Unmasking the monsters: actors playing cinematic creatures

But it’s not just big franchises that have benefited from big monsters. Small-time horror flicks have also sold themselves off the back of Bigfoot and Frankenstein’s monster. Since then, monster movies have become a staple of cinema. Click to see some of the most iconic monsters and the actors who played the role.

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Kevin Peter Hall - Kevin Peter Hall stood 7 ft 2 in (2.2 m), which landed him roles as monsters in many films.

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Kevin Peter Hall - Peter Hall played the Predator in the original film, as well as the 1990 sequel. Sadly, the actor died from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991.

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Warwick Davis - Unlike the other towering stars here, Warwick Davis is a small fellow, standing at just 3 ft 6 in (1.1 m). He typically plays small characters in TV and film.

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Warwick Davis - Davis played an Ewok in 'Star Wars' and a goblin in 'Harry Potter.' His most horrifying role was as the 'Leprechaun,' starring alongside Jennifer Aniston in the 1993 film.

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Doug Jones - Doug Jones is one of the more famous monster actors out there. He's played Abe Sapien in 'Hellboy,' and recently the Amphibian Man in 'The Shape of Water.'

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Doug Jones -

Perhaps his most famous performance was as the Pale Man in 'Pan's Labyrinth.'

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Bolaji Badejo - In 1979, Bolaji Badejo became the most unlikely star in Hollywood, after landing his first role in 'Alien.'

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Bolaji Badejo - The actor was 7 ft 2 in (2.2 m), and was cast after being spotted in a pub. He moved back to Nigeria, and even opened a gallery. Sadly, he died of sickle cell anemia in 1992.

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Andy Serkis - Andy Serkis is the king of monster acting. Instead of makeup, Serkis uses technology to capture his physical motions.

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Andy Serkis - His most famous performance is probably Gollum from the 'Lord of the Rings' series. He has also played King Kong, and Caesar in the 'Planet of the Apes' series.

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Brian Steele - The 6 ft 6 in (almost 2 m) star got his start on the TV show 'Harry and the Hendersons.' He went on to play many monsters, in films like 'Doom,' 'Hellboy,' and 'Predators.'

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Brian Steele - Steele also starred as the Terminator in the 2009 film 'Terminator Salvation.'

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Bill Skarsgård - The fresh-faced star comes from an acting family, and has found fame as the evil Pennywise in the new 'It' movies.

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Bill Skarsgård - Skarsgård had big clown shoes to fill, but his performance has earned high praise. Tim Curry originally played Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries.

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Ben Chapman/Ricou Browning - 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is a classic monster movie that hasn't quite been spoiled by remakes. Two actors played the Gill-man in the 1954 picture.

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Ben Chapman/Ricou Browning - Ricou Browning (pictured) played the creature in underwater scenes. Meanwhile, Ben Chapman starred in land scenes.

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Boris Karloff - 'Frankenstein' is another classic monster film, scaring audiences since 1931. Boris Karloff played the all-important role.

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Boris Karloff - The actor was considered so anonymous by Universal, that he wasn't even invited to the premiere.

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John Matuszak - 'The Goonies' was a big part of many childhoods. The character of Sloth, played by John Matuszak, was introduced as a monster.

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John Matuszak - However, Sloth befriends Goonie member Chunk, and becomes a hero while helping the gang on their quest.

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Lon Chaney - Nicknamed the "Man of a Thousand Faces," Lou Cheney is regarded as one of the most powerful actors of early cinema.

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Lon Chaney - Chaney became well known for his monstrous roles, like as the 'Phantom of the Opera,' and as Quasimodo in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame.'

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Lon Chaney Jr. - Among many roles, Jr. played the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster. He also played Kharis the Mummy in 'The Mummy's Tomb.'

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Lon Chaney Jr. - Like father, like son. Lou Chaney Jr. followed in his dad's monster footsteps. He appeared in many beastly roles over the course of a 40-year career.

