The word “icon” is sometimes overused, but it is apt for the people who feature on this list. Every person, be that actor, writer, or director, has made an indelible mark on the horror genre, scaring and thrilling audiences across the world.
The connection betweenmovies and video gamesis often a close one. These iconic people have been involved in different projects over the years. Some video games on this list capitalize on the status of these icons, whereas some are less obvious. Either way, their inclusion in these video games has been memorable, adding to their iconic position in history.
10Clive Barker
Clive Barker has conjured some truly terrifying images from his mind, which have scared readers of his books and watchers of his movies. TheHellraiserfranchise’s Cenobitesin particular are examples of images that once seen are never forgotten. The themes of his books often explore the idea of pleasure and pain blending into one, and temptation leading to dark places of the heart.
Barker has acted as a writer and producer for a few video games, including adaptations of his movieNightbreed,Clive Barker’s Undyingin 2001, andClive Barker’s Jerichoin 2007. Although the games received mixed reviews from critics, they were all praised for thetone and atmospherewhich is often associated with Clive Barker’s work.
9Bruce Campbell
Despite having appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, Bruce Campbell will always be widely recognized as Ash fromThe Evil Deadmovies. This long-time collaborator of another horror legend, Sam Raimi, made his name battling the forces of evil, whilstenduring real-life painhis director friend would often inflict on him for the sake of getting the shot just right.
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It’s no surprise that Campbell has appeared in a series ofEvil Deadvideo games, including the most recent releaseEvil Dead: The Game. What may come as a surprise to some is that he also voiced Pitfall Harry in 1997sPitfall 3-D: Beyond the Jungle, as well as appearing inCall of Duty: Advanced Warfare – Exo Zombiesas Captain Lennox.
8John Carpenter
Often regarded as one of the Masters of Horror, John Carpenter has made some incredible movies. Halloween andThe Thingareclassic horror filmsthat stand the test of time. His non-horror work and collaborations with his long-time friend, Kurt Russell, are also extremely watchable, withEscape From New YorkandBig Trouble in Little Chinastanding out from the crowd. And who can forgetThey Live,which features one of the best on-screen fights ever made.
Now retired from making movies, Carpenter spends a lot of his spare time playing video games and says he is an avid fan of theFalloutseries. Surprisingly, he hasn’t worked on many video games, but his sole video game credit is for acting as a creative consultant onF.E.A.R 3(F.3.A.R) in 2011. He also makes an uncredited appearance as Dr. Faraday in 2002’s video game adaptation ofThe Thing.
7Guillermo Del Toro
It’s fair to sayGuillermo Del Toroknows a thing or two about making audiences feel unsettled and on edge. Some of his movies can be described as horrifically beautiful fairy tales where fantasy meets the horrors of reality. Despite his obvious skill at knowing what scares moviegoers, this award-winning director has an extremely diverse number of movies to his name, which goes to show the depth of his talent.
Del Toro is a fan of video games, and saysICOandShadow of the Colossusare masterpieces. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise, as both games mirror elements of his movies with a sense of foreboding and melancholy. Wanting to put his stamp on video games, Del Toro collaborated with Hideo Kojima on the infamousP.T.,which was released in 2014.P.T.was genuinely unsettling and despite not being a full game, won multiple awards for being one of thescariest games ever made. Del Toro also appears as Deadman in Kojima’sDeath Stranding.
6George A. Romero
George A. Romero’srelationship with zombies goes back to 1968, when he made the seminalNight of the Living Dead. Although he made other horror movies during his career, his legacy will always be associated with bringing the undead to life.
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Arguably the most famous zombie video game franchise of all time,Resident Evilis also connected to Romero. Early Resident Evil games are influenced by Romero’s movies, and in 1998 he directed a TV commercial to promote the release ofResident Evil 2. Romero also appeared inCall of Duty: Black Ops, zombies map Call of the Dead, where he essentially played himself.
5Christopher Lee
Plenty of actors have played the role of Dracula, but Christopher Lee is arguably one of the most iconic. Lee stared in multiple Hammer Films over the years, often appearing with his good friend Peter Cushing. Lee’s imposing height and booming voice would be used to great effect in his later performances as Count Dooku in theStar Warsprequel trilogy, and Saruman in theLord of the Ringsmovies.
Lee has used his vocal talents in several video games over the years, including theLord of the RingsLego games. However, one of his most notable performances is Ansem the Wise/DiZ fromKingdom Hearts 2,Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, andKingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories.
4Bill Moseley
Bill Moseley and horror are like peanut butter and jelly or bacon and eggs; they just work perfectly together. Take a look at Moseley’s IMDB page; it is filled with memorable characters from horror movies, such as Chop-Top fromTexas Chainsaw Massacre 2,as well as Otis fromHouse of 1000 Corpsesand its sequelsThe Devil’s Rejectsand3 From Hell.
Based on Moseley’s horror background, it’s no surprise to find him appearing in the schlocky cheese festCorpse Killerfrom 1994.FMV gameshave seen something of a resurgence in recent years with anniversary re-releases ofNight TrapandCorpse Killer.
3Tony Todd
Tony Todd is one of the hardest-working actors in Hollywood, with over 250 credits to his name on IMDB. This versatile performer has had an extremely diverse career playing characters across multiple genres, but he is arguably most well-known for playing the titular villain in 1992’sCandyman.
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Todd is also known for his incredible voice, and his vocal talents have been put to good use in several games. These include the Vortigaunt fromHalf-Life 2, Rodek fromStar Trek Online, Admiral Tommy Briggs fromCall of Duty: Black Op’s 2, and most recently Doctor Rogers inBack 4 Blood.
2Tim Curry
Mention Tim Curry, and people will generally have one or two images in their heads. The first will be his extravagant performance as Dr. Frank-N-Furter inThe Rocky Horror Picture Show, and the other will be the terrifying Pennywise inIt.
Curry has an extensive catalog of video game appearances, includingDragon Age: Origins,Brutal Legend, andWing Commander 3: Heart of the Tiger. However, he is likely to be remembered mostly for hisover-the-topperformance as Premier Anatoly Cherdenko inCommand & Conquer: Red Alert 3.
1Robert Englund
Robert Englund is single-handedly responsible for millions of people being scared of going to sleep. His portrayal of the child killer Freddy Krueger in 1984’sA Nightmare On Elm Streetleft its mark on cinema and horror fans. Despite his character turning into an anti-hero in subsequent sequels where fans cheered for his one-liners and inventive kills, Wes Craven’sNew Nightmarewas a return to the roots of where it all began.
There have been a few video game collaborations involving Robert Englund, including voicing Scarecrow inInjustice 2and of course Freddy Krueger inMortal Kombat.However, one role he is most known for is playing Robert inCall of Duty Black Ops Zombiesmode. He appeared alongside Michael Rooker, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Danny Trejo in this title.
