scream. While not as outright outrageous as the Scary Movie series or even Cabin in the Woods, it is undoubtedly a satire (albeit a genuinely scary one).
For much of the film, Lillard is a perfect zany juxtaposition to Skeet Ulrich's soap opera intensity. By the final scene, however, it's up for grabs which character is more menacing.
Jack Nicholson in The Shining
While not explicitly a comedy actor (whatever that means), Jack Nicholson is wide-renowned for his gift of gab, and in fact, has brought it to just about every role in his career. That includes even this Stanley Kubrick horror classic.
As writer-gone-mad Jack Torrance, Nicholson put on one of the most famous film performances of all time. His bombastic antics, most often played for comedy, suit the deranged character perfectly. He terrifies his family, generations of audiences, and does it all with a smile.