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Christopher Lee - An on-screen legend, Christopher Lee has played some famous villains over the course of a career spanning seven decades.

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Christopher Lee - Lee found fame as Count Dracula across several films. He also played Saruman in the 'Lord of the Rings' films, and Count Dooku in the 'Star Wars' franchise.

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Robert Englund - Robert Englund almost ended up playing Han Solo, but ended up a star of the horror genre.

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Robert Englund - The classically trained actor played Freddy Krueger in the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series.

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Javier Botet - Javier Botet is a newer monster on the scene. The Spanish actor stands 6 ft 6 in (2 m), and has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome.

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Javier Botet -

Botet has played modern monster characters, like Slender Man in 'Slender Man,' and Keyface in 'Insidious: The Last Key.' He has also played the towering Wight in ‘Game of Thrones.’

The actor recently sat down with BBC News and told them about his career so far. “I didn't realize but I was born to perform,” Botet said. He suffers from Marfan syndrome, which can make people thinner, taller, and more flexible. “So nobody really knew that 90% of what they saw was totally mine, was physical work,” he added.

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Unmasking the monsters: actors playing cinematic creatures -

NL Beeld

0 / 31 Fotos

Kevin Peter Hall - Kevin Peter Hall stood 7 ft 2 in (2.2 m), which landed him roles as monsters in many films.

1 / 31 Fotos

Kevin Peter Hall - Peter Hall played the Predator in the original film, as well as the 1990 sequel. Sadly, the actor died from AIDS-related pneumonia in 1991.

2 / 31 Fotos

Warwick Davis - Unlike the other towering stars here, Warwick Davis is a small fellow, standing at just 3 ft 6 in (1.1 m). He typically plays small characters in TV and film.

3 / 31 Fotos

Warwick Davis - Davis played an Ewok in 'Star Wars' and a goblin in 'Harry Potter.' His most horrifying role was as the 'Leprechaun,' starring alongside Jennifer Aniston in the 1993 film.

4 / 31 Fotos

Doug Jones - Doug Jones is one of the more famous monster actors out there. He's played Abe Sapien in 'Hellboy,' and recently the Amphibian Man in 'The Shape of Water.'

5 / 31 Fotos

Doug Jones -

Perhaps his most famous performance was as the Pale Man in 'Pan's Labyrinth.'

NL Beeld

6 / 31 Fotos

Bolaji Badejo - In 1979, Bolaji Badejo became the most unlikely star in Hollywood, after landing his first role in 'Alien.'

7 / 31 Fotos

Bolaji Badejo - The actor was 7 ft 2 in (2.2 m), and was cast after being spotted in a pub. He moved back to Nigeria, and even opened a gallery. Sadly, he died of sickle cell anemia in 1992.

8 / 31 Fotos

Andy Serkis - Andy Serkis is the king of monster acting. Instead of makeup, Serkis uses technology to capture his physical motions.

9 / 31 Fotos

Andy Serkis - His most famous performance is probably Gollum from the 'Lord of the Rings' series. He has also played King Kong, and Caesar in the 'Planet of the Apes' series.

10 / 31 Fotos

Brian Steele - The 6 ft 6 in (almost 2 m) star got his start on the TV show 'Harry and the Hendersons.' He went on to play many monsters, in films like 'Doom,' 'Hellboy,' and 'Predators.'

11 / 31 Fotos

Brian Steele - Steele also starred as the Terminator in the 2009 film 'Terminator Salvation.'

12 / 31 Fotos

Bill Skarsgård - The fresh-faced star comes from an acting family, and has found fame as the evil Pennywise in the new 'It' movies.

13 / 31 Fotos

Bill Skarsgård - Skarsgård had big clown shoes to fill, but his performance has earned high praise. Tim Curry originally played Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries.

