The Actresses Behind Cinema's Most Iconic Screams

Shelley Duvall isn't like the rest of the Scream Queens, as she wasn't part of many horror movies in her career. However, her role as Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980) and her struggle during filming gave her a status as an actress who absolutely has what it takes.

To this day, Neve Campbell remains the face of the Scream franchise by starring in five of six movies. Her character endured more than most other Scream Queens, making her one of the toughest out there after being introduced as your regular next-door girl. Campbell starred in other horror projects in the '90s and was also considered a femme fatale.

Neve Campbell's character in Scream describes her as The Scream Queen in the Halloween franchise. Jamie Lee Curtis didn't peak as Laurie Strode, but used that opportunity to create a long and successful career as a very popular actress, with action, romance, comedy, and drama films. She came back to Halloween to put an end to Michael Myers' reign of terror, although not all fans embraced the latest movies.

Did you know that Janet Leigh was Jamie Lee Curtis' mother? Now you know and understand a bit more about Scream Queens. It might be in their blood. Or simply after watching Janet Leigh in Psycho, her daughter knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life.

The British actress is considered the mother of Scream Queens, way before the term existed. She was part of many Italian horror movies that redefined the gothic and vampiric genres. She also collaborated with David Cronenberg and was part of the Piranha cast. At 87 years old, she's a fantastic cameo to add to your horror movie.

Also known as Nancy for A Nightmare on Elm Street fans. Her character faced Freddy Krueger many times and bested him at his own game, returning more than once to set the record straight. Langenkamp even played herself on Wes Craven's New Nightmare, the movie about the making of a new Nightmare on Elm Street movie, where the lines between reality and fiction blur into something awesome.

Linnea Quigley starred in lots of campy horror movies full of naked girls and ridiculous plots, but that's exactly how she liked them. She was also part of The Return of the Living Dead, Creepozoids, and Silent Night, Deadly Night, her most “serious” horror projects, but was also against the idea of playing a “good girl” because she thought it was a boring concept.

Betsy Palmer changed history when she played the role of Pamela Voorhees, Jason's mother. The first movie shows her as a cold-blooded killer who can also be a great mom, showing the range of a true Scream Queen. The actress, used to more serious roles, ended up hating her work in Friday the 13th, but her legacy remains, inspiring new twists for old horror formulas.

She started very young in Halloween 4 and 5, and then went on to star in other low-budget horror flicks that cemented her as a true Scream Queen. When Rob Zombie remade the Halloween movies, he knew exactly who to call, and Harris did what she was good at.

She's an icon for her work as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but she also starred in Scream 2 and I Know What You Did Last Summer in the same year, becoming a popular name in the horror genre. She was also Daphne in the Scooby Doo movies, and if that's not a Scream Queen, we don't know what to tell you.

With a starring role in a horror trilogy directed by Ty West, Mia Goth is considered a modern Scream Queen like no other. Her range is pretty scary, as are some of her character over the last couple of years. She's sure to become a true horror icon in no time, and we're all here for it.

Ortega is another young promise who has already proved what she's made of. With roles in the Scream franchise, she went on to become the modern-day Wednesday Addams, a role that seemed tailor-made for her. She's a cinephile with a lot to say, so we'll probably see her around for much longer.