These actors and actresses aren’t usually the leads in horror movies, but they keep busy in supporting roles as the best friends, the partners, the safari guides and other assorted capacities that probably ensure death. You know their faces, but you don’t know their names or even where you know them from. Before you walk up and ask them, “Do you mow my lawn?” or something else that will get you punched, memorize this list of familiar faces.
Laz Alonso
- Horror Roles: Captivity, Straw Dogs, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos, Constantine
- You Might Also Know Me From: Jarhead, Stomp the Yard, G, Down to Earth, Disappearing Acts, Avatar, 30 Years to Life
- Fun Fact: Has 14 convictions for aggravated loitering.
Margaret Avery
- Horror Roles: Night Trap, Something Evil, Terror House, The Psychopath
- You Might Also Know Me From: The Color Purple, Hell Up in Harlem, Cool Breeze, Meet the Browns, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, Which Way Is Up?, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, Cyborg 3
- Fun Fact: Love lifted her up where she belonged.
Obba Babatunde
- Horror Roles: The Eye, Necronomicon: Book of the Dead, April Fools, The Silence of the Lambs, Dead Again, Dolls of Voodoo, Trapped: Haitian Nights, Death’s Door
- You Might Also Know Me From: That Thing You Do!, Philadelphia, Life, Dead Again, The Manchurian Candidate, After the Sunset, How High, The Temptations, Multiplicity, John Q
- Fun Fact: Played Pippi Longstocking off-Broadway.
John Beasley
- Horror Roles: The Purge: Anarchy, Sinister 2, Lost Souls, The Gift (2000), Haunted Maze, The Operator
- You Might Also Know Me From: Rudy, Walking Tall (2004), The Sum of All Fears, The Mighty Ducks, The General’s Daughter, The Apostle, Untamed Heart, Daddy’s Little Girls, Losing Isaiah, V.I. Warshawski
- Fun Fact: Likes to bench press small children.
Patricia Belcher
- Horror Roles: Jeepers Creepers, Flatliners, The Number 23, Species, Dark House, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace
- You Might Also Know Me From: The Matrix, 500 Days of Summer, Bad Words, The Wood, Over Her Dead Body, Clear and Present Danger
- Fun Fact: Once called Little Debbie a ho-ho.
Beau Billingslea
- Horror Roles: The Blob, Halloween H20, Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood, Silent Predators, Vacancy 2
- You Might Also Know Me From: The American President, Real Genius, In the Army Now, Night Shift, every anime/video game voiceover known to man
- Fun Fact: Has too many vowels in his name.
Roger Aaron Brown
- Horror Roles: Near Dark, The Crazies, Bad Ronald, DNA, Holy Ghost People
- You Might Also Know Me From: Robocop 2, Alien Nation, Action Jackson, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Tall Tale, Downtown, Cobra, The District
- Fun Fact: Is fluent in Jive.
Grand L. Bush
- Horror Roles: The First Power, Exorcist III, Maniac Cop 3, Boa, Shark Hunter
- You Might Also Know Me From: Diehard, License to Kill, Demolition Man, Lethal Weapon 2, Street Fighter, Colors, Hollywood Shuffle, Turbulence, Streets of Fire, Freejack, Brewster’s Millions
- Fun Fact: Adopted by George W. Bush at age 8. Disowned shortly thereafter.
Gabriel Casseus
- Horror Roles: Fallen, Ritual, Modern Vampires
- You Might Also Know Me From: Black Hawk Down, Bedazzled, Black Dog, New Jersey Drive, 15 Minutes, Get on the Bus, Lone Star, The Wedding
- Fun Fact: Was once engaged to Estelle Getty.
Reg E. Cathey
- Horror Roles: American Psycho, Seven
- You Might Also Know Me From: Fantastic Four, S.W.A.T., The Mask, Arbitrage, The Machinist, Pootie Tang, What About Bob?, Cookout, Tank Girl, Airheads, Boycott
- Fun Fact: The “E” stands for “Etcetera”.
Bill Cobbs
- Horror Roles: The People Under the Stairs, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, The Final Patient, The Morgue
- You Might Also Know Me From: Night at the Museum, The Bodyguard, The Muppets, Oz the Great and Powerful, Demolition Man, New Jack City, The Color of Money, Enough, That Thing You Do!, Random Hearts, Air Bud
- Fun Fact: Eats soup with his fingers.
