There have been some incredible horror movies made in the last ten years, but there’s also been some big losses in the industry during the same time. Take a look at some of the talented horror movie actors who have died in the last decade.
Angus Scrimm
Angus Scrimm was the source of many nightmares as “The Tall Man” in Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm and its many (many) sequels. That said, the horror actor has appeared in plenty of other creepy films throughout his career, including a few comedic takes on the genre. Scrimm died in 2016 of natural causes. He was 89.
Betsy Palmer
Betsy Palmer became a horror icon after her chilling performance as Mrs Voorhees in the original Friday the 13th movies (a role she was reportedly hesitant to take on). Palmer is one of the horror movie actors to just barely make this list, as she died in 2015.
Bill Paxton
Actor Bill Paxton has definitely enjoyed a diverse career in the industry, but some of his best roles are arguably in the horror genre. He’s been a murderous dad (Frailty), a doomed Private (Aliens), a bloodthirsty vampire (Near Dark), and everything in-between. Unfortunately, Paxton’s career was cut short as he died in 2017 due to complications from surgery.
Bradford Dillman
It’s been a while since Bradford Dillman appeared in any horror films, but he has been a part of a few cult hits in his career. Think ’70s horror flicks like the original Piranha and Bug (who wouldn’t be terrified of flesh-eating piranhas or mutant cockroaches that can start fires?). The accomplished actor was 87 years old when he passed away from complications of pneumonia in 2018.
Chris Gauthier
English actor Chris Gauthier died unexpectedly at the age of 48 following a short illness. While Gauthier is best known for his roles in the TV shows Once Upon a Time and Eureka, he also has a number of horror credits to his name. One of his most memorable roles was as the party-loving camper, Shack, in Freddy vs. Jason.
Christopher Lee
English singer and actor Christopher Lee— make that Sir Christopher Lee—had more than sixty years in the entertainment industry. He’s acted in numerous genres over the years, but his deep, commanding voice made him perfect as iconic horror villains. He’s played Count Dracula, a mummy, and the creature in The Curse of Frankenstein. The screen legend passed away in 2015 from heart failure and respiratory problems.
Clu Gulager
TV and film actor Clu Gulager (William Martin Gulager) was as much at home in a horror flick as he was in a Western. In fact, he rounded up a pretty weighty list of horror credits, including A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge and The Return of the Living Dead. Gulager passed away from natural causes at age 93.
Dick Miller
You likely know Dick Miller from cult classic horror movies like Piranha, Gremlins, and Little Shop of Horrors. Of course, he was in many more creepy flicks before he passed away in 2019. He died of a heart attack at age 90.
Donald Sutherland
While you may not necessarily associate Donald Sutherland with horror flicks, he has actually appeared in quite a few notable ones over his six-decade career. Don’t Look Now is arguably one of his most well-received endeavours in the genre, but there’s certainly a lot more where that came from. The horror movie actor died in 2024 after a long struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Erich Anderson
67-year-old Erich Anderson died from cancer in May 2024. The actor is well known in horror circles for his appearances on The X-Files and The Outer Limits. And many more will remember him screaming, “He’s killing me!” before his brutal death in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter.
Gene Wilder
It’s hard not to think of Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. But Wilder lent his eccentric flair to the comedy horror genre as well. He was in parody films like Young Frankenstein and Haunted Honeymoon. Wilder died in August 2016 from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hal Holbrook
Plenty of actors could only dream of having a career as fruitful and versatile as Hal Holbrook’s. The Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor even had a stint in horror, starring in popular films like The Fog, Rituals, and The Unholy. Holbrook passed away in January 2021 at the age of 95.
Harris Yulin
Actor Harris Yulin died from cardiac arrest in June 2025. The actor appeared in over 100 film and TV roles, including the cult classic Bad Dreams.
James Karen
James Karen remained active in Hollywood until just before he died in 2018. His seven-decade-long career included credits in a number of different genres, including horror. In fact, he’s been the cause behind several hauntings on the big screen, including bringing the ghosts and ghouls in The Poltergeist and The Return of the Living Dead.
John Ashton
Character actor John Ashton died of cancer at the age of 76. While Ashton was better known for starring alongside Eddie Murphy in the ’80s action-comedy Beverly Hills Cop, he was also a regular in the horror genre. He even had a lead role in the ’70s film So Evil, My Sister.
