Ascream queen (a wordplay onscreen queen)^[1] is anactress who is prominent and influential inhorror films, either through a notable appearance or recurring roles. The title is abuzzword used by critics and has gained positive and negative responses.Scream King is the male version of the title. Notable scream queen examples includeFay Wray,Jamie Lee Curtis,Sarah Michelle Gellar,Sigourney Weaver,Neve Campbell,Mia Goth,Shawnee Smith,Bipasha Basu,Angela Bassett andLinnea Quigley.

The term "scream queen" is more specifically used to refer to the attractive youngdamsel-in-distress^[2] characters that have appeared in a number of films in thehorror genre.Lloyd Kaufman, co-founder ofTroma Entertainment, noted that being a scream queen is "more than just crying and having ketchup thrown on you. You not only have to be attractive, but you also have to have a big brain. You have to be frightened, you have to be sad, you have to be romantic."^[2]

Debbie Rochon, often described as a scream queen herself, wrote in an article originally published inGC Magazine that "a true Scream Queen isn't The Perfect Woman. She's sexy, seductive, but most importantly attainable to the average guy, or so it would seem."^[3] Although the earlier scream queens might be women that "just had to look pretty and shriek a lot until the hero of the film got around to save them." The later scream queens showcase women worrying about something other than a guy...unless said guy is the one trying to kill them, with some of them wreaking vengeance by defeating thevillain.^[4]

The prominence ofwomen in horror films dates back to thesilent movie era, with notable examples including the productionsThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) andNosferatu (1922). George Feltenstein, film historian and senior vice president of theatrical catalog marketing atWarner Home Video, states, "Women screaming in terror has been a Hollywood mainstay – even when films were silent".^[2]Fay Wray, an actress starring inKing Kong (1933), is sometimes referred to as the "very first scream queen".^[5]Anne Gwynne,Chris Pine's grandmother, is known for scream queen roles in the 1930s and 1940s.^[6][7][8]Janet Leigh, playing Marion inAlfred Hitchcock'sPsycho (1960), is regarded as "one of the most iconic^[9]" scream queens in horror film history.^[10]

Veronica Cartwright was also a prominent scream queen of the 1970s; however, she found her beginnings as a scream queen inAlfred Hitchcock'sThe Birds in the 1960s. Later in the 1970s she appeared in the1978 remake ofInvasion of the Body Snatchers as well asAlien in 1979.

The 1970s became seminal examples of a "scream queen" for the decade.Marilyn Burns, who portrayedSally Hardesty inThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) would go onto appearing inHelter Skelter (1976) andEaten Alive (1977).^[11][12]Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter ofPsycho actressJanet Leigh, portrayedLaurie Strode inHalloween (1978).^[13][14] Curtis has been called the "ultimate 'scream queen'".

Dee Wallace appeared in the thrillerThe Stepford Wives (1975) before appearing inWes Craven's 1977 horror filmThe Hills Have Eyes (1977).^[15][16]Daria Nicolodi played the role of the scream queen in most of her films directed by Dario Argento includingDeep Red (1977) andShock (1977) directed byMario Bava.^[17][18]

The success ofHalloween revivedslasher films in the 1980s.Adrienne Barbeau is known for her roles a scream queen inThe Fog (1980) andEscape from New York (1981).^[19][20]Linnea Quigley played a significant role as a scream queen during the rise ofB Movie inThe Return of the Living Dead (1985) andSilent Night, Deadly Night (1984).^[21][22] Betsy Palmer had been praised for her role as a scream queen in theFriday the 13th franchise asPamela Voorhees.^[23][24]Barbara Crampton is known as a scream queen for her roles in theBody Double (1984) andRe-Animator (1985).^[25][26]

During the 1990s,Debbie Rochon starred in dozens of Troma Production horror films and was voted byDraculina magazine as its "Scream Queen of the Decade".Sheryl Lee played murder victimsLaura Palmer andMaddy Ferguson in the TV seriesTwin Peaks (1990–91) and spin-off filmTwin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) and has been described as a "scream queen", in particular for scenes in the otherworldlyBlack Lodge.^{[27][28][29][30]}

Neve Campbell's first American feature film was the cult horror classicThe Craft (1996). She later starred asSidney Prescott in theScream film series.Jennifer Love Hewitt was labeled a scream queen after starring asJulie James in theI Know What You Did Last Summer films.^[31] The first film of that trilogy also had a starring role forSarah Michelle Gellar asHelen Shivers, who went on to appear in other horror films made during the 1990s and new millennium, includingScream 2 andThe Grudge film series.^[32]

In 2005,Shauna Macdonald starred inThe Descent, which established her as a scream queen^[33][34][35] and for which she was nominated for theSaturn Award for Best Actress.^[36]Elisha Cuthbert starred in the horror filmHouse of Wax (2005) andCaptivity (2007), gaining the status by from films.^[37][38]Erica Leerhsen has been called a scream queen because of her roles in films likeBook of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000),The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), andWrong Turn 2: Dead End (2007).^[39][40]

In 2007,USA Today published an article listing on modern scream queens interviewing actressesSheri Moon Zombie,Jaimie Alexander, Andrea Bogart,Mercedes McNab,Tiffany Shepis andCerina Vincent.^[2] Since 2007 and her appearance inHalloween,Danielle Harris has increased her genre work, being subsequently called "horror's reigning scream queen" by theNY Daily News.^[41]

Bipasha Basu has been referred as "Bollywood's Scream Queen" due to her contributions to horror in India with her blockbuster horror movie franchiseRaaz as well as the filmsAatma (2013) andCreature 3D (2014).^[42]Maika Monroe achieved acareer breakthrough with her leading role as Jay Height in the horror filmIt Follows (2014), she had solidified her growth as a scream queen through her appearances inThe Guest (2014) andVillains (2019) and throughout the 2020s.^[43][44] Indonesian actressTara Basro has been described as a "scream queen" for her roles inJoko Anwar's filmsSatan's Slaves (2017) andImpetigore (2019).^[45][46] Australian actressSamara Weaving solidified her status as a scream queen with her performance in the commercially and critically successfulReady or Not (2019) andits sequel.^[47][48]

Georgina Campbell has been dubbed a scream queen after starring in the horror filmsBarbarian (2022), andThe Watchers (2024).^[49][50]Jenna Ortega starred in the slasher filmsX andScream (both 2022), and is also known as a scream queen.^[51][52]Melissa Barrera has starred in the slasher franchiseScream, thehorror comedyAbigail (2024), and theromantic comedy-horrorYour Monster (2024), establishing herself as a scream queen.^[53][54] WithKathryn Newton's roles inAbigail andLisa Frankenstein (2024) both being praised, she has been highlighted as a modern scream queen.^[55][56]

Mia Goth had starred in several horror movies previously before her breakout roles in theX trilogy (2022–2024), which cemented her as a scream queen to a wider audience.^[57][58]Sophie Thatcher ofcannibalistic TV seriesYellowjackets (2021–) fame gained traction as a scream queen after her performances inThe Boogeyman (2023) andHeretic (2024).^[59][60]

• Final girl
• Scream king
• History of horror movies
• Invasion of the Scream Queens, a 1992 documentary
• Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, a 2019 documentary

• Film and video terminology
• Women in horror film
• Female stock characters
• Stereotypes of women
• Tropes
• Damsels in distress

• CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list
• CS1 Italian-language sources (it)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata