In the 1970s, the Final Girl slashed her way into the horror film trope and never looked back. We loved her for it! The term Final Girl was used for the heroine who ultimately took down the villain and lived to tell the tale. Think Laurie Strode and Sally Hardesty.
Later on, the term Scream Queen emerged to celebrate actresses who did more than just play the damsel in distress. These women took the horror film industry by storm, embracing roles in a genre that many actors avoided at the time. Horror was long seen as a niche and often not respected within the industry.
Our Final Girls of the ‘70s helped pave the way for modern Scream Queens who came in kicking doors down. Think Sophie Thatcher and Mia Goth.
That being said, we also have some gentlemen who have stepped into the horror spotlight, giving our Scream Queens a worthy counterpart. This list idea actually came to me while I was browsing a Facebook horror group. (Yes, yes, I know. Who’s on Facebook anymore? Apparently… me.)
One commenter wrote: “My favorite horror subgenre is Justin Long having a bad day.” And honestly? I felt that on a spiritual level.
So let’s get into it and give some love to the guys who suffer, scream, slash, and survive right along our horror heroines. These are my personal favorite actors in the horror/thriller scene.
10. Choi Min-sik
I saw the Devil / Choi Min-sik as Kyung-chul, a serial killer who is being hunted down by a victim’s agent husband.
This actor’s contributions are more quality than quantity. As the serial killer Kyung-chul, in I Saw the Devil, Choi Min-sik gives the world the most disturbing, layered villain performance in modern horror/thriller cinema. Even when he plays villains, he is never overanimated; he uses posture, breathing, and eye movement to amplify his menacing demeanor. This iconic performance was brutal, layered, and unforgettable. Cementing his place in the horror/thriller genre.
However, before that film, he was involved with the most iconic South Korean revenge trilogy of all time, The Vengeance Trilogy by Park Chan-wook; Choi was cast in two of the three films. His most notable performance was Oh Dae-su in Oldboy (2003). Choi’s performance not only brought international attention to this thriller subgenre of vengeance films, but he also performed one of the most iconic one-shots of all time.
His hallway hammer fight scene became so iconic that it is still being used as a standard shot for action fight sequences (the TV series Daredevil used it twice in two separate seasons). His performance in this film showed that psychological horror could blend beautifully with tragedy and brutality. He is known for his ability to shift between calm and feral instantly. Making him a perfect fit for any horror or thriller film he is in.
Other notable films: Lady Vengeance (2005), I Saw the Devil (2010), Exhuma (2024), The Quiet Family (1998)
9. Evan Peters
American Horror Story / Evan Peters as Tate Landon, a school shooter turned Murder House captive.
Evan Peters has shown us his impressive acting range across multiple seasons of AHS, from disturbed to tragic to outright villainous. This versatility has landed him his horror TV legacy. His portrayal of Tate Langdon, a romanticized school shooter turned captive ghost, in AHS: Murder House, established him as a breakout horror star almost immediately. AHS: Asylum, the series second season, had him flip the script on us as Kit Walker; showing us he could carry the horror from the victim’s perspective without missing a beat. Peters continued to walk that tightrope act throughout his time on the series.
Netflix and Ryan Murphy clearly saw his ability to hold his own in the horror/thriller series and gave him the role of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in Monster, a series that gives the viewers the story behind the headlines. Peters was the opener for the new Netflix show. He brought a dark, awkward, discounted, and emotionally stunted performance to the series. His eyes were everything in this role; they appeared black and empty, no matter how gentle he seemed on screen. The horror of Monster was that this all really happened, and Peters reminded us that it was a man who did all those heinous crimes, and the title Monster was just a tagline.
Other notable films/shows: American Horror Story (2011), The Lazarus Effect (2015), Beauty (2026)
8. Song Kang-ho
Thirst / Song Kang-ho as Sang-Hyun, a Priest who becomes a vampire due to an experimental medical procedure.