John Heard
John Heard might be a name you don’t know, but his face is one you definitely do. The actor is most famous for playing the dad who somehow managed to leave his son Home Alone during the holidays (more than once). However, he also had roles in a few cult-classic B-grade horror films, like C.H.U.D. and Cat People. Heard passed away in 2017 from a heart attack, complicated by heart disease.
John Saxon
John Saxon had over 200 films and TV projects to his name when he died from pneumonia in July 2020. As for Saxon’s horror résumé, it includes some of the genre’s biggest hits. You would have spotted him in movies like A Nightmare on Elm Street and From Dusk Till Dawn in the 80s and 90s.
Julian Sands
Julian Sands’ death in 2023 was just as eerie as some of the characters he portrayed in horror films. The Warlock and Romasanta actor went missing for several days before his remains were found on a hiking trail at Mount Baldy. The cause of his death is still unknown.
Margot Kidder
Chances are you’ve seen Margot Kidder as Lois Lane in one of the many Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. Kidder was also pretty big in the horror circles. She’s starred in films like The Amityville Horror, Black Christmas and Sisters. Sadly, the actress died in 2018 from a self-inflicted drug and alcohol overdose.
Mark Margolis
Emmy-nominated actor Mark Margolis died at age 83 after a short illness. He was most famous for playing Hector Salamanca in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, but is also one of the esteemed alum of the American Horror Story franchise.
Martin Landau
At 89 years old, Martin Landau died from hypovolemic shock brought on by internal bleeding and heart disease. The Oscar-winning actor’s six-decade-long career included Tim Burton hits such as Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, and the more kid-friendly horror Frankenweenie.
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow’s steely look and towering height made him a perfect fit for the horror genre. He appeared in several gruesome and supernatural films over his seven-decade career, like The Exorcist, Hour of the Wolf, Dreamscape, and Shutter Island. There was, of course, much more to the Swedish actor’s career before his death in 2020, including three episodes of Game of Thrones.
M. Emmet Walsh
Acting legend M. Emmet Walsh could pull off nearly any character handed to him with exceptional ease. This allowed him an incredibly versatile career spanning over six decades, with memorable roles in films like Blood Simple, Blade Runner, and Raising Arizona. Sadly, Walsh died in 2024 from cardiac arrest.
Michael Lerner
90s kids will remember Michael Lerner as Cher’s father, Mel, in the TV version of Clueless. He was also nominated for an Oscar for his role in Barton Fink, pulled off a pretty convincing “villain” in the fan-fave Christmas movie Elf, and was one of the few highlights of the horror movie Omen IV: The Awakening. The acclaimed actor definitely had a colourful acting career before dying of complications from brain seizures in 2023.
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane passed away in 2022 from multiple organ failure. Though you’re likely more familiar with Coltrane as the lovable Hagrid in all eight Harry Potter films, the Scottish actor has had plenty of iconic roles in his four decades in the business. He’s even had a number of roles in the horror genre. From Eat the Rich in the 80s to From Hell in the 2000s.
Sid Haig
It’s hard not to think of Sid Haig without immediately picturing his cult classic character, Captain Spaulding. Sure, Rob Zombie’s horror films were low-budget, but they still made it to cult classic status. The last instalment in Zombie’s trilogy, 3 from Hell, was released in 2019, just days before Haig passed away from a lung infection.
Tony Todd
Another horror movie actor (make that legend) to have passed away in the last ten years is none other than Candyman and Final Destination star Tony Todd. The actor passed away in 2024 from stomach cancer. He was just 69.
Udo Kier
German actor Udo Kier was a true icon of the horror scene. He became famous for playing the classic horror characters Dr Frankenstein and Dracula, but also appeared in Rob Zombie’s Halloween. Kier would continue to take on the genre until his death in November 2025.
Val Kilmer
Though Val Kilmer isn’t a name we’d typically associate with horror movies (maybe because most of his efforts have been direct-to-video), the actor has a pretty notable filmography in the genre. His last dabble in horror was back in 2017, with the film The Super. Sadly, Kilmer passed away in 2025 from pneumonia. He was only 65 years old.
Verne Troyer
Verne Troyer, who played Dr Evil’s Mini-Me in the Austin Powers films, passed away in 2018 at the age of 49. Troyer tackled many roles throughout his career, including some pretty creepy horror characters in flicks like Gnome Alone (2015) and Wishmaster.
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