Originally written as a list on my Letterboxd on April 1st 2023
This all started after having watched the movie Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street. The documentary about the male actor Mark Patton from the second Nightmare On Elm movie, Freddy's Revenge. I started to think about what was the defining line between begin a Scream King and a Male Scream Queen? As the actor in question, kept being referred to as the "first male scream queen".
I had a question. I had a few actually. One being, what are the qualifications of being a scream king vs a male scream queen and who does everyone consider a scream king? I took my questions to my horror group, and received one name. Actor Bruce Campbell's character of Ash from the Evil Dead movies. That was it. No one else, and nothing as to why they thought or felt this way.
Dead end.
I sat thinking about it for an hour and came up with this short list of ten names; Bruce Campbell, Doug Bradley, John Light, Tony Todd, Michael Ironside, Casper Van Dien, Udo Kier, Robert Englund, Jeffrey Combs and Corey Feldman.
Each name on the list had at least 3 different movies in the horror/thriller genres to their name. Some movies even overlapped actors, giving two or even three of these actors per film. I then created a list on Letterboxd.
But I wasn't completely done with the topic it would seem. I kept thinking about it. There was only one Canadian on this short list. Michael Ironside. I knew there had to be more. Canadian Horror is not just a genre, not just an afterthought, but a cornerstone in the industry. David Cronenberg is responsible for at least half of the horror to have come out of the 1970's and 1980's. Leslie Nelson before his death had starred in Prom Night and Dracula Dead and Loving It. Devon Sawa did the first Final Destination movie as well as Idle Hands (and I would learn after writing the original list the movie Black Friday). But are they Scream Kings or Male Scream Queens?
Granted, the term "male scream queen" had as much to do with the actor from Nightmare on Elm 2 being openly gay, and the subtext of the film being a gay icon...yes the movie is a gay icon...but is that the only real defining line between a scream king and a male scream queen? It shouldn't be.
Let's start with the first name on our list shall we. Bruce Campbell. The undisputed heavyweight champion of the B-Horror Genre.
The first name that came to everyone's mind when I put the question out to my group. known for being able to carry the lead or make a two minute cameo and still get top billing. A comedic actor who has somehow become the chin...er face of an entire genre. Trust me, he popped up to the forefront of my zombie eaten brains too. Even I have to say, one of my favourite horror movies is the iconic and cult classic Evil Dead 2 Dead Before Dawn. But, I was just as happy to see him take on a more serious role in the made for TV Christmas movie One December Night. He's definitely a Scream King.
Next up, Doug Bradley. Known for playing the original Pinhead in the majority of the Hellraiser films, as well as the undead lawyer in NightBreed, the actor has contributed his voice to many horror and sci-fi themed video games and cartoons. He's definitely a Scream King.
Next we have John Light. This is our first sense of actor overlapping. As The Prophecy Uprising had also starred Doug Bradley. And this is our first real task of the question what's the qualifications for being a Scream King or a Male Scream Queen? As the actor has played bi-sexual characters in his two Prophecy films and Dracula 2 Ascension. I'm going to say this leads to him being a Scream King. His characters are never the "final" character, in fact they have tended to be the villains.
Tony Todd, Tony Todd, Tony Todd...wait how many times do we need to say Candyman's name? I don't remember but it does bring us to our next actor on the list. Known for playing everything from a pissed off ghost in the Candyman franchise, to a seven foot hunched back ghoul in an episode of Angel, Tony Todd is a Scream King through and through. With close to 300 acting roles to his name, he might just be the number one contender to Bruce Campbell.
Next up, is Canadian acting legend Michael Ironside. Known for playing villains, bikers and the odd alien hunter, he's been in close to 300 productions, most famously his role in Scanners. He does however, have a least a half dozen vampire movies under his belt, and at least one episode of Tales From The Crypt. He is indeed a Scream King.
Casper Van Dien has become synonymous with sci-fi and B-movies in general. However, it's his roles in vampire movies such as Slayer, Dracula 3000 and Modern Vampires (aka Revenant from 1998) that puts him firmly on this list. It doesn't hurt that he was in Sleepy Hollow which is still the quintessential Hallowe'en story. This earns him a title of Scream King.
Udo Kier is next on the list. And this also brings us to another crossover movie in Modern Vampires (aka Revenant from 1998) that has more than one of our list members. (he's actually worked with Casper Van Dien on a few occasions) I think Udo Kier might have played in more vampire movies than even Sir Christopher Lee did in his time? And now, we come back to the original question as well...what is the defining line between a Scream King and a Male Scream Queen?...as actor Udo Kier has been openly gay his entire career. He's been in the role of the first kill, of the villain, of the last left alive, and everything in between. Is he a Scream King or a Male Scream Queen? If we give him the crown of Male Scream Queen, does that then mean he's also technically the actual "first male scream queen" and not Mark Patton?
I think I am going to have to hand him the crown of Scream King; as Udo Kier never made headlines about his sexuality. He's only ever made headlines about his quality of work. Even when he's played gay characters, fans only talk about the quality of his performances.
Robert Englund claws his way onto our list next. Does Freddy Krueger really need an introduction? He's the demon of our dreams and the guy in our nightmares. Robert Englund also makes his appearance on our list of multiple actors to guest star on the same television show; as he was on Charmed (the original 1998 version) which at different times also guest starred Tony Todd and Bruce Campbell. There is no question here, Robert Englund is a Scream King with a capital SCREAM!
Jeffery Combs has earned his spot on this list with the Re-Animator franchise, as well as being a main stay on almost all the Star Trek shows since the early 1990's, and other various Full Moon films. He's become the face to the world of H.P. Lovecraft in the last few decades as well. Honestly, his role as a zombie in Voodoo Moon is still one of my favourites of his. Jeffery Combs is a pure 100% Scream King.
Corey Feldman rounds out our official list. Having done horror since he was a kid, he's played in every sub-genre of the horror genre. He's been the villain, the hero/final character, he's been a vampire hunter and at other times a vampire, he's been a zombie, a psychopath stalker...the list goes onward. With such heavy hitters as the Lost Boys franchise, The Cryptkeeper Presents Bordello of Blood and Tales From The Crypt television series, Voodoo, Corbin Nash, Big Wolf On Campus television series and crime thriller Blown Away it's no doubt he is a Scream King.
In the end, I was left still wondering what is the official divide between a Scream King and a Male Scream Queen? It's more than just playing LGBT characters, or for that matter the actor being themselves openly gay. Is being the "final character" in the film/show what solidifies a "male scream queen"? Or is it something more?
Something tells me this is one rabbit hole I'm going to have to fall a little deeper into. And to that I say...Groovy Hail to the King Baby!
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