Rhiannon Elizabeth Irons
The Academy Awards are notorious for overlooking the horror genre. The blatant disregard for some of the most powerful performances in cinema is almost criminal. So, when our dear editor proposed this question on social media, I couldn’t help but bombard him with suggestions of actors and actresses who were overlooked for the big award.
So, without further ado, I present you a new Top 13 list of horror movie performances that deserved an Academy Award nomination (and win). Who makes your list?
13: Essie Davis – The Babadook (2014)
Okay, I know this film is quite controversial and gets a lot of hate from the community but hear me out. Essie Davis plays Amelia, a single mother dealing with the passing of her husband from a car accident. ‘Dealing’ isn’t the right word. She’s avoiding her grief, refusing to acknowledge it at all, thus leading to the manifestation of the Babadook.
Essie’s performance was outstanding. Confronting at times, expressing levels of high emotion that were beyond unsettling. Her range was exceptional. Exactly what the Academy looks for, right?
12: Christian Bale – American Psycho (2000)
Based on the book by Bret Easton Ellis, American Psycho follows Patrick Bateman, a man who, by his own opening admission, has no actual identity. He’s a superficial skinsuit, ridiculously attractive, yet harbors a darkness, and an unhealthy obsession for video tapes. Who better to bring this character to life than Christian Bale.
Bale was superb, relentlessly funny as he explains the appeal of music, slaughtering anyone who dares disagree or upstage him. It’s a constant tug-of-war between the shiny, materialistic surface, or the pitch-black core of his soul. And when he begins to unravel, Bale’s insanity is unmatched. I’m not sure what’s more terrifying – Bale’s performance when he commits the crimes, or when he admits them and realizes that no one cares…
11: Toni Collette – Hereditary (2018)
I may have started a riot in my kitchen when the nominations were announced, and Toni’s name was not among them. Even before the screenplay took a left turn, launching into its inevitable, cynical conclusion, Toni had smashed the glass ceiling of emotional range, giving audiences more than their fair share of psychological trauma to react to. From screaming in rage and terror or gritting her teeth in frustration of her family’s sins, Collette showed us what she’s truly made of.
If that wasn’t traumatizing enough, she turned her performance up to an 11 giving herself over fully to the horror aspect of the screenplay. She was terrifying. A force to be reckoned with. And completely robbed of a nomination!
10: Michael Rooker – Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
When you think of essential Michael Rooker performances, this disturbing portrayal is as influential and important to contemporary horror cinema as Psycho was back in 1960.
Rooker’s ability to strip himself bare and disappear into the role of an unadorned sociopathic serial killer was shocking for the time. Even now, 35 years on, the movie still disturbs audiences.
His ability to commit horrific acts, yet complicate matters by giving the viewers a twisted sense of empathy is exactly what the Academy looks for. And just when you think redemption is on the horizon for Henry, Rooker callously flips the audience the middle finger, snuffing out any last hope we had. A fearless piece of cinema with Rooker’s performance being a forced to be reckoned with.
9: Mia Farrow – Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
Paranoia is at the heart of this story of a pregnant woman and the people she suspects wants the child, who may or may not be the spawn of Satan, for their own nefarious purposes.
Farrow suffers throughout this movie, routinely ignored, gaslit, and thought of nothing more than a vessel for other’s devious intentions. Her emotional performance was raw, striking a nerve with the audience with her wide-eyed innocence. You couldn’t help but feel for her as she battled to save her child from the clutches of the dark lord himself.
8: Jeremy Irons – Dead Ringers (1988)
Those of you who know me well will know I always talk up this David Cronenberg feature starring one of Britain’s greatest actors. Playing identical twin gynecologists, Irons delivers a chilling performance as Beverly and Elliot Mantle. One twin is confident, a seductor of women. The other, a fragile, timid shell of a man. Once Elliot, the confident twin, is tired of his lover, he’ll pass her onto Beverly, unbeknownst to the woman they’re both sleeping with. But when an actress visits their clinic, it’s Beverly that falls in love and debates if he can share her with his brother.
It doesn’t sound very horrific, does it? Two bodies. Two minds. One soul. It’s like the plot of a bad rom-com. But when the twins begin creating gynecological instruments of torture, suddenly this tale of brotherly love becomes twisted and sadistic.
