Movie monsters are often creepy, unsettling, and otherworldly beings and the best movie monster actors can effortlessly bring them to life.
Many of the most beloved horror or sci-fi movies have one thing in common: a grotesque, memorable monster that inspires sheer terror in the audience. Some of these creatures look mostly human while others are unlike anything that exists in the real world. Regardless, these evil characters leave a lasting mark on audiences by making nightmares come true.
While screenwriters and directors can take credit for creating these characters, it is the person in the costume or mask who ultimately brings them to life. Behind every terrifying movie monster is a talented creature actor who is deeply dedicated to their craft.
If there is a modern movie monster capable of haunting audiences' nightmares, it is the terrifying and evil nun from the extended universe of The Conjuring. The nun is actually a demon named Valek, and the 2018 film The Nun details the origin story of this frightening villain.
Although Valek appears in multiple The Conjuring movies, Bonnie Aarons' portrayal of The Nun is by far her most memorable role to date. Aaron appears in The Conjuring 2 as well as The Nun, which were both successful horror movies. This character is the epitome of evil and leaves a lasting impression on viewers across several films.
It's hard to imagine leprechauns as horror movie monsters, but that's exactly what Warwick Davis became in the Leprechaun movie series. He took on the titular role in six films, starting with the first four Leprechaun movies and ending with Leprechaun in the Hood and Back 2 tha Hood. The most impressive thing about Davis' performance is his ability to make the character both scary and funny.
The way Leprechaun kills his victims is often graphic and terrifying, but he also delivers some surprisingly funny one-liners throughout the series. Davis' absence from the last two Leprechaun movies is a sad loss for the franchise.
Stories involving wish-granting genies and djinns have been part of cinema for ages, but the short-lived Wishmaster franchise added a touch of evil to this common trope. Venezuelan actor/producer Andrew Divoff played the immortal titular character in the 1997 Wishmaster film and the first sequel.
In both films, Divoff makes the already-creepy character even more nightmarish by perfectly capturing the Wishmaster's ruthless nature. Although Divoff didn't return for the final two franchise films, his performance set the gold standard for the character.
The Jeepers Creepers franchise couldn't exist without its eponymous monster, The Creeper. Creature actor Jonathan Breck starred as this otherworldly demon in the first three films, and his imposing presence made him very convincing.
Breck performs most of The Creeper's stunts himself and put a great deal of thought and effort into creating the creature's terrifying signature movements. Breck also took the time to understand the lore that Victor Salva created for the films. Jonathan Breck's dedication is what makes The Creeper such a nightmarish movie monster.
Actor Dane DiLiegro isn't the first person to play The Predator, but his performance is an invaluable contribution to the longstanding franchise in its latest chapter, Prey. Unlike the movies before it, Prey features The Predator in uncharted territory, facing off with Native American warriors in the distant past.
DiLiegro is 6'8", which works perfectly for the large, imposing extraterrestrial hunter. However, he appears even taller in the film because The Predator has a fully-mechanized head, which extended above the rest of the costume. DiLiegro reportedly spent several months physically training for the role, which contributed to a very believable performance.
Although it is now 100 years old, the 1922 silent film Nosferatu is still a must-see horror classic. The film owes much of its staying power to the work of German actor Max Schreck, the man behind the grotesque, powerful vampire Count Orlock.
Schreck's character is creepy even by modern standards, and the talented actor accomplished his convincing performance without the benefit of spoken lines. Though Schreck's career in silent films spanned nearly two decades, his role in Nosferatu is by far the most unforgettable.
Bill Skarsgård isn't the first actor to play the terrifying clown, Pennywise, but he arguably brings the scariest version of this classic Stephen King monster to life. Skarsgård first took on the role in 2017's It and donned his disturbing clown costume once again for the 2019 sequel.
In both films, or 'chapters', Skarsgård successfully gives audiences an all-too-tangible reason to be afraid of clowns. His portrayal of the undeniably evil Pennywise was reportedly so terrifying that it even gave some of his fellow cast members the creeps between takes.
Although most films in the Alien franchise rely on special effects and CGI to bring the terrifying Xenomorphs to life, the original 1979 enlisted the help of Bolaji Badejo. Alien director Ridley Scott met a young Badejo by chance and chose to cast him because of his imposing height.
Badejo stood at 6' 10" and donned the Xenomorph bodysuit, which made him 7" tall, and the rest is sci-fi history. Despite his very convincing portrayal of the extraterrestrial monster, Badjeo never graced the silver screen again. Unfortunately, the creature actor succumbed to a health condition at just 39 years old.
In the first Hellraiser movie, Pinhead emerges as the powerful, frightening leader of the Cenobites. Doug Bradley took on this role for eight consecutive films, from the first Hellraiser in 1987 until 2005's Hellraiser: Hellworld. Bradley certainly plays a very formidable Pinhead, but one of the highlights of his performance actually shows the Cenobite's humanity.
In Hellraiser 2, Pinhead defends Kristy and Tiffany against an eviler villain. Pinhead's dramatic death shows him transforming back into his human form, which is a surprisingly tragic moment in an otherwise campy horror film.
Guillermo Del Toro's 2006 horror-fantasy dreamscape, Pan's Labyrinth, features several creepy monsters. However, The Pale Man is arguably one of the most memorable and scary. The Pale Man has a lifeless face, and can only see through the eyes in his palms. Veteran creature actor Doug Jones has embodied multiple monsters throughout his career, but The Pale Man is one of the most bizarre.
The extremely talented Jones also seamlessly slipped into the part of Fauno, one of the most crucial characters in Pan's Labyrinth. Jones' versatility is an asset that benefits any creature actor, and it serves him well in bringing Del Toro's unique vision to life.
Samantha Jacobs, MFA, is a freelance writer from South Florida. She is published in several literary magazines and works as a content creator and ghostwriter.
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