From Janet Leigh to Keke Palmer: 20 of the Most Iconic Scream Queens

Mar. 15, 2025

Janet Leigh in ‘Psycho’ (left); Neve Campbell in ‘Scream 4’ (center); Keke Palmer in ‘Nope’ (right).Photo:Everett

Everett

What is a horror movie without its scream queen? A lot less fun, usually.A scream queen is an actress who has become known for her work in horror films. Some scream queens, likeJamie Lee Curtis,Neve CampbellandAnya Taylor-Joy, are revered for their strong characters who usually survive their films. Others secured their title with some iconic, terrifying deaths — like Janet Leigh andDrew Barrymore. Some — likeJenna OrtegaandKeke Plamer— have mixed horror films with television shows, while others, likeLinda Blair, are known for one iconic film.Revisit some of the most iconic scream queens of the past and present.

What is a horror movie without its scream queen? A lot less fun, usually.

A scream queen is an actress who has become known for her work in horror films. Some scream queens, likeJamie Lee Curtis,Neve CampbellandAnya Taylor-Joy, are revered for their strong characters who usually survive their films. Others secured their title with some iconic, terrifying deaths — like Janet Leigh andDrew Barrymore. Some — likeJenna OrtegaandKeke Plamer— have mixed horror films with television shows, while others, likeLinda Blair, are known for one iconic film.

Revisit some of the most iconic scream queens of the past and present.

01of 20Fay WrayFay Wray in ‘Doctor X.'.EverettFay Wray, who died in 2004 at the age of 96, is widely considered Hollywood’s inaugural scream queen. Wray was best known for starring in 1993’sKing Kong, the first film to start the titular giant ape. Wray’s Ann Darrow is Kong’s main victim, and famously ends up in his grasp as he scales the Empire State Building. In their review at the time,Varietycalled the movie a “96-minute screaming session” for Wray, whileRoger Ebert, decades later, praised the movie’s “creepy awe.” OtherKing Kongmovies would abandon horror for adventure, but the first was genuinely terrifying. “I’d become Hollywood’s scream queen without even realizing it,” Wray said ofKing Kongin a 1989 interview, perIndiewire.But Wray’s scream queen credits started beforeKing Kong. In 1932, she starred inDoctor XandThe Most Dangerous Game. Other horror flicks for the actress included 1933’sThe Vampire BatandMystery of the Wax Museumand 1934’sBlack Moon.

01of 20

Fay Wray

Fay Wray in ‘Doctor X.'.Everett

Fay Wray, who died in 2004 at the age of 96, is widely considered Hollywood’s inaugural scream queen. Wray was best known for starring in 1993’sKing Kong, the first film to start the titular giant ape. Wray’s Ann Darrow is Kong’s main victim, and famously ends up in his grasp as he scales the Empire State Building. In their review at the time,Varietycalled the movie a “96-minute screaming session” for Wray, whileRoger Ebert, decades later, praised the movie’s “creepy awe.” OtherKing Kongmovies would abandon horror for adventure, but the first was genuinely terrifying. “I’d become Hollywood’s scream queen without even realizing it,” Wray said ofKing Kongin a 1989 interview, perIndiewire.

But Wray’s scream queen credits started beforeKing Kong. In 1932, she starred inDoctor XandThe Most Dangerous Game. Other horror flicks for the actress included 1933’sThe Vampire BatandMystery of the Wax Museumand 1934’sBlack Moon.

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Janet Leigh

Janet Leigh in ‘Psycho.'.Everett

Leigh, who died in 2004, also appeared alongside her daughter Jamie Lee Curtis in 1980’sThe Fogand 1998’sHalloween H20: 20 Years Later. But her role in Alfred Hitchcock’sPsycholoomed largest of all. “If an actor can be remembered for one role, then they’re very fortunate,” she toldWoman’s Worldin 1984.

Still, the role — and filming her death scene — made an impact on her, too. “I stopped taking showers and I only take baths,” she told the outlet.

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Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis in ‘Halloween.'.Everett

Jamie Lee Curtis established her own horror bona fides in 1978’sHalloween, in which she played one of horror’s greatest heroines,Laurie Strode. Strode survived the terror of murderer Michael Myers (Nick Castle) and Curtis, 65, would return as the character insixHalloweensequels, wrapping up the character’s arc in 2022’sHalloween Ends.

