Best Performances in a Thriller/Horror

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

JoBeth Williams in "Poltergeist"

Adrienne Barbeau in "The Fog"

Heather Langenkamp in 'Wes Cravens New Nightmare"

Patricia Arquette in "Stigmata"

Jeff Goldblum in "The Fly"

Nicole Kidman in "The Others"

Cate Blanchett in "The Gift"

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

Jennifer Carpenter in "The Exorcism Of Emily Rose"

Jaime Lee Curtis in "Halloween" and 'Halloween H20"

[woodenheart]

Kathy Bates in ''Misery''
Jack Nicholson in "The Shining"
Danielle Harris in "Halloween 4"
Mia Farrow in ''Rosemarys Baby''
Glenn Close in "Fatal Attraction"
Haley Joel Osment in "The Sixth Sense"
Keifer Sutherland in ''Mirrors''

[koolmike]

I can name a million, for now:

The entire cast of The Excorcist, JAWS, NOTLD (original), and DOTD (original).

[KING]

Anthony Perkins "Psycho"

[Horror_Maniac88]

tony todd - Night of the living dead
Sarah Polley - dawn of the dead
Ving Rhames - dawn of the dead
Mekhi Phifer - dawn of the dead
Beverly Randolph - return of the livind dead

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

Catherine Hicks and Alex Vincent in "Child's Play"

Danielle Harris and Ellie Cornell in "Halloween 4"

Amy Steel in "Friday The 13th Part2" and "April Fool's Day"

[WarBeast]

Ron Jeremy's cameo in Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.... pure dramatic art...

[OtepFan616]

Laura Ramsey- the ruins

[Bella]

Robert Englund-Nightmare on Elm Street
Harrison Ford-What lies Beneath
Al Pacino-The Devil's Advocate
Tony Todd-Candyman

[Get Some]

Malcolm McDowell-Clockwork Orange..

[steelba]

any actor in any film you like

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

Kathy Bates in "Misery"

Miko Hughes in "Pet Semetary"

Tony Todd in "NIght Of The Living Dead(1990)" and "Candyman"

Patricia Tallman in 'Night Of The Living Dead(1990)"

Todd Allen in "Witchboard"

[Metapher]

There are just so many good ones, but two I'd like to mention are from the same movie.
Jeffrey Combs and Dee Wallace in The Frighteners. They both do amazing jobs.

[theymostlycomeatnight83]

Lance Henriksen - Pumpkinhead
Richard Lynch - Bad Dreams
Corbin Bernsen - The Dentist
Brad Dourif - Childs Play
George C. Scott - Exorcist III

I'm sure I'll have more later

[skybrick]

If I had to give an Oscar for best actor in a horror movie it would probably have to be Ole Jack in The Shining.

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

Margot Kidder in "Black Christmas"

Bette Davis in "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane"

Kurt Russell in "The Thing"

George C. Scott in "The Changeling"

[strtfghtr]

Heather Langenkamp in 'Wes Cravens New Nightmare"

It's funny you mention that, Heather is one actress you really get to see evolve in terms of her talent on film...heck even just in the nightmare series, She was awful in part 1...simply the worst actor on screen...though her "mother" does give her a run for that title. She was decent in part 3, nothing great but a definite improvement. In New Nightmare I thought she really pulled it off and did a fantastic job.

Lots of good names have already been mentioned, I'm gonna go with:

Tarantino as Rapist No. 1 in Planet Terror...never have I ever seen a more believable slimeball rapist...makes David Hess look like amateur hour.

[TheRedBengal11]

william forsythe-devil's rejects
christian bale-american psycho

[Romero/Carpenter Fan]

It's funny you mention that, Heather is one actress you really get to see evolve in terms of her talent on film...heck even just in the nightmare series, She was awful in part 1...simply the worst actor on screen...though her "mother" does give her a run for that title. She was decent in part 3, nothing great but a definite improvement. In New Nightmare I thought she really pulled it off and did a fantastic job.

Lots of good names have already been mentioned, I'm gonna go with:

Tarantino as Rapist No. 1 in Planet Terror...never have I ever seen a more believable slimeball rapist...makes David Hess look like amateur hour.

Awesome post. However i do think Heather was ok in the 1st Nightmare...not aweful. In Part 3 she was better...u can see the improvement from the 1st one. Her character was the heroin....loved her even more. Then in Wes Cravens New Nightmare..oh man..Langenkamp was terrific. She deserved a Saturn nomination for Best Actress..but failed to do so. She was robbed!!