Hunks Of Horror

The name Anthony Perkins is synonymous with Norman Bates, the sexy psycho in the movie, well, Psycho, but Perkins was a boyishly handsome leading man of the 1950s and 1960s, continuing his work all the way to the 1980s. Acting is not his only talent, however, Perkins also directed Psycho III.

Rob Zombie fan favorite Bill Moseley is the devil, and he’s here to do the devil’s work. Moseley got his start in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as the Iron Butterfly-loving Chop-Top of the Sawyer clan, although most fans recognize him from his work in the Rob Zombie films, (most noticeably) as Otis of the Firefly clan in House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.

First appearing as Steve Elliot (aka the boyfriend) in Critters, Billy Zane’s true iconic horror role is in Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight as The Collector. Non-horror-wise, his resume spans Titanic to Tombstone, but if you want to see creep-level Billy Zane, be sure to check out his performance as Professor Roberts in The Roommate.

Everyone knows mega star Brad Pitt from the tabloids and A-list movies, but for horror fans, his portrayal of Louis in Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire that solidified him as a horror hunk. Nowadays, you can check him out in such genre films as Inglorious Basterds and World War Z.

Sam Raimi’s favorite punching bag, Bruce Campbell got his start in the Evil Dead series, and has risen to be a household “chin”. Recently, after wrapping up 7 seasons on Burn Notice, Bruce returned to his most well-known role as Ash, in Ash vs. The Evil Dead, which just wrapped up its second season on STARZ.

He’s not just an Asgardian God (in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Thor) or Captain Kirk’s father (in the Star Trek films); Chris Hemsworth is also gaining momentum in the horror field, with his work in another Joss Whedon brain child, The Cabin in the Woods, and 2016’s Ghostbusters. Hopefully we’ll see more horror from this action star in the future. If James McAvoy can double as a superhero and psychopath, we expect no less from Mr. Hemsworth.

Christian Bale may have gotten his start as a child, but he’s not just another child actor statistic – since his work as an adult, he has made us remember that he’s here. When he landed the role as Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, it forever cemented him as a horror icon. From that point on, Bale became an A-list actor, finally trading the Bateman for Batman in the Christopher Nolan Batman films.

With his very odd appearance, Crispin Glover is equal parts sexy and scary. Known for his eccentric behavior both on and off screen, Crispin has been a pillar in the horror world since 1984’s Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter as Jimmy, the “loser” of the group. The following year, Crispin gained notoriety as George McFly in Back to the Future.

Everyone’s favorite “That Guy”, Eric Balfour has appeared in several random television shows and episodes over the past 20-some years. Turned into a vampire in the pilot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and then getting put to work as Kemper in 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

We certainly can’t leave out these 50s hunks, not that we would want to, but Gregory Peck is definitely worth mentioning. He played Sam Bowden in 1962’s Cape Fear, and also Robert Thorn (aka “the father”) in 1976’s The Omen.

TV’s favorite bad boy, we couldn’t really leave Spike, first of Buffy fame (and later of Angel fame) off this list, now could we? Bleached blonde, cockney accent, and goth rocker vampire (and vampire slayer lover), Spike will forever be our chosen one.

Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto is multi-faceted in talent, acting as Jordan Catalano in My So-Called Life and then quickly rising to fame in his own right, Leto has also acted in Urban Legend, and American Psycho, alongside fellow Horror Hunk, Christian Bale.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 12 years, you know what Supernatural is, which means you know who Jared Padalecki is. The smart and sensitive younger brother of the Winchester brothers, Sam is lighting ceiling fires in hearts all over the country. If you’d like to see more of Padalecki’s horror works, check out 2009’s Friday the 13th, and 2005’s House of Wax.

Johnny Depp’s first movie was a turning point for slasher films: 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. May a kill scene never be as bloody. Since then, Johnny Depp has risen to A-list fame, with a resume that includes monumental successes, such as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, and smaller roles that we’ve forgotten about, like Secret Window.

Kevin Bacon was a breakout star in the 1980s (we all remember Footloose), but he also had the best death scene in 1983’s Friday the 13th. Over the years, Bacon racked up a resume that includes Tremors, Flatliners, and most recently a television show called The Following.

The 90s called, and they want their favorite trickster back (but, they can’t have him). Matthew Lillard is my favorite part of the 90s, with his roles in Serial Mom, Scream, The Curve, and Thirteen Ghosts. Speaking of g-g-g-ghosts, Lillard also plays Shaggy in the new Scooby-Doo movies.

Not quite an A-lister, but still making waves, cute boy-next-door Mike Vogel has landed roles in 2003’s The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (with fellow Horror Hunk Eric Balfour), and 2008’s Cloverfield. Let’s hope those aren’t the last we’ll see of him.

Ryan Reynolds has been proving his acting chops for over a decade, and he’s picked up a few horror titles along the way. This father of two was the father, George Lutz, in 2005’s The Amityville Horror. Reynolds also starred in Blade: Trinity, and Buried. Most recently, he swapped everything for comedy and action, as Wade Wilson, in Deadpool.

The Twilight Zone was an odd anthology sci-fi show that kept us entertained for 5 years from 1959-1964, and Rod Taylor starred in an episode of it. Definitely no stranger to horror, Taylor continued his work in the genre in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds, The Time Machine, and Mask of Murder. His last role before his death 2015, was in Inglorious Basterds as Winston Churchill.

Scott Speedman has been landing small and large roles in the horror genre since he began acting in 1995. Perhaps his largest role in the horror genre is as Michael in the Underworld franchise, you may have also seen him on hit 90s television show Felicity, as Ben Covington, or even as James Hoyt from The Strangers (aka the creepiest movie of all time).

Not a horror veteran in the strictest definition, but someone who has put in work in the genre all the same, is Thom Mathews. The Return of the Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead II, and Friday the 13th: Jason Lives all supplied something new and exciting to the horror genre, and Thom’s facial expressions and wide buggy eyes keep us entertained decades later.