The Oscar winner would also appear inHalloweendirector John Carpenter’s 1980 horror flickThe Fogas well as horror movies likeProm Night,Terror TrainandRoadgames. In 2023, she appeared in the family-friendly horror comedyHaunted Mansion.

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Sigourney Weaver

Sigourney Weaver in ‘Alien.'.Everett

Weaver, 75, reprised her role in threeAliensequels. Other installments intheAlienfranchisehave mixed different amounts of horror into the story, with some preferring a more typical action mode, butAlien— and Weaver’s performance — remains the franchise’s benchmark. She would also appear in other horror movies, including 2011’sThe Cabin in the Woodsand the horror-infusedGhostbustersmovies.

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Linda Blair

Linda Blair in ‘The Exorcist.'.Everett

Blair, 65, later appeared in horror movies likeStranger in Our House,Hell Night,WitcheryandDead Sleep. She also reprised her role ina small cameo in 2023’sThe Exorcist: Believer. She told PEOPLEreturning to the part was “bizarre”but “really incredible.”

She became involved with the movie, she said, when she was asked to be an advisor who could help the cast and crew protect the child actors who would appear possessed on screen.“It’s a very horrible creature to play.It’s mean, it’s evil, it’s horrible,” she explained. “So I just wanted to make sure they were okay.”

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Adrienne Barbeau

Adrienne Barbeau in ‘The Fog.'.Everett

Barbreau’s most tricky horror costar? The titular fog. She toldRoger Ebertin 1980, “It wasn’t pleasant to work with the fog, and that’s an understatement. They made it out of kerosene and water. It was smelly and sticky and the entire production was permeated with it.”

The other problem was that once the fog came into a scene, they couldn’t get it out. “We had to act backwards in some scenes: They’d blow the fog in and have us move in reverse, and then reverse the film to create the illusion that the fog was retreating. I had one scene in which I had to move from terror to apprehension to interest to indifference, so they could then reverse it for the fog,” she explained.

07of 20Heather LangenkampHeather Langenkamp in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street.'.New Line/The Elm Street Venture/Kobal/ShutterstockHeather Langenkamp became horror royalty thanks to her role as Nancy Thompson inWes Craven’sA Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 1984. She returned for 1987’sA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriorsand 1994’sWes Craven’s New Nightmare,and years later she flexed her horror muscles on television inAmerican Horror Story: Freak Showand director Mike Flanagan’sThe Midnight Club.Next year she’ll also appear in Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck.Langenkamp spoke to PEOPLEthis summer about the original film, which turns 40 this November. “Wes had a completely new idea — like he did many times in his career — about what we wanted to bring to the screen. And it was a version of horror that a lot of people called a slasher,” the 60-year-old actress remembered. The movie was a “very daunting experience” for her, she added.She also told PEOPLE thatshe would love to return to the franchise, the way Curtis and Campbell have both done in recent years. “Once you’ve played such a strong character, such as Sidney or Laurie, that character really never leaves you,” she said. “I don’t know about those other ladies, but I certainly look to Nancy Thompson for personal inspiration at times.”

07of 20

Heather Langenkamp

Heather Langenkamp in ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street.'.New Line/The Elm Street Venture/Kobal/Shutterstock

New Line/The Elm Street Venture/Kobal/Shutterstock

Heather Langenkamp became horror royalty thanks to her role as Nancy Thompson inWes Craven’sA Nightmare on Elm Street, released in 1984. She returned for 1987’sA Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriorsand 1994’sWes Craven’s New Nightmare,and years later she flexed her horror muscles on television inAmerican Horror Story: Freak Showand director Mike Flanagan’sThe Midnight Club.Next year she’ll also appear in Flanagan’sThe Life of Chuck.

Langenkamp spoke to PEOPLEthis summer about the original film, which turns 40 this November. “Wes had a completely new idea — like he did many times in his career — about what we wanted to bring to the screen. And it was a version of horror that a lot of people called a slasher," the 60-year-old actress remembered. The movie was a “very daunting experience” for her, she added.