Irons’ performance was so strong that a few news sources boldly claimed his Academy Award win for Reversal of Fortune only two years later was an apology for not receiving a nomination for his dual role in this Cronenberg classic.
To this day, Irons continually talks up this performance, stating it to be one of his favorite films that he had been a part of. And still, 30+ years on, he can easily slip back into the character of either twin. That’s the mark of a brilliant actor.
7: Lupita Nyong’o – Us (2019)
Much like with the previously mentioned Jeremy Irons, Lupita delivers not one, but two incredibly haunting performances. Playing both Red and Adelaide, despite being tethered doppelgangers to each other, feel like profoundly different people, with Lupita physically transforming every aspect of her humanity to deliver Red’s pain. Her emotional level dug deeper, two times over, often starring opposite herself.
Both characters are reckoning with the traumas of their past, even when they’re fighting and killing for the sake of their survival. And while Red may be the showier of the two, there’s something hypnotic about Adelaide’s understated manner in which she handles herself.
Lupita gave it her all in a rich, sprawling horror film. It’s a travesty to know she was overlooked for a nomination.
6: Ryan Reynolds – Buried (2010)
While this title is debatable as a horror movie, one cannot deny the events depicted are the stuff of nightmares. And if we can include titles such as Silence of the Lambs within the horror genre, then Buried gets a vote too.
Reynolds was often, and still is, cited with being a comedic actor. But for a period in the early 2010’s (and a bit before then), he tried his hand at more serious roles. None more serious than that of Paul Conroy, an American truck driver working in Iraq in 2006, who wakes up in pitch darkness, only to discover he’s trapped inside a wooden coffin, buried six feet under, with approximately 90 minutes of oxygen remaining.
Claustrophobia sets in as we wait with bated breath, watching Reynolds carry this film on his own. There are a few moments where we jump away from the desperate scenes of being buried with him, only to be thrust into the chaos of those searching for him.
It takes a strong actor to carry a film on their own. Just ask Reynolds’ wife, Blake Lively (The Shallows). But for someone renown for comedy turning in such a powerful, serious performance, it’s almost criminal that this was overlooked.
5: Sigourney Weaver – Alien (1979)
When it comes to badass women in horror, no one holds a candle, or a flamethrower, to Ellen Ripley. Weaver’s fierce portrayal of Ripley, the last surviving member of the Nostromo crew, proved that women could lead action movies. In fact, according to the documentary The Beast Within: The Making of Alien, the script for the movie included a note for the casting team: ‘The crew is unisex and all parts are interchangeable for men and women.’ The decision to cast a woman as Ripley ended up smashing stereotypes and breaking new ground for female action heroes.
Weaver’s demeanor didn’t relinquish, providing a stoic performance and cementing herself in horror history as the ultimate of final girl. No one else can take on a Xenomorph with such ferocity and come out that level-headed.
She was nominated for an Academy Award for the James Cameron sequel, Aliens (1986), but she should have scored a nomination for the original too.
4: Duane Jones – Night of the Living Dead (1968)
To say that George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead changed the horror world forever would be a colossal understatement. The fact that he centered the zombie masterpiece around Duane Jones, a stage actor with little film credits to his name, added to the risk. A risk that paid off.
Jones’ work as chief protagonist Ben, who stays calm and level-headed as the social fabrics of society fall apart around him in real time. The symbol of Jones’ casting on a societal level is also worth noting; while Romero insisted that Jones was chosen simply because of his acting talent, it’s not hard to read into the social commentary in viewing a black hero whose intelligence is beyond what his white compatriots have. He was allowed to talk back, even smack a few of the white survivors when they got out of line. It was game changing back in 1968.
Beyond the representative ramifications of Jones’ performance, the role of Ben remains a cornerstone of cinema, paving the way for future leads of color in the horror genre. A purposeful piece of acting, rapt with naturalism, Jones was robbed of a nomination, and dare I say a win for this steadfast portrayal.
3: Robert Shaw – JAWS (1975)
What can you say about Robert Shaw’s performance that hasn’t already been said a thousand times before? A veteran shark hunter, Quint offers a gruff and grizzled counterpoint to Roy Scheider’s level-headed, softly spoken Chief Brody, and Richard Dreyfuss’ nerdy marine biologist, Matt Hooper. A drunken reprobate, it has even been reported that Shaw’s own struggles with alcohol during production ended up feeding into his character’s persona.
