The cycle of an actor or actress in Hollywood is constantly rotating. Stars fade, new stars are born, and former stars return on an almost daily basis. When examining the horror genre, results are the same. Alex Vincent, who played Andy in Child’s Play, returned to the blood and suspense industry after an 18 year hiatus. Adrienne King, who played Alice in the original Friday the 13th, returned to the horror scene in 2010’s Psychic Experiment after a thirty year absence. Hell, Even Judith O’Dea, who played Barbara in Night of The Living Dead, made an applauded return to horror after 35 years! It’s never too late and as the saying goes, “America loves a good come-back story!”
However, there is a huge difference between actors that we want to return, and those who return that we’d rather faded into oblivion. I think we all let out a collective groan when nuisances pop up in films again. The void between sometimes looks to be expanding. Instead, I’d like to believe that we horror fans are a supportive community and we are anxiously awaiting a good horror comeback. And with that said, I have compiled a list of actresses that I’d like to see return to the big screen, my television screen or DVD collection.
Here is my list of Scream Queens I Want To Reign Again!
1. Cassandra Peterson – Elvira, Mistress of The Dark herself! Cassandra has been one of the biggest female names in horror since the 1980s. Her career achievements as the hostess with the most-ess on “Movie Macabre,” have made her absolutely legendary. Despite the resurrection of her television show and a supporting role in All About Evil, Cassandra has been noticeably missing from the mainstream horror market. Hopefully, it’s only a matter of time before she returns to the camp, blood red screen.
2. Heather Langenkamp – Also legendary in her own right, Heather starred as Nancy Thompson in three of the icon Nightmare on Elm Street movies. To her credit, Heather had a cameo in the latest Star Trek feature and worked behind the scenes on Cabin In The Woods, but she hasn’t headlined a horror/scifi title in years. Now is the perfect time for her to return and prove why she was always audience’s favorite survivor girl.
3. Sarah Michelle Gellar – I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream 2, and “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” Sarah was one of the last leading ladies of the teen-horror genre. She held her place in the horror community many years later with titles such as Scooby Doo, The Grudge, and The Return. In recent years Ms. Prinze has moved away from horror and focused on independent dramas, a horrible CW show, and a comedy where she is a co-lead with Robin Williams. However, we all know you can’t keep a good slayer down!
4. Eliza Dushku – Another “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” alumni, Eliza probably has the least horror film credits, but the most prominent science fiction television roles. Soul Survivor, Wrong Turn, The Alphabet Killer, and Open Graves are no match for her leading roles on “Angel,” “True Calling,” “Dollhouse,” and “Hunk and The Agents of S.M.A.S.H.” Now Eliza appeared as a guest on an episode of “The Talking Dead,” and I think the hit AMC series is the perfect place for her to make her on screen horror comeback!
5. Linda Blair – It must suck to be famous for throwing up pea soup and backwards crab walking down the stairs, but Linda managed to take her time after The Exorcist to build a respectable career in Hollywood and even kickstart her own charities. Her screen time has remained steady, but her only noteworthy jobs include Hell Night, a cameo in Scream, and hosting “The Scariest Places on Earth.” She’s a classy and talented lady, but I can still see her in any flick that mirrors Insidious or The Conjuring.
6. Jamie Lee Curtis – The only actress on this list who will probably, sadly, never appear in another horror/scifi again. Arguably one of the most popular scream queens of all time, Jamie is most known for her role as Laurie Strode in four Halloween movies, The Fog, Prom Night, Terror Train, and Virus. However, Jamie has stated a number of times that she is unwilling to return to our favorite genre again. But, you never know. Her mother – another popular scream queen, Janet Leigh – returned to the genre in what would be one of the last roles of her career. Maybe history will repeat itself to a certain extent?
7. Diora Baird – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, Night of The Demons remake, and 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, Diora is probably the most mainstream actress on this list. Recently, it looks like her career may have hit a rough patch before it really began, but I’m hoping to see her tackle another horror film role soon.
8. Gabby West – Where in the world is Gabby San Diego? I mean, Gabby West. In 2010, Gabby was one of many hopefuls who competed in “VH1’s Scream Queens;” a contest where aspiring actresses competed for a small part in the latest Saw film. Gabby won the contract, although her role was extremely scaled down. Shortly afterward she had a featured part in one segment in the Chillerama anthology. Then, after turning down a role in the Fright Night remake she…well, disappeared completely. Come back, Gabby! I know you have so much more to offer!
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