Most horror fans know that Tom Hanks was in He Knows Youre Alone or that Jennifer Anniston was in Leprechaun and that Kevin Bacon cut his teeth on Friday the 13th.
But, the aforementioned stars are certainly not the only Hollywood big shots that did horror films early in their career. Many actors that got their big break in Hollywood wading through a low-budget horror feature would probably like to forget it, but we are not about to let them off the hook that easily. There are plenty of actors that wear their genre work proudly and think back on it fondly. We think more performers should share that attitude.
These days, working in horror typically doesnt carry a stigma and is no longer just a springboard to “better” things. These days, working in genre film is a destination for a lot of aspiring thespians. For your reading pleasure, we present to you a batch of fifteen celebrities that you may not have known got their start in the genre film arena.
Ben Affleck in Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Affleck didnt play a pivotal role in the film; in fact, his appearance was uncredited and is listed on IMDb as Basketball Player #10.
Though he was just a member of the basketball team, he does have a pretty noteworthy scene where a member of the opposing team transforms into a vampire on the court and Afflecks character just hands him the ball out of sheer terror and or disgust.
Also worth mentioning, Thomas Jane made an early appearance in the film version of Buffy as Zeph.
Brad Pitt in Freddys Nightmares, Cutting Class, and Tales from the Crypt
It isnt necessarily a huge secret that Brad Pitt made a low-budget slasher film called Cutting Class early in his career. The plot is pretty standard: The film takes place in a high school with an unknown crazed killer on the loose. The film is average at best. But Cutting Class was made slightly more tolerable thanks to an appearance from genre favorite Jill Schoelen (Popcorn). What you may be surprised to learn is that Mr. Angelina Jolie also appeared on the short lived Freddys Nightmares television series as well as the Tales from the Crypt TV show before becoming a world renowned heartthrob and parent to 600 children and counting.
