Horror is one of the most-watched genres when it comes to entertainment. The audience enjoys feeling the fear, in the safety of their homes and surrounded by people in movie theatres. The reason behind it because of human-like the feeling of safe adrenaline.
But one thing to realise that, it takes a lot of efforts to make the audience believe that there exists a demonic spirit, despite knowing that there ain’t exist any. Horror actors and their real faces are completely contrasting from each other.
We will discuss how normal human these actors are, who at least for 3 hours or sometimes there impact last for decades, makes you believe that there exist none more frightening than them.
1. Daveigh Chase
Daveigh is well known for her role of ‘Samara Morgan’ in the scary movie ‘Rings’, released in 2002. She was dressed up in a white dress, with long hairs covering her face.
Her creepy walk to come out of the well is enough for anyone to have goosebumps. And the scene when she comes out of the TV has been copied in various movies. Even after this movie, the culture of Halloween costumes started in many horror movies.
But this horrible ghost in real life is a beautiful girl, also known for giving her voice to the character ‘Lilo’ from the movie ‘ Lilo and Stitch’. Nobody could expect the girl with such a sweet voice can scare anyone.
She is currently 30 and continues to work. This complete difference between her work ignites curiosity to know her among horror actors and their real faces.
2. Bonnie Aarons
Bonnie Aarons is an American actor and writer. She played the character of frightening Nun, also known as the ‘Valak’ in James Wan movie ‘ Conjuring 2’, released in 2017. Behind that heart-stopping makeup of Nun, it was impossible to recognise Bonnie.
The character made a great impact that James Wan decided to make a spin-off of the Valak titled, ‘The Nun’ in 2018. She is one of the most famous antagonists in James Wan’s horror movies series.
She also worked in other horror movies like David Lynch’s ‘ Mulholland Drive’ in 2001 and ‘ Drag Me to Hell’ 2009. She attended acting school in Newyork city.
It was tough for her to make it to the big screen because of her unusual facial features. But she started working in short films and commercials in Europe. She also worked in ‘Princess Diaries’.
3. Gunnar Hansen
The next actor in the list of horror actors and their real faces is Gunnar Hansen. Gunnar Hansen played the role of Leatherface Bubba Sawyer, in American horror film series, ‘ The Texas Chainsaw Massacre’.
Gunnar auditioned for the role in 1973, to get a part-time job and the director selected him for the main lead because of his physical foreman. As it was a low budget film, so Gunnar used to wear the same dirty suit and mask 12 to 16 hours a day, and for 3 weeks continuously.
Even they used real chainsaw, to reduce the cost of special effects. This impactful monster secured 5th position in IGN’s list of top 25 horror movie villains.
Gunnar in real life is an Icelandic actor, director, born in Reykjavik. His family moved to Maine, when he was 5 years old and then to Austin, Texas, at 11. He studied at the University of Texas.
He used to do various part-time jobs, during summer holidays, including a bouncer. Gunnar was 68 when he died in 2015.
4. Bill Skarsgard
Bill Skarsgard surprised the audience with his portrayal of ‘ Pennywise ‘ the scary Clown, in the remake of the movie ‘It’. The Clown dances with terrorising energy, spend time in a sewer.
It’s not only makeup that produces this impact of terror, but the frightening smile, and squinting eyes of the clown. All these features are good enough for anyone to make uncomfortable.
He was deep down in his character that kids used to scare from coming in front of him on the set.
But in reality, Bill is a handsome Swedish guy with a sweet smile, belonging to a family, full of actors including his father Stellan Skarsgard, and brothers Alexander and Gustav.
Before ‘ It ‘ he worked in television horror series ‘Hemlock Grove’. And proving that he is good enough to play highly intense roles, with his charming face. This contrast makes knowing horror actors and their real faces more interesting.
5. Robert Englund
Robert Englund played the character of Freddy Krueger, one of the most famous monsters in Horror movies yet, in Wes Craven movie ‘ A Nightmare on Elm Street . This character first came in front of the audience in 1984.
Freddy Krueger, a monster with blades fixed in his gloves. He kills the teenagers in their dreams, who soon die in real life. This vengeful nature of Freddy is the result of getting burned alive by his parents.
It used to take 3 hours to turn Robert into Freddy. Since 1984 Englund has played the character in 8 movies, with last time in the movie ‘ Freddy vs Jason’.
Robert is a singer, actor, voiceover artist, director, who worked as a villain in many TV series, and movies like Night of the Sinner, The Fun House Massacre. Robert Englund playing Freddy Krueger is exciting enough to be known among horror actors and their real faces.
6. John Carroll Lynch
John Carroll Lynch played the character of ‘ Twisty the Clown’ in a TV series known as ‘ American Horror Story’. ‘ Twisty the Clown’ is a scary looking clown, who used to wear a prosthetic mask to hide his facial disfigurement, caused because of his failed attempt to suicide.
He is a kidnapper and a murderer, who scares the viewers with his broad grinning smile, and dead, empty and murder eyes.
But behind such haunting expression, there was a normal human. John is an American actor and director. He worked in the shows named American Horror Story, Drew Carry Show, and Fargo.
He has also done various movies like Shutter Island, Ted 2, The Invitation. He is one of the best examples of the contrast between horror actors and their real faces.
7. Takako Fuji
Horror actors and their real faces always surprise the audience, similar in the case of Takako Fuji. Takako Fuji is the one who played the iconic character of Kayako Saeki, in the movie ‘ The Grudge’, 2004.
