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The horror genre has given us some of the most iconic actresses in cinema history. These Scream Queens didn’t just run from killers in heels; they carved out legendary careers that made us fall in love with terror itself. What started as an exploitative practice eventually became a feminist war cry within the genre.
But what happens when the cameras stop rolling and the fake blood gets washed off? Let’s check in on some of our favorite Scream Queens and see what they’ve been up to when they’re not rocking our worlds.
Jamie Lee Curtis
The ultimate final girl herself has been busier than a teenager trying to survive a horror movie sequel. Curtis never really left the horror scene, she just expanded her empire. After terrorizing audiences as Laurie Strode for decades, she’s become Hollywood royalty in the truest sense.
Between her recent return to the Halloween franchise (which gave us some of the most satisfying Michael Myers beatdowns in cinema history) and her Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Curtis proves that Scream Queens can age like fine wine. She’s also become the internet’s favorite wholesome mom, posting Instagram content that makes you want her to adopt you immediately. If you thought she was fierce fighting The Shape, you should see her defending her family at award shows.
Honestly, watching her evolution has been like watching your cool mom become even cooler. She went from running away from Michael Myers to literally beating him with a crowbar, and that character development hits different when you’re in your thirties.
Neve Campbell
Sidney Prescott taught us that the best way to survive a horror movie is to be smarter than everyone else in the room, and Campbell has applied that logic to her career choices. After establishing herself as the queen of meta-horror with the Scream franchise, she dominated television with Party of Five and later proved she still had the goods with Netflix’s House of Cards.
Campbell has been selective about her horror returns, which honestly makes sense when you’ve already perfected the genre. She recently stepped away from and then rejoined the Scream franchise due to salary disputes, proving that even final girls know their worth. You have to respect the play. If you’ve survived Ghostface multiple times, you should get paid accordingly.
Thomasin McKenzie
Speaking of modern Scream Queens who are redefining the genre, McKenzie has quickly become the actress we didn’t know we needed. After her breakout role in Old, where she somehow made that premise seem enjoyable, McKenzie has been building a ranged portfolio.
McKenzie has moved between horror and prestige drama like she’s playing genre hopscotch. From Last Night in Soho to Jojo Rabbit, she’s proven that Scream Queens don’t have to be pigeonholed into one type of role. The girl can go from being terrorized by rapid aging to carrying a World War II dramedy, and somehow make both feel effortless.
McKenzie is currently engaged with 8 new projects. Honestly, we can’t wait to see what this new Scream Queen does next.
Vera Farmiga
The Conjuring universe wouldn’t exist without Farmiga’s Lorraine Warren, and we should probably send her a thank you card for that. She’s managed to make paranormal investigation look both sophisticated and absolutely pants wettingly scary, which is no small feat when you’re working opposite demons that look like they were designed by someone’s worst nightmares.
Beyond her horror work, Farmiga has been killing it in television with Bates Motel, where she played Norman’s mother with the perfect blend of maternal love and complete psychological instability. Watching her in that show was like getting a masterclass in how to be both sympathetic and absolutely unhinged.
Farmiga is continuing her roles in TV and film. She is currently involved with 5 projects, including the newest Conjuring film. Someone should tell her that even Scream Queens needs to rest.
Anya Taylor-Joy
If you thought The Witch was Taylor-Joy’s only contribution to horror, then you clearly haven’t been paying attention to her meteoric rise. She’s become the actress who can make anything feel slightly unsettling, even when she’s playing chess in The Queen’s Gambit or driving fast cars in Furiosa.
Taylor-Joy has this weird ability to bring an otherworldly quality to every role, whether she’s dealing with actual supernatural forces or just making period pieces feel haunted. It’s like she permanently has one foot in the uncanny valley, and somehow that works for literally everything she does.
She’s currently one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood. Her haunting stare lets you know that she can be your greatest ally or consume your soul in an instant. If unsettling beauty was an Olympic sport, she’d have more gold medals than we could count.
Barbara Crampton
The queen of 80s horror has been experiencing a career renaissance that proves good scream queens never really die, they just lurk in the shadows. After defining a generation of horror with films like Re-Animator and From Beyond, Crampton took a break and then came back swinging harder than ever.
Her recent work in films like You’re Next and We Are Still Here shows that is still one of the most unhinged Scream Queens out there.. There’s something incredibly satisfying about watching an actress who helped define 80s horror come back and show everyone how it’s done.
Crampton has also become a producer and horror advocate, helping to create opportunities for other women in the genre. She’s basically become the cool aunt of modern horror, and we’re absolutely here for it.
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