She also told PEOPLE thatshe would love to return to the franchise, the way Curtis and Campbell have both done in recent years. “Once you’ve played such a strong character, such as Sidney or Laurie, that character really never leaves you,” she said. “I don’t know about those other ladies, but I certainly look to Nancy Thompson for personal inspiration at times.”

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Neve Campbell

Neve Campbell in ‘Scream 4.'.Everett

Craven was also the mind behind theScreamfranchise, which takes a satirical, meta approach to the horror genre. The characters inScreamare aware of the typical genre conventions of a horror film and try to purposefully fight against them — with some success. Neve Campbell’s Sidney Prescott became the franchise’s star in the first film, as she fought off the killer known only as Ghostface — until she learned it was actually her boyfriend and his best friend (ouch).

Campbell, 51, returned for the first five sequels but did not appear inScream 6because of contract issues. She will reprise her role inScream 7. “Those movies have been such a big part of my life and it means so much to me, and I was sad to miss the last one, to not be a part of it,“the actress told PEOPLEin June. “I was really grateful that they came back to me in a respectful way. I think that means a lot to women and to society. I’m grateful to be able to step in into Sidney’s shoes again and tell her story.”

“I meet a lot of fans who say her strength has helped them get through tough times, and it means more than I could ever have imagined to some people,” she said.

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Drew Barrymore

A scream queen doesn’t need a lot of screen time to make an impact. That’s what Drew Barrymore showed in 1996’sScream, in which she plays Ghostface’s first victim, Casey Becker, in the movie’s opening scene. Barrymore revealed on a 2020 episode ofHot Onesthatshe specifically wanted to play a character who dies early.

But herScreamdeath is not her only moment in the genre. Her other horror film credits include 1980’sAltered State, 1984’sFirestarter, 1985’sCat’s Eyeand 1989’sFar From Home— plus the horror sitcomSanta Clarita Diet.

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Keke Palmer

Keke Palmer in ‘Nope.'.Everett

But her crowing horror achievement (so far) has been 2022’sNope. The 31-year-old actress plays Em Haywood in the movie, the charismatic sister of Daniel Kaluuya’s OJ.

Palmer toldIndiewireabout how she approachedNope’s horror scenes. “I don’t think you practice it. I think you feel it in the moment, because it’s also like a weird and insane scenario,” she said.

On set before filming the movie’s climax, she said. “I was running around crazy on the set. I was just running around crazy. I felt like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. I was just jumping up and down and just trying to really get myself to maintain the adrenaline of what Emerald was feeling in those last 20 minutes of the movie.”

11of 20

Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sarah Michelle Gellar in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.'.Everett

Gellar also appears as a victim inScream 2and stars in 2004’sThe Grudge.

12of 20Jennifer Love HewittJennifer Love Hewitt in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.'.EverettJennifer Love Hewittstarred as Julie James inI Know What You Did Last Summerand its 1998 sequelI Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The 45-year-old might reprise her role ina new sequel,and she toldEntertainment Tonightin May that she’s “honestly terrified” to return because “it’s 26 years later.“She added, that if the movie happens, she’ll happily bring Julie “back with 26 years of angst, knowledge, kickassery, which I’m turning into a word, and have some fun.”

12of 20

Jennifer Love Hewitt

Jennifer Love Hewitt in ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer.'.Everett

Jennifer Love Hewittstarred as Julie James inI Know What You Did Last Summerand its 1998 sequelI Still Know What You Did Last Summer. The 45-year-old might reprise her role ina new sequel,and she toldEntertainment Tonightin May that she’s “honestly terrified” to return because “it’s 26 years later.”

She added, that if the movie happens, she’ll happily bring Julie “back with 26 years of angst, knowledge, kickassery, which I’m turning into a word, and have some fun.”

13of 20Naomi WattsNaomi Watts in ‘The Ring.'.Merrick Morton/Dreamworks Llc/Macdonald/Parkes Prods/Kobal/ShutterstockNaomi Wattshas done a handful of horror films, but 2002’sThe Ringis what cemented her place as horror royalty. In it, the 56-year-old plays a journalist who discovers a cursed videotape that kills its viewers within seven days.But she actually took some convincing before she took the part.She previously told PEOPLE, ​​"I was having a real hard time with saying yes. I remember having this conversation with my agent, and he was like, ‘I really, really think you should do this.’ I said, ‘I don’t think I can. I’m just not sure. I just don’t know.’ I was really pushing back on it,” she recalled. “Then he actually raised his voice and said, ‘Just say yes. I’m telling you, trust me on this.’ “A meeting with director Gore Verbinski sealed the deal. “It turned out to be great! Who knew?”

