George Clooney to Jennifer Aniston
From horror films to the top of Hollywood
Both George Clooney (l.) and Johnny Depp appeared in horror films at the beginning of their careers.
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Not every screen star hits the big time straight away. Some of them had to go through the bone mill called low-budget horror.
“I was young and needed the money” – in the dream factory, many future superstars have taken on roles at the beginning of their careers that they don’t necessarily want to be at the top of their CV. As is well known, Sylvester Stallone (77) initially starred in sleazy soft porn films, while other Hollywood greats ended up in a genre that most of them are no longer known for: horror films. What better occasion than the spooky festival of Halloween to pick up some skeletons from the career basement of today’s stars like George Clooney (62) or Jennifer Aniston (54)?
George Clooney and other men of horror
Long before he broke many hearts as Doctor Doug Ross in the television series “Emergency Room”, he had to prove himself in a supporting role as a police officer in 1987’s “Return to Horror High”. Clooney was already 26 years old at the time, but it was his first real role in a movie. By the way, the horror comedy was only available in a shortened version in this country until 2013.
Tom Hanks
What, Tom “Mister Nice Guy” Hanks (67) starred in a horror film at the beginning of his career? Oh yeah! “Panic Fear” from 1980 is about a woman murderer who assassinates brides shortly before their wedding. Hanks recalled decades later back to the film that marked his film debut: “A low-budget slasher – we shot it in the freezing cold on Staten Island in an amusement park in January.”
Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp (60) is probably the most famous victim of the nightmare figure Freddy Krueger: But before he literally exploded in a fountain of blood in “Nightmare – Murderous Dreams” in 1984, hardly anyone knew the later “Pirates of the Caribbean” star. Previously, Depp had only appeared in a few music videos, such as Tom Petty’s clip for his hit “Into the Great Wide Open”.
Leonardo DiCaprio
If you have to name a current Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio (48) should be one of the first to be mentioned. The star, who can be seen in the cinema with “Killers of the Flower Moon”, started small in 1991: He had a role in “Critters 3”, which in German was given the wonderful addition “The Kuschelkiller are coming”. Just two years later, DiCaprio earned his first Oscar nomination for his performance in “Gilbert Grape: Somewhere in Iowa.”
Kevin Bacon
Actor Kevin Bacon (65) even leased the horror genre at the beginning of his career. Four years before he pursued his passion for dancing in 1984’s “Footloose,” he was in “Friday the 13th.” lose his life. As part of a group of young people, he was targeted by hockey mask killer Jason. Exactly ten years later he also appeared in the horror comedy “Tremors – In the Land of the Rocket Worms”.
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen (65) recently celebrated his 65th birthday. While the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy made him a late superstar shortly after the turn of the millennium, his career before that was largely marked by unknown streaks. One of his earliest works was the 1990 sequel “Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III”, in which the chainsaw was fired up once again.
Matthew McConaughey
Mortensen is in good company. Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (53) also experienced a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” up close. Five years later he appeared as the star of “Lord of the Rings” in the fourth part, called “The Return”. Hard to imagine, but true: an Oscar winner also kept him company in the film.
Renée Zellweger and other “Scream Queens” in training
“Bridget Jones” star Renée Zellweger (54) actually played the female lead in “Texas Chainsaw Massacre – The Return”. But she and McConaughey didn’t pull together: In contrast to her, he belonged to the murderous Sawyer family around chainsaw man Leatherface and therefore wanted to literally get to Zellweger.
Charlize Theron
What does the journey look like for Oscar winner Charlize Theron (48)? Around nine years before she was awarded a Golden Boy and a Golden Globe for “Monster,” among other things, it all began for her with “Children of Wrath III.” No, despite her blonde hair, Theron was not one of the children in question; she was already 20 years old at the time and could only be seen in a small supporting role.
Jennifer Aniston
After Jennifer Aniston (54) had already appeared in several TV series, her film career began in the mid-90s and just a year before her “Friends” coup. But she wouldn’t have wanted to live in a shared apartment with the main character of this film: in 1993 she was the female lead in the horror film “Leprechaun – The Killer Goblin”.
Rooney Mara
Like Johnny Depp, Rooney Mara (38) also had to deal with the scary face Freddy Krueger – although almost 25 years later in the 2010 remake. Mara’s film debut, however, was “Düstere Legenden 3”, which was released in 2005. Although she only had a very small part, the main role at least remained in the family…
Kate Mara
Because Rooney Mara’s older sister Kate Mara (40) got the main female role in the second sequel to the 1998 original. However, this couldn’t be admired on the big screen; “Düstere Legenden 3” was one of those sequels that was released directly on DVD.
Chloe Grace Moretz
At 26 years old, Chloë Grace Moretz (26) already has an impressive resume. No wonder, after all, she was in front of the camera as a small child. One of her first films was the 2005 horror flick “Amityville Horror – A True Story”. It is the remake of the 1979 classic. Moretz’s father, who is increasingly losing his mind, is played by Ryan Reynolds (46).