While not a leading man in the role of Quint, Shaw should have landed a Best Supporting Actor nomination based on the delivery of the Indianapolis speech alone. His monologue is prolific, staying with audiences long after the film has ended. Even now, 40+ years after the film’s release, goosebumps still arise when Shaw’s speech begins. His powerful words summon haunting imagery in viewer’s minds, while his screams of terror and pain upon meeting his demise disturb audiences, as he is subjected to the same fate bestowed upon those in his recollection of the Indianapolis.
A near-perfect performance from Shaw deserved a nod from the Academy.
2: Jack Nicholson & Shelley Duvall – The Shining (1980)
I’m cheating a little with this entry. Two superb performances in an iconic film that is still quotable to this day. But let me explain. The main difference between the book and the movie versions is the reason Jack loses his mind. In the book, Jack is a good man who’s driven to evil by the ghosts of the Overlook Hotel. In the movie adaptation, Jack Nicholson plays the character as a husband and father at the end of his tether, who’s already seething with anger. It’s believable that he’s ready to murder his family before the isolation of the hotel pushes him over the edge, which makes this version so much more terrifying.
Nicholson is no stranger to playing unhinged characters, and often relishes in pushing himself to disturbing levels. But it’s these performances that have netted him nominations in the past, so why was he overlooked for The Shining?
In the case of Duvall, she had barely turned 30 when she began working on the role that would bring her worldwide fame. Portraying Wendy Torrance, wife to Jack, and mother to Danny, Duvall was subjected to a rather unfamiliar challenge, director Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick was a perfectionist who is said to have had no problems pushing his actors beyond their limits in order to bring the best out of them. Duvall, who had already had a decade’s worth of experience as a big-screen actress, took on the role of Wendy, unprepared for the toll it would take on her. The story’s context was dark, and coupled with the repetitive nature of filming, the stress was sometimes too much for her.
But it was in this stress that she delivered some of her best work. She was quoted as saying “Kubrick doesn’t print anything until at least the 35th take. Thirty-five takes, running and crying and carrying a little boy, it gets hard. And full performances from the first rehearsal. That’s difficult.”
Thirty-five takes minimum. Full performances each and every time. That’s dedication. And thoroughly deserving of a nomination nod.
1: Anthony Perkins – Psycho (1960)
Spoiling the big twist, Janet Leigh was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director, Anthony Perkins received no love from the Academy for his haunting portrayal of Norman Bates. Sure, there are plenty of iconic villains in the Hitchcock canon, but Perkins’ unsuspecting mama’s boy-turned-psycho-killer tops them all.
Superficially sweet and innocent upon first meeting, Perkins’ nails the boyish charm of Norman in the early scenes with Marion (Leigh). This ability to be almost child-like made the twist reveal that much more impactful. The power and complexity of Perkins’ performance is only fully appreciated when it’s revealed that Norman had been impersonating his dead mother throughout the entire movie.
It could even be suggested that actors like Christian Bale and Matthew Lillard looked to Perkins’ performance for ideas of ambiguity and losing one’s true self to the extreme for their roles as Patrick Bateman and Stu Macher respectively.
Whether you’re a fan of Psycho or not is irrelevant. You cannot deny that Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates catapulted Alfred Hitchcock, and the entire horror genre, into a bold future by underplaying everything, keeping the audience on their toes, and never playing the hand of “I’m the killer” until he needed to. It is this ambiguous menace that should have nabbed Perkins a nomination.
While I managed to narrow this list to just 13 entries, there are many more actors and actresses that deserve recognition for their roles within the horror genre.
Honorable Mentions
Gregory Peck – The Omen (1976)
Robert Mitchum – The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Mickey Rourke – Angel Heart (1978)
Jeff Goldblum – The Fly (1986)
Dee Wallace – Cujo (1983)
Boris Karloff – Frankenstein (1931)
Florence Pugh – Midsommar (2019)
Emily Blunt – A Quiet Place (2018)
John Goodman – 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
Roy Scheider – JAWS (1975)
Eihi Shiina – Audition (1999)
Kathleen Turner – Serial Mom (1994)
Sam Rockwell – Moon (2009)
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