The zombie movie has gone through its fair share of ups and downs over the years, but excellent writing, quality direction, and standout showings from the subgenre’s stars have kept the apocalyptic adventures in the spotlight. The zombie genre has proven itself an excellent starting point for actors dreaming of blockbuster roles, and others have carved themselves a niche with one or two terrifyingly terrific displays.
A strong showing from an actor can be the difference between a film sinking or swimming when it comes to the box office, and when a performance is particularly great, it almost always results in the film becoming a highly enjoyable cinematic experience.
10 Tony Todd Played The Hero Before He Perfected The Villain
He has one of the most recognizable faces in horror, but before Tony Todd swapped hand for hook as the iconic Candyman, he took on the role of Ben in Tom Savini’s Night of the Living Dead remake.
Having such huge shoes to fill, remakes can be a risky business, but Savini and Todd pulled it off, treating audiences to a worthy update to the zombie movie that started it all. Todd’s performance is a highlight and one that would set him up for decades of prominence within the horror genre.
9 The Infected Aren’t As Dangerous As Cristopher Eccleston’s Major Henry West
In cinema, the post-apocalyptic landscape has often been traversed by slow, stumbling hordes of the undead, but in 2002, the subgenre got a serious shot in the arm with the terrifying addition of 28 Days Later‘s quick-running infected.
The nightmare-inducing scenes are made all the more horrific when Christopher Eccleston’s gruesome villain Major Henry West shows up and offers a new kind of threat to the film’s heroes. He’s as loathsome as they come, and the British actor keeps eyes glued to the screen whenever he’s on it.
8 Arnold Schwarzenegger Gave A Career Performance In Maggie
Despite an incredible career of box office dominance, questions had always remained around Arnold Schwarzenegger’s abilities as a dramatic actor— but the Austrian actor would change all that in 2015 with his performance in the zombie drama Maggie.
On the whole, the film doesn’t offer up anything incredibly new to the genre. Yet critics singled out Schwarzenegger’s intimate and nuanced showing, with many declaring it not just the highlight of the film, but one of the highlights of Schwarzenegger’s entire acting career.
7 Few Have Played It As Effortlessly Cool As Ken Foree In Dawn Of The Dead
After George Romero raised the dead in 1968 with Night of the Living Dead, the writer/director gave the world a new showcase of the apocalypse ten years later. Dawn of the Dead wasn’t just a huge hit, it was another genre-defining masterpiece from the godfather of the zombie movie genre.
Ken Foree’s performance as Peter Washington stole the show, and his delivery of the famous line, “When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the earth” stands as one of the most iconic in all of cinema.
6 Train To Busan Was Ma Dong-Seok’s Ticket To The Top
Just when the zombie genre was starting to show signs of rot, the Korean action horror film Train To Busan came along and infected the genre with new life. The undead outbreak on a high-speed train is regarded as one of the very best the genre has to offer, and this would not be the case without the stellar performances of its cast.
Ma Dong-Seok is the standout, and the movie owes some of its finest moments to his humorous and heroic turn. Keep an eye out for the Korean star in Marvel’s upcoming movie Eternals.
5 REC Helped Manuela Velasco Find Her Footing As A Movie Star
The combination of found-footage horror and the undead proved to be a most excellent one in the case of the Spanish horror movie REC. The film’s star, Manuela Velasco, catapulted herself to stardom with an awe-inspiring performance as reporter Angela Vidal.
Velasco took viewers by the hand, forced them to care for her character and raised the stakes, upping the sense of dread in the process. She won multiple awards for her performance, including a Goya Award, Spain’s equivalent of an Oscar.
4 Zombies Are No Match For Ving Rhames In Dawn Of The Dead
On paper, a tough-talking, no-nonsense zombie killer sounds like the perfect role for Ving Rhames. And the former Marsellus Wallace brought his signature brand of badassery to Zack Snyder’s Dawn Of The Dead remake in 2004, more than living up to expectations.
The movie itself was a huge success too, with Snyder’s expert direction, James Gunn’s sharp script, and Rhames’ zombie skull-cracking antics combining to make Dawn Of The Dead not only one of the genre’s best remakes but one of horror’s finest films in general.
3 Simon Pegg Put The Jokes On The Page, Then Brought Them To Life On Screen
There’s an undeniable gold standard when it comes to comedy zombies movies, and that is Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. The British film is regarded as one of the very best the genre has ever seen, it’s as hilarious as it is horrifying, and Simon Pegg’s exceptionally human portrayal of the titular Shaun was arguably the key to its success.
Shaun of the Dead won numerous awards, including ones for Pegg’s acting performance and his hand in crafting the brilliant screenplay.
2 James Karen Became A Horror Legend With His Role In Return Of The Living Dead
In the movie business, awards don’t come easy, but James Karen earned himself a Best Actor Saturn Award nomination for his role in the delightful Return of the Living Dead. The movie was a fresh take on the rotten flesh, and James Karen’s talent added heavyweight legitimacy to the picture.
Though Karen Didn’t win, he would receive an honorary Saturn award for his contributions to the horror genre. A true great when it comes to scares on the screen.
1 Duane Jones Did It First, And No One’s Done It Better Since
In 1968, George Romero didn’t just create the zombie genre, he also gave audiences the very first African-American lead in a horror movie. Romero wasn’t making a statement— Duane Jones simply gave the best audition. And considering that casting a black actor as the hero amongst predominantly white characters was a controversial move at the time, it speaks volumes about the level of talent that Jones possessed.
Duane Jones paved the way for stars in the zombie genre and beyond, and his significance in horror and cinema itself cannot be understated and doesn’t get enough recognition.
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