Worst2First: My Top Ten Actors Who First Appeared in Terrible Horror Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Actors Who First Appeared 

in Terrible Horror Films

Some actors are lucky enough to appear in a breakout performance that catapulted them to superstar status overnight, while others had to work to get to where they're at.  Typically, horror films feature several actors since the purpose of most of them is to increase a body count, and some of today's most notable actors got their start in cheesy, forgettable, and downright terrible horror films that they probably would wish people forgot about.  But on the bright side, this could give hope to those who've appeared in terrible horror films that maybe their career isn't over before it began.

Here are my top ten actors who first appeared in terrible horror films, worst2first (first being the utmost worst)...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Kate Mara

Urban Legends: Bloody Mary

 Before appearing in series like "American Horror Story" and "House of Cards," along with films like "Fantastic Four," "Zoom," and "Megan Leavey," Kate Mara starred in this direct-to-DVD sequel to the "Urban Legends" franchise as the film's main heroine Samantha Owens.  She sets out to save her friends from an evil presence that she and her friends accidentally unleashed, and to keep it in the family, Kate's sister Rooney (who's now a two-time Academy Award nominee) makes a cameo appearance as well.

#9

Amy Adams

Psycho Beach Party

In her second film role, six-time Oscar nominee Amy Adams plays Marvel Ann (an obvious parallel to "Gilligan's Island" character Mary Ann), who must evade a killer who's stalking teenagers on the beach in this comedy horror parody of 1960s beach movies and slasher films.  The movie also featured "Criminal Minds" star Thomas Gibson and "Buffy" star Nicholas Brendon and ends up not being funny, not being scary, and easily forgettable.

#8

George Clooney

Return to Horror High

Two-time Oscar winner George Clooney has had several missteps that are famous - most notably playing Batman (and his Bat-Nipples) in "Batman & Robin" - but few probably remember his second film appearance, playing Oscar, an actor playing cop investigating murders at a local high school.  

#7

Angela Bassett

Critters 4

Before playing the iconic Tina Turner in her Academy Award-nominated performance, Angela Bassett starred in the fourth film of the "Critters" franchise that did what every other horror franchise on the slow descend to demise did - go into space. 

#6

Brad Pitt

Cutting Class

Before his breakout performance in "Thelma & Louise" and way before earning two Academy Awards and becoming People's Sexiest Man Alive, Brad Pitt appeared in this forgettable teenage slasher flick as the traditional jock who's one of a bunch of teens that are targeted by a deranged killer - or he could be the killer himself.  Either way, at least the film didn't kill one thing - his career.

#5

Tom Hanks

He Knows You're Alone

Before becoming the nicest guy in Hollywood with a repertoire that'd make any thespian jealous, Tom Hanks first appeared in this "Halloween" and "Black Christmas" ripoff slasher film, playing - of course - the local nice guy.  Even at the start Hanks was born to eternally be the nice guy.

#4

Leonardo DiCaprio

Critters 3

Before finally earning an Oscar for being mauled by a bear, Leonardo DiCaprio was a pint-sized actor who got his start in the television series "Growing Pains" as well as this cheesy third film in the "Critters" franchise (too bad Angela Bassett didn't take notice before appearing in the fourth).  This was his first appearance in a "major" film, and he played a resourceful kid trying to avoid being eaten by the alien furballs.

#3

Paul Rudd

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers

Before donning the Ant-Man suit and becoming a Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero, Paul Rudd made his first feature-film appearance in the sixth installment of the "Halloween" franchise as the grown-up Tommy Doyle (the child that Jamie Lee Curtis babysat in the iconic first film).  "The Curse of Michael Myers" more than lived up to its name, becoming the most nonsensical, pointless sequel in the franchise to that point.

#2

Matthew McConaughey & Renee Zellweger

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation

Matthew McConaughey and Renee Zellweger have three things in common: they're both A-list actors, they both have Oscars, and they both appeared in this highly forgettable direct-to-DVD sequel to the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" franchise.  Zellweger plays the nice final girl archetypes while McConaughey plays one of the insane family members who kidnaps her and her friends and threatens to kill, dismember, and eat their corpses with the help of their famous relative Leatherface.

#1

Jennifer Aniston

Leprechaun

No one told her that her career was gonna start this way, but before her iconic performance in the long-lasting "Friends" television series, Jennifer Aniston played Tory, a no-nonsense heroine who joins a group of people when they come into contact with a maniacal leprechaun who's out to find his lost gold - and kill anyone who gets in its way.  Aniston is well-known for bashing the film, and there's no surprise why - the only shocker is why she chose to start her illustrious career with this deadbeat dud.