10 Horror Movies Featuring Star Wars: The Force Awakens Actors
There’s nothing bigger in the world right now than the impending release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a geek event of epic proportions that’s set to shatter existing box office records and make grown men cry tears of pure joy. It’s going to be glorious, and we cannot freakin’ wait.
Of course, we haven’t been covering the film here on Dread because, well, it’s simply not a horror movie, but we wouldn’t feel right not at least celebrating the hotly-anticipated release in our own way. And looking through the cast list on IMDb, we found the inspiration to do precisely that.
Here are 10 horror movies starring Star Wars: The Force Awakens actors!
1) HARRISON FORD – WHAT LIES BENEATH (2000)
One of the most exciting aspects of The Force Awakens is that Harrison Ford is reprising the role of Han Solo for the first time in over 30 years, which means that his legendary career has finally come full circle. The Robert Zemeckis-directed What Lies Beneath is one of only two horror films on the actor’s lengthy resume, and in it he plays a wealthy scientist who turns out to be a cold-blooded killer. It’s one of the rare films wherein Ford plays a villain, as he’s typically the good guy/hero.
2) CARRIE FISHER – SORORITY ROW (2009)
Alongside Ford, Carrie Fisher also makes her return to the world of Star Wars in The Force Awakens, reprising the role of Princess Leia. In 2000, Fisher appeared in Scream 3, though her shining moment in the horror genre came courtesy of Sorority Row – the entertaining remake of 1983 slasher The House on Sorority Row. Fisher played Theta Pi house mother Mrs. Crenshaw, and in one of the most memorable scenes, she wields a shotgun and shows just how badass she is.
3) MARK HAMILL – BODY BAGS (1993)
You of course can’t have Star Wars without Luke Skywalker, and indeed Mark Hamill will also be making an appearance in The Force Awakens. Hamill has recently become known for voicing animated villains like The Joker, but in 1993 horror anthology Body Bags, he got to show off his evil chops as a baseball player who becomes a madman after he receives an eye transplant from a donor who happened to be a serial killer. His hammy performance is the film’s highlight.
4) PETER MAYHEW – TERROR (1978)
Yet another returning fan-favorite star in The Force Awakens is English actor Peter Mayhew, whose claim to fame is playing the lovable Wookie known as Chewbacca in all three of the original Star Wars films. Aside from his many appearances on various TV shows as Chewie, Mayhew has very few acting credits to his name, though he did briefly appear as “The Mechanic” in the UK horror movie Terror. It was released just one year after Star Wars: A New Hope.
5) KENNY BAKER – CIRCUS OF HORRORS (1960)
Rounding out the roster of returning originals is diminutive actor Kenny Baker, who will once again be the man playing R2-D2. It’s interesting to note that Baker is one of only two actors to appear in all Star Wars films to date, the other being Anthony Daniels (C-3PO). Nearly 20 years before he first played the character, Baker got his acting start as an uncredited dwarf in the 1960 film Circus of Horrors, which is set at a carnival freak show wherein performers are being killed off.
6) MAX VON SYDOW – THE EXORCIST (1973)
In addition to old favorites, many brand new characters will be introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and one of them goes by the name Lor San Tekka. The supporting character is described as the elder of a village on the desert planet Jakku, and he’s played by none other than legendary actor Max von Sydow. Here in the horror world, the Swedish star is most known for playing Father Lankester Merrin in The Exorcist, and he also starred in Shutter Island.
7) SIMON PEGG – SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
Many of us were first introduced to Simon Pegg when he played the title character in the horror-comedy Shaun of the Dead, and the English actor has gone on to have one hell of a career in Hollywood. Pegg is a close personal friend of The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams, appearing in his films Star Trek Into Darkness and Mission: Impossible 3, and he will have a cameo role as some sort of costumed creature in the new Star Wars movie. Keep your eyes peeled!
8) JOHN BOYEGA – ATTACK THE BLOCK (2011)
Whether or not it’s a horror movie is up for debate, but here on Dread Central we’re big time fans of the 2011 film Attack the Block, a hugely entertaining adventure that saw inner city kids battling outer space aliens. British actor John Boyega made his feature debut in the movie, and his star is set to rise to the next level in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, wherein he plays a First Order Stormtrooper by the name of Finn. Needless to say, now is a great time to revisit Attack the Block.
9) DOMHNALL GLEESON – BOY EATS GIRL (2005)
Young Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson already made quite an impression earlier this year in the sci-fi film Ex Machina, and he’s also known for recently portraying Bill Weasley in both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. A decade ago, Gleeson made his feature debut in the Irish horror-comedy Boy Eats Girl, playing a secondary character named Bernard. In The Force Awakens, he’ll be featured as new character General Hux – a member of the First Order.
10) GREG GRUNBERG – BIG ASS SPIDER! (2013)
And last but certainly not least, we were thrilled to hear that Greg Grunberg will be appearing in The Force Awakens, playing Resistance pilot Snap Wexley. You may recognize Grunberg from Mike Mendez’s mega-sized creature feature Big Ass Spider!, and the actor briefly reprised his role from that film in this year’s holiday anthology Tales of Halloween. Grunberg previously appeared in the J.J. Abrams-directed films Mission: Impossible 3 and Super 8.