13of 20

Naomi Watts

Naomi Watts in ‘The Ring.'.Merrick Morton/Dreamworks Llc/Macdonald/Parkes Prods/Kobal/Shutterstock

Naomi Wattshas done a handful of horror films, but 2002’sThe Ringis what cemented her place as horror royalty. In it, the 56-year-old plays a journalist who discovers a cursed videotape that kills its viewers within seven days.

But she actually took some convincing before she took the part.She previously told PEOPLE, ​​"I was having a real hard time with saying yes. I remember having this conversation with my agent, and he was like, ‘I really, really think you should do this.’ I said, ‘I don’t think I can. I’m just not sure. I just don’t know.’ I was really pushing back on it,” she recalled. “Then he actually raised his voice and said, ‘Just say yes. I’m telling you, trust me on this.’ "

A meeting with director Gore Verbinski sealed the deal. “It turned out to be great! Who knew?”

14of 20

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving in ‘Ready or Not.'.Everett

“The biggest thing I wanted for Grace was for her to be very strong,” she toldRefinery29in 2019. “I didn’t want her survival skills to be an accident or a fluke, I wanted her to really think about the situation she was in and make decisions out of logic, instead of desperation … I really didn’t want her to be a damsel in distress.”

Weaving’s other horror entries include 2023’sScream VIand 2024’sAzrael.

15of 20Mia GothMia Goth in ‘Pearl.'.EverettMia Goth stars inone horror trilogyas two iconic characters. In 2022’sX, she plays both aspiring porn star Maxine and serial killer Pearl — using prosthetics to make herself appear old. Then, in 2023, she starred as Pearl in a prequel of the same name, set decades earlier. And to finish it out, in 2024 she returned as Maxine inMaXXXine.W Magazineasked Goth in 2023 if she thought she was good at screaming. “I think I am actually,” the 31-year-old said. “I have such a naturally high-pitched voice. I find it’s quite nice to be able to become unhinged like that.”Goth also appeared in the horror filmsSuspiriaandInfinity Pooland is set to star inGuillermo del Toro’s upcomingFrankenstein.

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Mia Goth

Mia Goth in ‘Pearl.'.Everett

Mia Goth stars inone horror trilogyas two iconic characters. In 2022’sX, she plays both aspiring porn star Maxine and serial killer Pearl — using prosthetics to make herself appear old. Then, in 2023, she starred as Pearl in a prequel of the same name, set decades earlier. And to finish it out, in 2024 she returned as Maxine inMaXXXine.

W Magazineasked Goth in 2023 if she thought she was good at screaming. “I think I am actually,” the 31-year-old said. “I have such a naturally high-pitched voice. I find it’s quite nice to be able to become unhinged like that.”

Goth also appeared in the horror filmsSuspiriaandInfinity Pooland is set to star inGuillermo del Toro’s upcomingFrankenstein.

16of 20

Maika Monroe

Maika Monroe in ‘Longlegs.'.Everett

Voguewrote in July that the actress’ horror movies usually cast her as a “pretty, blonde, all-American” type, butLonglegswent somewhere different. Instead, the 31-year-old played a “a haunted, highly disciplined, intuitive weirdo.” She told the outlet, “I had to kind of tap into something different for this one.”

17of 20

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega (right) in ‘Scream 5.'.Everett

“I would do horror until I die. It’s the best,” she explained. “I love horror [movies] because they encapsulate everything. They can be romantic, they can be funny, they can be dramatic, they can be scary. They’re adrenaline-inducing and ignite passion in people, even scaredy-cats.”