Cylk Cozart
- Horror Roles: Hell High, Dead On: Relentless II, Cursed Part 3
- You Might Also Know Me From: White Men Can’t Jump, Conspiracy Theory, 16 Blocks, Eraser, Play It to the Bone, School Daze, Blue Chips, Fire Birds, Eagle Eye
- Fun Fact: Can tear a gerbil in half.
Duane Davis
- Horror Roles: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4, The Hidden, Ghosts of Mars, Beetle Juice
- You Might Also Know Me From: Under Siege, Papparazzi, Diggstown, Necessary Roughness, The Great White Hype, Little Big League, Summer School, How I Got Into College
- Fun Fact: Is often off the hook.
Art Evans
- Horror Roles: Fright Night, Tales from the Hood, Mom, Machete Joe
- You Might Also Know Me From: Diehard 2, A Soldier’s Story, Trespass, Ruthless People, CB4, Metro, Never Die Alone, The Mighty Quinn, The Story of Us, The Great White Hype
- Fun Fact: Gets paid in Nilla Wafers.
Frankie Faison
- Horror Roles: The Silence of the Lambs, C.H.U.D., Cat People, Maximum Overdrive, Highwaymen, The Langoliers
- You Might Also Know Me From: Coming to America, Do the Right Thing, The Thomas Crown Affair, White Chicks, In Good Company, Down to Earth, Mississippi Burning, Showtime, Freejack
- Fun Fact: Faked his death to avoid being cast in Norbit.
Al Fann
- Horror Roles: Return to Horror High, God Told Me To, Curse II: The Bite, Parasite, Nick Knight
- You Might Also Know Me From: The French Connection, The Fisher King, Moving, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Frankie and Johnny, Naked Gun 2 ½: The Smell of Fear
- Fun Fact: Has an aardvark fetish.
Antonio Fargas
- Horror Roles: Howling VI: The Freaks, Firestarter, The Borrower, Milo, Crimewave, Snakehead Swamp
- You Might Also Know Me From: I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Car Wash, Shaft, Foxy Brown, Cleopatra Jones, Across 110th Street, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood
- Fun Fact: Allergic to allergies.
Lorena Gale
- Horror Roles: The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Visiting Hours, The Fly II, Halloween: Resurrection, Slither, Shadow Realm, The X-Files: I Want to Believe
- You Might Also Know Me From: The Chronicles of Riddick, The Butterfly Effect, The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), Screwed, Freddy Got Fingered, The Perfect Score
- Fun Fact: Religiously avoided the Noid.
Richard Gant
- Horror Roles: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, Godzilla, The Tower, Ashes
- You Might Also Know Me From: Rocky V, Nutty Professor II, The Big Lebowski, Suspect, The Freshman, Daddy Day Camp, Bean
- Fun Fact: Collects baby teeth.
Moses Gunn
- Horror Roles: Firestarter, Amityville II, House of Dies Drear, Bates Motel
- You Might Also Know Me From: Shaft, Rollerball, Heartbreak Ridge, The Neverending Story, The Great White Hope, Leonard Part 6, Cornbread, Earl and Me
- Fun Fact: Best friend in college was named Jesus Knife.
Cory Hardrict
- Horror Roles: Warm Bodies, The Day, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave, Creature Unknown, Driftwood
- You Might Also Know Me From: American Sniper, Transcendence, Gran Torino, He’s Just Not That Into You
- Fun Fact: Prefers not to be called a “sack of crap.”
Julius Harris
- Horror Roles: Shrunken Heads, Maniac Cop 3, Grave Secrets, King Kong (1976), Crimewave
- You Might Also Know Me From: Live and Let Die, Super Fly, Black Caesar, Trouble Man, Let’s Do It Again, Shaft’s Big Score, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, Darkman, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man
- Fun Fact: Is dead.
Barry Shabaka Henley
- Horror Roles: Lord of Illusions, Fallen, Carrie (2013), Horsemen
- You Might Also Know Me From: Collateral, Miami Vice, The Terminal, Four Brothers, Life, Rush Hour, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Ali, Patch Adams, Fear of a Black Hat, What’s Love Got to Do With It
- Fun Fact: Unusually proud of his flatulence.