Song Kang-ho has built an outstanding career across many genres, but his work in the horror/ thriller industry stands out. His performances often shift between intense psychological depth and dark humor, making him one of the most compelling actors in South Korea.
Before the international success of Parasite, one of his most notable roles was in Memories of Murder (2003). Song played a rural detective, Park Doo-man, chasing a serial killer who strangles women and leaves their bodies on the side of isolated country roads. The film was based on a real-life case that remains unsolved to this day. The iconic final shot, where Park stares directly into the camera, was said to be amid the killer himself; the director felt that the killer may have watched the film.
Then there is Thirst. Though it does have some flaws, it was one of the more original vampire films for its time. Song delivers one of his most unsettling and layered performances. He took on the role of a devout priest, Sang-hyeon, who undergoes a medical experiment, only to become a vampire. The way Song balances horror, dark humor, and tragic humanity in this film made him a staple in the genre. Song has continued to shape horror/thriller cinema throughout many films with his top-tier acting abilities.
Other notable films: The Quiet Family (1998), Sympathy for Mr.Vengeance (2002), Thirst (2009), Howling (2012), Parasite (2019)
7. Tobin Bell
Saw (franchise) / Tobin Bell as John Kramer, a dying serial killer who puts his victims through torture games.
Tobin Bell solidified his stake in the horror cinema world with this franchise. His chilling yet calm demeanor as Jigsaw made the character iconic and real. We have never really seen this type of horror villain before. Jigsaw is calm, intelligent, philosophical, terminally ill, and tied to a morality he is convinced is right.
Bell’s take on the character made Saw a powerhouse franchise. Say what you want about the plot, we come back for two reasons and two reasons only. Tobin Bell as Jigsaw and the kill traps! That’s it. Bell has been a staple in horror cinema for years. Saw just made him a little more mainstream, and his sidekick, Billy, is a Halloween costume. He gave us a character who has a depth that is unmatched by horror icons before him; he isn’t supernatural or ambiguous. He is an intellectual, frail, dying man with a mission and a game. Tobin Bell is a permanent fixture in horror cinema.
Fun Fact: Tobin Bell himself really isn’t a fan of horror films.
Other notable films: Dark House (2014), The Sandman (2017), Belzerbuth (2017), The Call (2020), The Curse of the Clown Motel (2023)
6. Matthew Lillard
Scream / Matthew Lillard as Stu Macher, the secondary antagonist who succumbs to his best friend Billy and helps kill as Ghostface.
Matthew Lillard stabbed his way into the horror genre with his unhinged performance as one of the Ghostface killers. Due to his sweet demeanor and excellent comedic timing, he has solidified himself as horror’s sweetheart. (Sorry, Quentin, no one cares about your opinion.)
Lillard’s horror legacy thirteen as built on the comedic energy and dark tone he brought to the 90s meta-slasher film Scream. He was even brought back 30 years later after his role in the original 1996 film. This actor has undeniable longevity in the horror world. He is a multi-generational Comic-Con favorite with a cult-classic type fanbase.
To millennials, he is Stu Macher, one of two knife-wielding Ghostface killers and Dennis Rafkin, the psychic who introduced us to The Jackal and The Juggernaut, in Thirteen Ghosts (2001).
To Gen Z & Gen Alfa he will be known as William Afton, aka Spring Trap from the Five Nights at Freddy’s franchise. He’s a father turned child-killing animatronic. That fanbase is loyal, and they deep-dive into all things FNAF. They welcomed Lillard with open arms.
Two completely different generations have this horror icon in common, and it wasn’t forced or a callback. Lillard was just made for the genre; he knows his lane, he knows his fan base, and he delivers every time.
Other notable films: Scream (1996), The Curve (1998), Thirteen Ghosts (2001), Five Nights at Freddy’s (2023)
5. Kyle Gallner
Haunting in Connecticut / Kyle Gallner as Matt Campbell, a young boy who is dying from cancer. In the family’s new home, he starts seeing ghosts.