Kayako Saeki, a long-haired girl, who turned into a harmful ghost after getting murdered by her husband. This movie got global recognition and was a big box office hit.
Takako Fuji was born on July 27, 1972, Tokyo. She started her career with Ein Theatrical Company and studied acting at Aoyama Gakuin University.
Her voiceover skill is also recognised worldwide. She gave voice to the protagonist of an Anime movie ‘Princess Mononoke’ in 1997.
But she got huge recognition for her role of Kayako Saeki in the Japanese version of ‘The Grudge’ titled as ‘ Ju-On: The Grudge’.
8. Roberto Campanella
Roberto is a dancer, choreographer who turned out to be a monster named ‘ The Pyramid ‘ for the movie ‘ Silent Hills’ in 2006. The Pyramid is among various monsters in the movie, with a pyramid overhead.
Creature designer Patrick Tatapoulos created this character. He designed a costume that an actor can wear all day long. But still, it used to take 3 to 4 hours for his transformation, and he had to walk on a platform with thick sole shoes.
His costume consisted of 5 parts, which was directly attached to his body. Now he is a guest dance teacher for ballet companies in Canada, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan.
Who can assume that under that pyramid mask is a dancer? A huge difference between the character of horror actors and their real faces.
9. Doug Jones
Doug Jones is another actor to be considered in this collection of horror actors and their real faces. Doug played the role of a monster named ‘ The Pale Man ‘ in Guillermo del Toro’s movie ‘ Pan’s Labyrinth’, released in the year 2006.
The Pale Man was a child-eating demon, who can see only by placing eyeballs in his palm. He was a monster among various monsters in the movie.
Doug Jones has worked with Guillermo del Toro in other movies like Hellboy franchise, Crimson Peak. His skills as a contortionist helped him to look inhuman on screen. He has been working for more than 30 years and worked in about 150 movies.
Even he also played the main lead in the Oscar-winning movie ‘Shape of Water’ in 2017.
10. Nick Castle
Nick Castle is credited for portraying the character of a psychopath wearing kirk mask painted in white. The character was named as ‘Michael Myers’ in the movie ‘Halloween’ released in 1978.
Michael Myers was sent to a mental asylum for killing his own sister on Halloween. He escaped after 12 years and turned into a vengeful murderer.
But the performer, in reality, is a Screenwriter, actor and director, from California. He was paid $25 per day to play the role of Michael Myers.
Nick directed movies such as Dennis the Mennis, Major Payne, the Last Starfighter.
11. Bolaji Badejo
Bolaji was a Nigerian actor and graphics artist, who portrayed an Alien on screen in movie ‘Alien ‘, released in 1979. He because of his big height and long thin arms and legs, get noticed by Peter Archer, director Ridley Scott’s agent, in a US pub.
He found him perfect for the role and invited him for the audition. Bolaji took Taichi classes for learning the gliding movements of the alien, and habits of praying mantis.
Bolaji studied in London to be a graphic artist. After the movie, he went back to Nigeria and started his art gallery. He also started his family. But he lived a short life of only 39 years.
12. Linda Blair
Linda Blair, at the age of only 12 years, played a very intense and dark character whose impact lasted for years, and it continues.
She played ‘Regan Macneil’ in the movie ‘The Exorcist ‘ in 1973. She was selected among 600 kids, who auditioned for the role. This character makes him win the Golden Globe and the People’s Choice Award.
Despite being a kid, she worked in various physically uncomfortable situations in the 70s. It used to take 5 hours for her to transform from a cute little girl to a demonic evil.
But after the movie, she went to do a world tour to prove the world that she is happy and cheerful like any other teenage girl. This is how normal horror actors and their real faces are.
13. Javier Botet
Javier Botet is known for playing the character of ‘Mama’ from the movie, also titled as ‘Mama’ in 2013. Guillermo del Toro directs this movie.
The character Mama developed a fondness for two human little girls and tried to take them away from their birth mother, and impose her scary love on them.
It’s not the only horror character that has been played by Botet. He played various roles such as ‘The crooked man’ from ‘Conjuring 2’, ‘Zombie ‘from ‘Wreck’.
Javier is a Spanish actor, diagnosed with a genetic disorder at the age of 6, known as Marfan Syndrome. Because of which his body has hyperlaxity of certain body tissue.
But because of his 6’6” inches height and weight only about 50 kg, he is considered a precious actor for playing inhuman characters.
He played the main lead in ‘Slenderman’ movie. He can also be seen in Crimson Peak, The other side of the road.
His demand in horror movies, made him interesting enough to be explored among horror actors and their real faces.
14. Jared Leto
Another artist to be considered in this liat of horror actors and their real faces is Jared Leto. Jared is known for his character of ‘ The Joker’ in the movie titled ‘ Suicide Squad’ in 2016. This character has attracted many audiences around the world.
Jared has also won an Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor in the movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club’. He shared the screen with Matthew McConaughey in 2016.
But behind the character of The Joker, there is a singer from the famous band ‘Thirty Seconds to Mars’.
So the next time when you watch a sadistic spirit on screen, don’t forget to realise that there exists a usual guy behind that dreadful mask.
Horror actors and their real faces are so different, that, even if they pass you on the street, you will not be able to realise, that this is the same man or woman, who did scare you for some nights in dreams and which fears you from going for the loo in midnight.
And that person already has a live soul, who is wandering for souls which he/she can acquire, after becoming a ghost.
Last Updated on by jayeeta.saha