Marjean Holden
- Horror Roles: Ghosts of Mars, Silent Night Deadly Night 4, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Vampires, Code Red: The Rubicon Conspiracy, Dr. Caligari
- You Might Also Know Me From: Hostage, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, George of the Jungle 2
- Fun Fact: Has boobies.
Rif Hutton
- Horror Roles: The Borrower, Children of the Corn III, Dark Shadows (1990), Home: The Horror Story, Nick Knight, Stillwatch, Believers, Single White Female 2
- You Might Also Know Me From: The Thirteenth Floor, Moving, Stick It, Stand and Deliver, all those damn KFC commercials
- Fun Fact: Thinks ethnic cleansing gets a bum rap.
Hawthorne James
- Horror Roles: Seven, Campfire Tales, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror
- You Might Also Know Me From: Speed, Amistad, The Five Heartbeats, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Heaven’s Prisoners, The Doors, The Color Purple, Today You Die
- Fun Fact: Recovering from an addiction to Pez.
Brent Jennings
- Horror Roles: The Serpent and the Rainbow, Children of the Corn IV, Alone in the Dark (1982)
- You Might Also Know Me From: Witness, Life, Moneyball, Red Heat, Another 48 Hrs., Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
- Fun Fact: Once killed a man with his sideburns.
Bianca Lawson
- Horror Roles: Bones, Dead & Breakfast, Big Monster on Campus, Supergator, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, Witches of East End
- You Might Also Know Me From: Save the Last Dance, The Temptations, Breakin’ All the Rules, Pretty Little Liars
- Fun Fact: Her toenails taste like Cream of Wheat.
Viv Leacock
- Horror Roles: Freddy vs. Jason, The Thaw, Bones, Cell 213, The Tortured, Yeti, Death Do Us Part
- You Might Also Know Me From: This Means War, 2012, Hot Tub Time Machine, I Spy, Are We There Yet?, Step Up All In, A Christmas Story 2
- Fun Fact: Regrets nothing. Except that one thing.
Kasi Lemmons
- Horror Roles: Candyman, The Silence of the Lambs, Vampire’s Kiss
- You Might Also Know Me From: Fear of a Black Hat, Hard Target, The Five Heartbeats, School Daze
- Fun Fact: Resents having to breathe.
Blu Mankuma
- Horror Roles: The Stepfather, Watchers, Creature, Bone Daddy, Intensity
- You Might Also Know Me From: Cadence, 2012, The Santa Clause 2, Look Who’s Talking, Shoot to Kill, K2, Bird on a Wire, The Final Cut, Girl in Progress, Upside Down
- Fun Fact: Secretly enjoys wedgies.
Dan Martin
- Horror Roles: Sleepwalkers, The Stand, Crocodile 2, Earth vs. the Spider, Leprechaun in the Hood, Groom Lake
- You Might Also Know Me From: Heat, Casualties of War, Gridiron Gang, Beverly Hills Cop III, “Malcolm in the Middle”
- Fun Fact: His parents have had sex at least once.
Kelly Jo Minter
- Horror Roles: The People Under the Stairs, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5, Popcorn
- You Might Also Know Me From: New Jack City, House Party, Doc Hollywood, Summer School, The Principal, Mask
- Fun Fact: Has weapons of mass destruction.
Zakes Mokae
- Horror Roles: Vampire in Brooklyn, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Dust Devil, Body Parts
- You Might Also Know Me From: Outbreak, Waterworld, Cry Feedom, A Dry White Season, A Rage in Harlem
- Fun Fact: Eats Lucky Charms for the oat pieces.
Bill Nunn
- Horror Roles: Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh, Quicksilver Highway, Def by Temptation, Kiss the Girls
- You Might Also Know Me From: Do the Right Thing, Sister Act, Spiderman trilogy, Runaway Jury, He Got Game, Money Train, New Jack City, Glory, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead
- Fun Fact: Enjoys using the phrase “poo-tinky”.
Michael J. Pagan
- Horror Roles: See No Evil, Fallen, House of Fears, Chain Letter, Nite Tales, Killers in the House
- You Might Also Know Me From: How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Gridiron Gang, Forever Strong, The Gospel, Mississippi Damned
- Fun Fact: Favorite color is Cheeto.