Kyle Gallner has developed a solid reputation as a modern Scream King due to his frequent appearances in many well-received independent horror films. Such as The Cleansing Hour (2019), The Passenger (2023), and my personal favorite, Strange Darling (2023). His performances often involve emotionally complex or morally ambiguous characters, which adds depth and realness to any story he takes on.
Gallner’s willingness to take on bold, unconventional roles, along with his dedication to the indie horror film industry, has made him an independent filmmaker’s go-to actor. He is supported within the industry and loved amongst fans of the genre as he remains active in the community through horror festivals and conventions.
Gallner has a way of grounding even the most absurd film that could border on campy. Yet he has never crossed that line; his consistency and acting evolution make him one of the most dependable actors in modern horror.
As horror continues to evolve, so will Gallner’s body of work. He has proven time and time again that he can take on a mainstream role like Smile or an independent role like The Passenger, and he will deliver something every horror viewer will absolutely love!
Other notable films: The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), Jennifer’s Body (2009), A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010), The Cleansing Hour (2019), Smile (2022), The Passenger (2023)
4. Patrick Wilson
Insidious (franchise) / Patrick Wilson as Josh Lambert, a father who faces a dark past he has forgotten through his son.
What makes Patrick Wilson stand out is more than just the number of horror films he has done; it’s his consistency when it comes to performance. Across not one but two of the biggest horror franchises of the 21st century, Wilson took the supernatural subgenre to a mainstream level unheard of before. Instead of being just another victim, Wilson plays the protector, the investigator, or the father trying to hold his family together while facing the terrifying unknown.
Patrick Wilson acted his way into becoming one of the faces of popular blockbuster-level supernatural horror. Giving us two major franchises, The Conjuring and Insidious. Many male horror actors tend to play dark villains in this genre, but Patrick Wilson has built his horror career portraying grounded, empathic men taking on the unknown with grace, sincerity, and emotional realism in a supernatural world.
Wilson even landed a Stephen King and Joe Hill book-to-film adaptation, In the Tall Grass (2019), which aligns beautifully with his supernatural horror film choices to date. Wilson tends to lean into horror/dramas; there’s more heart and psychological terror rather than just blood and gore. His performance steers clear of any campiness. Even if the plot gets out of hand, he plays them straight and keeps the viewers invested. He took the supernatural tropes of Haunted Families and Demon Hunters to a level where emotional storytelling can thrive, as we still jump from our seats.
Other notable films: Insidious (franchise, 2010-2023), The Conjuring (franchise, 2013-2021), Bone Tomahawk (2015), Hard Candy (2005)
3. Ethan Hawke
The Black Phone / Ethan Hawke as The Grabber
Ethan Hawke walks the line between playing villain and playing victim so flawlessly. He is one of the very few respected, dramatic Oscar-nominated actors to consistently return to horror. Throughout the early 2000s to present-time, he has helped to define modern supernatural and psychological horror. One of his early roles came in Daybreakers (2009), a vampire thriller where Hawke plays a scientist searching for a cure in a world dominated by vampires. This film was a standout due to the crossing of genres—horror, sci-fi, and social commentary—and Hawkes’ performance gave the film emotional weight while keeping true to its dark and unusual premise.
In Sinister, we watch him as Ellison Oswalt, a spiraling and struggling writer whose denial turns into pure obsession fueled by fear. You felt yourself spiraling out alongside him. Meanwhile, as The Grabber from The Black Phone, we see him lean into voice work and body language to portray the masked villain, delivering a theatrical, yet deeply disturbing, manipulative, and menacing performance. Making you feel so deeply for the danger those children were in, his acting in the first Black Phone wasn’t loud; it was soft-voiced and childlike in such a creepy manner.
Antagonist or protagonist, Hawke gives horror fans what they want every time; he knows how to exist in the horror world so effortlessly. Hawke is the thinking man’s actor and brings that gift to horror films with ease and presence.