18of 20Melissa BarreraMelissa Barrera in ‘Scream 5.'.EverettMelissa Barrera joined Ortega in 2022’sScream 5as her character’s sister Sam Carpenter. She also returned for the 2023 sequel.But the 34-year-old’s horror creds don’t end there. She also starred in 2022’sBed Restand 2024’sAbigailandYour Monster.Barrera toldDeciderin an Oct. 25 interview that it’s a “tremendous honor” to be called a scream queen.“I love horror. I’ve fallen in love with how much fun you have on a horror set — the things that you get to do that you don’t get to really do in all the other genres,” she said. “Like being covered in blood — I’m kind of addicted.”

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Melissa Barrera

Melissa Barrera in ‘Scream 5.'.Everett

Melissa Barrera joined Ortega in 2022’sScream 5as her character’s sister Sam Carpenter. She also returned for the 2023 sequel.

But the 34-year-old’s horror creds don’t end there. She also starred in 2022’sBed Restand 2024’sAbigailandYour Monster.Barrera toldDeciderin an Oct. 25 interview that it’s a “tremendous honor” to be called a scream queen.

“I love horror. I’ve fallen in love with how much fun you have on a horror set — the things that you get to do that you don’t get to really do in all the other genres,” she said. “Like being covered in blood — I’m kind of addicted.”

19of 20Anya Taylor-JoyAnya Taylor-Joy in ‘The Menu.'.EverettAnya Taylor-Joy’s horror career began with 2015’sThe Witch. Next came 2016’sMorganandSplit, 2017’sMarrowbone, 2019’sGlassand 2021’sLast Night in Soho. But 2022’sThe Menu, which stars the 28-year-old as a woman who’s lured to a remote restaurant, lets Taylor-Joy luxuriate in an iconic final girl moment.Last Night in Sohodirector Edgar Wright toldBritish GQin May why he thinks Taylor-Joy is such a great horror leading lady. “In so many famous horror movies, the reaction of an actor is as seared into your synapses as what they’re scared of, ” he said. “Anya has an incredibly expressive face. Hypnotic would be the other word.”

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Anya Taylor-Joy

Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘The Menu.'.Everett

Anya Taylor-Joy’s horror career began with 2015’sThe Witch. Next came 2016’sMorganandSplit, 2017’sMarrowbone, 2019’sGlassand 2021’sLast Night in Soho. But 2022’sThe Menu, which stars the 28-year-old as a woman who’s lured to a remote restaurant, lets Taylor-Joy luxuriate in an iconic final girl moment.

Last Night in Sohodirector Edgar Wright toldBritish GQin May why he thinks Taylor-Joy is such a great horror leading lady. “In so many famous horror movies, the reaction of an actor is as seared into your synapses as what they’re scared of, ” he said. “Anya has an incredibly expressive face. Hypnotic would be the other word.”

20of 20Vera FarmigaVera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring.'.EverettVera Farmiga’s horror journey began with 2009’sOrphan. Then in 2013, she began starring inThe Conjuringfranchise as Lorraine Warren, a character based on the real-life “paranormal investigator.” That same year, she began starring in thePsychoprequel seriesBates Motelas well.Farmiga, 51, explained why she liked doing a horror franchise so much in a 2016 interview withCollider, from whenThe Conjuring 2was released. “A franchise, for me, is the chance to explore deeper characterization and, potentially, a slightly bigger paycheck, which is very alluring,” she explained. “I started off in television and continue to dabble in television, and I love deeper and deeper exploration of a characterization … That’s why the most popular films are the ones that have sequels. It’s television for the big screen. So, yeah, I was hoping to do a sequel because I absolutely adore this character.”

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Vera Farmiga

Vera Farmiga in ‘The Conjuring.'.Everett

Vera Farmiga’s horror journey began with 2009’sOrphan. Then in 2013, she began starring inThe Conjuringfranchise as Lorraine Warren, a character based on the real-life “paranormal investigator.” That same year, she began starring in thePsychoprequel seriesBates Motelas well.

Farmiga, 51, explained why she liked doing a horror franchise so much in a 2016 interview withCollider, from whenThe Conjuring 2was released. “A franchise, for me, is the chance to explore deeper characterization and, potentially, a slightly bigger paycheck, which is very alluring,” she explained. “I started off in television and continue to dabble in television, and I love deeper and deeper exploration of a characterization … That’s why the most popular films are the ones that have sequels. It’s television for the big screen. So, yeah, I was hoping to do a sequel because I absolutely adore this character.”

source: people.com