14 / 31 Fotos

Ben Chapman/Ricou Browning - 'Creature from the Black Lagoon' is a classic monster movie that hasn't quite been spoiled by remakes. Two actors played the Gill-man in the 1954 picture.

15 / 31 Fotos

Ben Chapman/Ricou Browning - Ricou Browning (pictured) played the creature in underwater scenes. Meanwhile, Ben Chapman starred in land scenes.

16 / 31 Fotos

Boris Karloff - 'Frankenstein' is another classic monster film, scaring audiences since 1931. Boris Karloff played the all-important role.

17 / 31 Fotos

Boris Karloff - The actor was considered so anonymous by Universal, that he wasn't even invited to the premiere.

18 / 31 Fotos

John Matuszak - 'The Goonies' was a big part of many childhoods. The character of Sloth, played by John Matuszak, was introduced as a monster.

19 / 31 Fotos

John Matuszak - However, Sloth befriends Goonie member Chunk, and becomes a hero while helping the gang on their quest.

20 / 31 Fotos

Lon Chaney - Nicknamed the "Man of a Thousand Faces," Lou Cheney is regarded as one of the most powerful actors of early cinema.

21 / 31 Fotos

Lon Chaney - Chaney became well known for his monstrous roles, like as the 'Phantom of the Opera,' and as Quasimodo in 'The Hunchback of Notre Dame.'

22 / 31 Fotos

Lon Chaney Jr. - Among many roles, Jr. played the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster. He also played Kharis the Mummy in 'The Mummy's Tomb.'

23 / 31 Fotos

Lon Chaney Jr. - Like father, like son. Lou Chaney Jr. followed in his dad's monster footsteps. He appeared in many beastly roles over the course of a 40-year career.

24 / 31 Fotos

Christopher Lee - An on-screen legend, Christopher Lee has played some famous villains over the course of a career spanning seven decades.

25 / 31 Fotos

Christopher Lee - Lee found fame as Count Dracula across several films. He also played Saruman in the 'Lord of the Rings' films, and Count Dooku in the 'Star Wars' franchise.

26 / 31 Fotos

Robert Englund - Robert Englund almost ended up playing Han Solo, but ended up a star of the horror genre.

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Robert Englund - The classically trained actor played Freddy Krueger in the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series.

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Javier Botet - Javier Botet is a newer monster on the scene. The Spanish actor stands 6 ft 6 in (2 m), and has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome.

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Javier Botet -

Botet has played modern monster characters, like Slender Man in 'Slender Man,' and Keyface in 'Insidious: The Last Key.' He has also played the towering Wight in ‘Game of Thrones.’

NL Beeld

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Unmasking the monsters: actors playing cinematic creatures

Meet the actors behind your favorite monsters and villains

10/10/24 | StarsInsider

MOVIES Horror

There are some real monsters in Hollywood. Monster movies have always been popular, which has meant that actors need to be trained to play terrifying roles. Luckily, there are plenty of stars who do just that. It started in the days of early cinema. Monster movies like ‘Haxan,’ ‘Nosferatu,’ and ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ were some of the most popular pictures out there. However, as you know, there’s a man (or woman) behind every monster.

Strangely, the first monster movies focused on sea creatures. ‘The Sea Beast,’ and ‘Tiger Shark’ had a whale and tuna for villains. That eventually evolved into beasts like the ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon,’ which brought an iconic monster to the big screen. Meanwhile, established actors like Christopher Lee were scaring audiences as ‘Dracula.’ The star has since acted as a vicious villain in both ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.’

Actors like Doug Jones and Bill Skarsgård have earned high praise playing beastly creatures on the big screen. Big blockbusters like ‘It’ have arguably helped revive the horror genre, showing that Skarsgård has a long career ahead of him.

Other actors like Andy Serkis have earned high praise in monstrous roles, and fans have famously begged the Academy to award him an Oscar. Click on to meet the other actors who are the faces behind the masks of your favorite cinematic creatures.