Top 10 Best Creature Performers
Creature performances have enthralled moviegoers since the silent film era. Lon Chaney and his son, Lon Chaney Jr., revolutionized the genre with iconic roles in films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923) and The Wolf Man (1941). Their pioneering work set the stage for generations of actors who bring monsters and creatures to life on screen.This list highlights the top 10 performers excelling in the art of monster makeup and creature suit acting, showcasing their skill and dedication to creating memorable cinematic monsters.
Terry is really the best at what he does! Not only are his work ethics top-notch, but his transformations into characters are truly amazing. He has done so much more than what's mentioned here. Look him up on IMDb to see his incredible resume. It speaks for itself, which is why he is number 1!
Terry Notary is the most detailed artist and a perfectionist, which makes him the best of the best in all the character movements in the biggest hit movies in Hollywood! The movements of the Banshee in Avatar were unbelievable. What a career. Thumbs up to Terry!
Doug Jones is an American actor recognized for his roles in creature features, notably as Abe Sapien in Hellboy and the Faun in Pan's Labyrinth. His background in mime and contortion has contributed to his success in portraying non-human characters. Doug Jones is the go-to guy for creature performances. Doug, a former mime artist, has played some of the most memorable characters in modern film. He is Guillermo Del Toro's go-to actor, playing Abe Sapien in Hellboy 1 and 2, as well as the Faun and the creepy Pale Man in the Academy Award-winning film Pan's Labyrinth.
He was also the Silver Surfer in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Mac in the Mac Tonight McDonald's commercials, and the Ice Cream Man in the film Legion. It looks like he will be playing Frankenstein's monster in Del Toro's remake of Frankenstein. Doug is featured in Wyrd's upcoming documentary Men In Suits.
Brian Steele is the go-to guy for large creatures. This 6-foot-6-inch actor has played some of our favorite creatures in numerous films. He played a Predator in the most recent Predators film. He has also been a werewolf in all three Underworld films, as well as numerous characters in Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy films.
He is featured in Wyrd's upcoming documentary Men In Suits. Brian got his start as a creature performer playing the lovable bigfoot character Harry in the TV series Harry and the Hendersons.
Andy Serkis is a British actor and director acclaimed for his motion capture performances as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings series and Caesar in the Planet of the Apes films. He has significantly advanced the use of performance capture technology in cinema. Andy Serkis isn't like the others on this list since he does not don pounds of makeup and prosthetics in his creature performances. Andy is the top CGI performer in the world. What does that mean? He does the performances, and then the computer artists create a character on top of his performance.
What notable characters has he done, you ask? Well, he played King Kong in the Peter Jackson remake of King Kong. He was also amazing as Gollum in the blockbuster Lord of the Rings trilogy, which he will be reprising in the upcoming film The Hobbit.
Douglas Tait has now become one of the go-to guys for creature performances. Douglas, a former basketball player with a tall athletic frame, has played some classic characters in recent years. He played a Sleestak in the 2009 film Land Of The Lost and The Long Face Alien in J. J. Abrams' Star Trek. He also played a Zorgon in Jon Favreau's Zathura.
Douglas played the role of Abominog and a Frost Giant in the upcoming films Knights Of Badassdom and Thor. He is featured in Wyrd's upcoming documentary Men In Suits. Douglas got his start playing Jason Voorhees in the ending of Freddy Vs. Jason.
Derek Mears is an American actor and stuntman best known for playing Jason Voorhees in the 2009 reboot of Friday the 13th. He has also appeared as the Predator in Predators and the Swamp Thing in the television series Swamp Thing. Derek Mears uses his large frame and stunt training to bring to life some of the most iconic characters in the horror genre. He dons the infamous Predator outfit in the Robert Rodriguez film Predators. He took over the role of Jason Voorhees in the Michael Bay re-envisioning of Friday the 13th.
Derek appeared in The Hills Have Eyes 2, and he played a Zorgon in Jon Favreau's Zathura. Derek also plays a character in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides film.
Tom Woodruff Jr. is not only a talented creature performer and puppeteer, but he is also co-owner and an FX designer at Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. He got his start playing Gilman in The Monster Squad. He played Pumpkinhead in the 1998 horror film of the same name.
Tom has played an Alien in four of the Alien and Alien vs. Predator films. He is also featured in Wyrd's upcoming documentary Men in Suits.
You've barely scratched the surface. He has many more credits and has nearly died during filming on three different occasions.
Kane Hodder is an American actor and stuntman renowned for his portrayal of Jason Voorhees in four Friday the 13th films. He has also played Victor Crowley in the Hatchet series and worked as a stunt coordinator on numerous projects. Kane Hodder is a stuntman who is best known for playing Jason Voorhees in four Friday the 13th films. He got his start as a creature performer in the '80s horror hit House 2 as a gorilla. Most recently, he plays the deformed killer Victor Crowley in Adam Green's Hatchet 1 and 2 films. Kane is the most famous for playing killers on the big screen.
Kurt Carley got his start in 1998 performing the creature movements in Godzilla. He played a Sleestak in the 2009 film Land Of The Lost and has been a werewolf in all three Underworld films. Kurt played Tartutic in M. Night Shyamalan's Lady In The Water and is featured in Wyrd's upcoming documentary Men In Suits.
Kevin Peter Hall was an American actor best known for his roles as the Predator in the first two Predator films and as Harry in Harry and the Hendersons. Standing at 7 feet 2 inches tall, his stature made him ideal for portraying imposing characters. Love this guy! Wish we'd had him longer!
Tom Morga, a stuntman for over 23 years, has appeared as three horror icons. He was a stunt double for Jason Voorhees, Michael Myers, and Leatherface. He has also appeared as the stunt double for the Klingon General Martok on Star Trek DS9. He is most notable for being the stunt double for Leonard Nimoy's Spock in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
Lon Chaney was an American actor during the silent film era, renowned for his transformative roles in horror films such as The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of the Opera. Dubbed The Man of a Thousand Faces, he was celebrated for his innovative use of makeup techniques.