Other notable films: Taking Lives (2004), Daybreakers (2009), Sinister (2012), Sinister 2 (2015), The Black Phone (2021), Black Phone 2 (2025)
2. Bill Skarsgård
Welcome to Derry / Bill Skarsgård as Bob Gray & Pennywise, a struggling single father working in a carnival and raising his little girl, before Pennywise decides to use his likeness for all eternity.
When talking about modern-day Scream Kings, Bill Skarsgård is definitely a name on the tip of every horror fan’s tongue. For well over a decade, he has built a reputation for taking on some more seriously unsettling roles and helping to bring a new wave of horror to mainstream audiences.
Skarsgård’s biggest impact on the horror genre was his role as Pennywise the Dancing Clown from Stephen King’s novel, It. The reboot was incredibly successful. Instead of trying to match what Tim Curry had done in the miniseries, he made his take on the iconic clown feel fresh and genuinely creepy. Instead of relying on just jump scares, he used disturbing and strange facial expressions paired with awkward movements and an eerie voice. Winning over the older generation and introducing It to a whole new one.
Skarsgård has continued showing up in other horror film projects and series for years now. Hemlock Grove is a horror fantasy series where he starred as Roman Godfrey, The Crow as Eric Draven in the reimagined version of the 1994 original film, and Nosferatu as the legendary Count Orlok. His performance was pure horror gold and was probably his most unsettling role to date.
The thing that makes Skarsgård stand out is how he transforms into his roles. He doesn’t just play scary characters; he totally disappears into them. Due to that level of commitment, the impact of his roles will live on forever as icons of the horror industry.
Other notable films: Hemlock Grove (2013-2015), It (2017), It Chapter 2 (2019), Castle Rock (2018-2019), Barbarian (2022), Nosferatu (2024), The Crow (2024)
1. Justin Long
Tusk / Justin Long as Wallace Bryton, an American podcaster who goes to Canada to interview an old man claiming to have extraordinary life stories.
Over the past two decades, Justin Long has quietly earned his place as THE modern-day Scream King. What makes Long stand out in horror is not solely based on the number of times he appears in the genre, but it’s his performance in the way he plays genuine fear. In films such as Jeepers Creepers (2001), Drag Me to Hell (2009), and Barbarian (2022), he doesn’t “act” scared; he feels scared.
His wide-eyed reactions, the nervous humor that seeps through, and a natural vulnerability that pulls at the viewer’s heartstrings and makes us root for him. It raises the stakes every time something goes wrong with any character he plays.
Long is probably the most related-to person on this list. It is part of his appeal as an actor; he plays ordinary dudes who have been thrown into the most terrifying situations. He’s not a tough guy hero or a horror expert with all the plans; his characters are just normal people who make mistakes, panic in the face of danger, and just try to survive by doing their best. That grounded energy he brings makes the horror more effective because we can relate to either being him or knowing someone just like him.
The way Long brings a unique mix of humor and dread without feeling forced has kind of become his signature. Even in darker films, his comedic timing adds brief moments of relief, yet still maintains the undercutting tension.
Basically, Long embodies what modern horror needs: authenticity, vulnerability, and just enough boy-next-door charm to make the terror hit harder. Even if his characters are facing demons, monsters, or even something much stranger (I’m looking at you, Tusk), one thing will always be certain: when Justin Long screams, the audience will listen.
Other notable films: Drag Me to Hell (2009), Lavender (2016), Barbarian(2022), Dear David (2023), It’s a Wonderful Knife (2024)
Reflecting on the Top 10 Modern Scream Kings
These Top 10 Modern Scream Kings have changed the horror game by making it more character-driven, emotional (yes, men feel feelings too), and more socially aware. Instead of just fighting off monsters or being killed too soon, their performances rival those of their female counterparts by showing fear, trauma, and resilience.
If they are the protagonist, there is depth, charm, and they even bring the villain’s humanity to the forefront, especially since modern horror leans into bigger themes like identity, race, and mental health.
They’ve also helped elevate the genre to mainstream prestige (right? It’s about time) with strong acting, excellent storytelling, and meaningful impact through characters.