Top 10 Creepy Horror Movie Kids: Where Are They Now?

"Night of the Living Dead" (1968)
There are few child roles more iconic in the horror realm than that of Karen Cooper, the tragically doomed daughter of Harry and Helen Cooper in "Night of the Living Dead." George A. Romero's masterpiece features an iconic scene where Karen, played by Kyra Schon, devours her father and turns on her mother. It's a far cry from cheesy 50s horror movie scares, a perfect amalgamation of music, cinematography and Schon's morbid performance. Today, Schon is a teacher and artist who designs her own jewelry. She also used to write an advice column for The Horror Channel called "Ghoulish Guidance."

"Alice Sweet Alice" (1976)

You could be forgiven for not having seen "Alice Sweet Alice," but trust us when we say that this 1976 film is an underrated horror gem. A lot of this success lies at the feet of Paula Sheppard, who played the title role in a cast that featured a young Brooke Shields in a supporting role. Alice Spages' creepy clear mask and raincoat make for a striking visual, while the performance itself is the sort of vicious you could've only gotten away with in the 1970s. Sheppard was actually much older when she played the 12 year old Alice, having just started college when cast in the film. Her only other credit was in the equally wild cult film, "Liquid Sky," after which she quietly dropped out to marry and raise a family.

"Us" (2019)

As cool as it is to examine the career paths of older child actors, it's even more interesting to watch modern day thespians to see how their performances evolve. Case in point? Evan Alex and Shahadi Wright Joseph, who played The Wilson siblings in Jordan Peele's 2019 film, "Us." Their careers are just starting, but Joseph has already impressed with her turn voice acting in Disney's live action update of "The Lion King." Alex, in the meantime, has amassed an impressive amount of credits for someone about to enter high school. The young man has a bunch of shorts to his name, as well as a slew of projects announced for the next few years on his IMDB page.

"Orphan" (2009)

Sometimes, it's all about balance. You could apply this to the career of Isabelle Fuhrman, who played one of her first roles as Esther in the 2009 horror film "Orphan." Although that film is known for its twist ending, Fuhrman's own career has successfully eluded any sort of horror typecasting. The actor has done T.V. and film, comedy and drama, and even found time to establish her own vegan soup company. Other than "Orphan," Fuhrman's biggest screen credit was probably her role as Clove in the 2012 adaptation of Suzanne Collins' series "The Hunger Games."

"Hereditary" (2018)

Call this next entry a case of brief impact. That's because Milly Shapiro's role as Charlie Graham in 2018's "Hereditary" actually doesn't take up too much screen time. It does, however, leave a very lasting impression. Shapiro's deadpan delivery and subtle physicality bring a lot to the role, with this latter attribute actually making a lot of sense when you realize she's actually a student of the theater. Yup, it seems like the stage is where Shapiro truly belongs, as she's appeared on Broadway and off-Broadway in "Matilda" and "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." In addition to performing with her sibling Abigail in a group known as The Shapiro Sisters, Shapiro has also gone viral on TikTok in the early 2020s as an e-girl!

"Pet Sematary" (1989)

If you're a regular at horror conventions, then you may have had the pleasure of meeting or chatting with Miko Hughes, the actor who played Gage Creed in the original "Pet Sematary." Hughes was only three years old when this classic Stephen King adaptation was released, but his delicate balance of cuteness and menace instantly endeared him to the horror faithful. He went on to appear in a string of other big hits, including “Kindergarten Cop" and "Wes Craven's New Nightmare," before jumping to guest starring roles on shows like "Baywatch." As an adult, he has written, recorded and performed music, and even moved into directing in 2013 with a short segment in the horror anthology "Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear."

"The Shining" (1980)

Although these twins did appear in a 1979 series titled "Kids," it's their other screen appearance that made them icons. We're talking about Lisa and Louise Burns, and their turn as The Grady Twins in Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining." Although Stephen King was very vocal about his criticisms of Kubrick's austere and unique adaptation, the film is still rightly regarded as a horror classic. The Burns Sisters enjoy talking with fans about their work on the film, although Louise ended up going into microbiology and Lisa into studying literature. Hey, sometimes all you need is one shot to cement your reputation as a legend forever.

"Children of the Corn" (1984)

We've used the word "creepy" a lot during this list, but perhaps no one performance better exemplifies the word than John Franklin's work as Isaac Chroner in "Children of the Corn." This was, you guessed it, another Stephen King adaptation, and it featured a number of young performances. Courtney Gains is great as Isaac's enforcer Malachai, but it's Franklin's child prophet that really chills our blood. Isaac speaks softly, but more importantly, he speaks for He Who Walks Behind the Rows. Interestingly, Franklin had another hit role that didn't require much speaking when he played Cousin Itt in "The Addams Family." He eventually moved into teaching English, before returning to writing and acting in 2017.

"The Omen" (1975)

Let's be honest: it was challenging to accept Harvey Spencer Stephens as The Antichrist Damien Thorn in "The Omen." Why? Because he was so damn cute! Still, we have to admit that the sly little smile Stephens gives us at the film's final shot inspires chills to this day. Stephens did very little acting after "The Omen," appearing in a minor role for the 1980 made-for-T.V. movie "Gauguin the Savage" and performing a cameo as a reporter in the 2006 "Omen" remake. Other than that, Stephens made English headlines in 2017 when he was arrested for a road rage incident involving two cyclists. Don't crowd the Antichrist, bro!


Before we name our number one pick, here are some honorable mentions!

Samara Morgan, Played by Daveigh Chase, "The Ring" (2002)
From Anime Voice Actor to Ghost Girl Du Jour


David Zellaby, Played by Martin Stephens, "Village of the Damned" (1960)
A Creepy Kid OG Who Gave It All Up to Become an Architect

Lilith Sullivan, Played by Jodelle Ferland, "Case 39" (2009)
Horror Movie Origins Into a Varied & Fruitful Career

Niles & Holland Perry, Played by Chris & Martin Udvarnoky, "The Other" (1972)
The Only Movie Appearance from These Siblings… But What a Movie!

"The Exorcist" (1973)

We've discussed a variety of different career paths throughout this list, but perhaps it's the enviable resume of Linda Blair that serves as the most diverse and successful. She's just sort of genre film royalty, even though Blair has never let herself be defined by her role as Regan MacNeil in William Freidkin's "The Exorcist." Although the actor is more than willing to discuss her time making the movie, she's much more involved with animal activism, specifically with her nonprofit group The Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation. Blair also makes the convention circuit rounds, meeting her fans up close and personal to discuss their love of "The Exorcist," "Savage Streets" and all of the super-fun movies Blair made in between.