Felton Perry
- Horror Roles: Puppet Master 4, Relentless 3, Dark Breed, Hollywood Vampyr
- You Might Also Know Me From: Robocop, Dumb & Dumber, Driving Miss Daisy, Magnum Force, The Towering Inferno, Walking Tall, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Trouble Man, Medium Cool
- Fun Fact: Is a registered Whig.
Wendell Pierce
- Horror Roles: Stay Alive, The Gift (2015), The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Mortician, Foreclosure, The Advocate’s Devil
- You Might Also Know Me From: Malcolm X, Horrible Bosses, Ray, Selma, Parker, Sleepers, Bulworth, The Money Pit, Casualties of War, I Think I Love My Wife
- Fun Fact: Thai food makes him ejaculate.
Glenn Plummer
- Horror Roles: Saw II, Voodoo Curse: The Giddeh, Vegas Vampires, Teeth and Blood, Monsters in the Woods
- You Might Also Know Me From: Showgirls, The Day After Tomorrow, Speed, Speed 2, Menace II Society, The Substitute, Colors, South Central, The Salton Sea, Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead, The Longshots
- Fun Fact: Third nipple is conveniently located next to his fourth nipple.
Clifton Powell
- Horror Roles: Phantoms, Bones, Deep Rising, Chain Letter, Toolbox Murders 2, Trapped: Haitian Nights
- You Might Also Know Me From: Ray, Next Friday, Menace II Society, Norbit, Deep Cover, House Party, The Gospel, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, The Brothers, Never Die Alone
- Fun Fact: Can indeed take you to Funkytown.
Kim Roberts
- Horror Roles: Dawn of the Dead (2004), Saw III, Saw IV, Carrie (2013), Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming, Extreme Measures, Mom’s Got a Date with a Vampire
- You Might Also Know Me From: Charlie Bartlett, The Tuxedo, Blues Brothers 2000, Glitter, I’m Not There, Man of the Year, How She Move, Down in the Delta
- Fun Fact: Yes, you can touch her hair.
Andre Royo
- Horror Roles: The Collection, Would You Rather, Hellbenders, Bigfoot, Aftermath
- You Might Also Know Me From: Shaft (2000), Red Tails, The Spectacular Now, Super, Lila & Eve
- Fun Fact: Mary-Kate is his favorite Olsen.
Sam Scarber
- Horror Roles: Shocker, The Borrower, Soulkeeper, Cut!, Silent Venom, Fear (1990)
- You Might Also Know Me From: Over the Top, The Karate Kid, Eraser, Against All Odds, Dead Bang
- Fun Fact: Sweet potatoes are a good source of beta-carotene.
Tucker Smallwood
- Horror Roles: Strangeland, Snoop Dogg’s Hood of Horror, Flight of the Living Dead, Dark Mirror, Spectres
- You Might Also Know Me From: Contact, Deep Impact, The One, Evan Almighty, Presumed Innocent, Most Wanted, Bio-Dome, Pixels, Black Dynamite
- Fun Fact: Doesn’t appreciate jokes about his “small wood.”
John Wesley
- Horror Roles: Believers, Jack’s Back, 13th Child, Stillwatch
- You Might Also Know Me From: Nothing But Trouble, Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Moving, Missing in Action 2, The Wood, Born Yesterday, Remember the Titans, Perfect, Black Fist
- Fun Fact: Did not found Methodism.
Steven Williams
- Horror Roles: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, House, Route 666, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Fear Chamber
- You Might Also Know Me From: The Blues Brothers, Better Off Dead, Missing in Action 2: The Beginning, Cooley High, Doctor Detroit, Corrina, Corrina
- Fun Fact: Shot JFK.
Reno Wilson
- Horror Roles: Fallen, She Creature, RSVP, Diary of a Serial Killer
- You Might Also Know Me From: Crank, Sgt. Bilko, City of Industry, Mighty Joe Young, The Great White Hype, Whiteboyz, Tooken
- Fun Fact: Pees on the seat.
Tom Wright
- Horror Roles: Creepshow 2, Tales from the Hood, Amityville: A New Generation, The Diabolical, Hangman’s Curse, Past Midnight, Tenebrous, The Cursed
- You Might Also Know Me From: Barbershop, World Trade Center, Marked for Death, Murder at 1600, Weekend at Bernie’s II, Gridlock’d, Reversal of Fortune, Forget Paris, The Onion Movie
- Fun Fact: Is an avid Brony.