14 Significant Horror Characters Almost Played By Someone Else

Becoming a horror icon is one of the quickest routes to Hollywood immortality. Just ask Bela Lugosi (Dracula), Lon Chaney (The Wolfman), or Rod Serling (The Twilight Zone). But twist: you can't. Why? Because they've all been dead for decades. (Serling would've appreciated this shtick, we're absolutely sure of it.)

The point is, it’s hard to imagine anyone else other than Skeet Ulrich playing Scream’s Billy Loomis, another actor filling their mouth with bees like the legendary Tony Todd in Candyman, or that actual extraterrestrial John Carpenter hired to play The Thing being depicted using puppets and other practical effects.

So if you want people to someday ogle your name on a sidewalk outside Mann's Chinese Theatre next to that dog from Frasier, weave a mask out of spicy Spanish sausage and wear it to your next audition. Doesn't matter if it's a period drama or some belated, straight-to-DVD sequel to Varsity Blues – “Chorizohead” is your meal ticket now, kid.