My friend told me that she basically just led a normal life after *Aliens* and her friends in college kind of jokingly needled her with her line reads ("mostly" etc), and I think that's really cute. I name every character in every X-Com playthrough after the Aliens cast every time, so I at least will always remember her in some way, no matter how goofy.
Buggerit i should have scrolled down before throwing the same comment. The Alien movies have really been the only "horror" movies i have had any sort of connection/enjoyment of.
Danny Lloyd The Shining (1980)
Harvey Spencer The Omen (1976)
Trouble is, Harvey was just that sort of person and his poor behaviour was encouraged for the role, I can’t help but think that led to his violent crime in his adulthood.
Maybe common knowledge, but Kubrick didn’t tell Danny Lloyd that he was filming a horror movie during production so as to not terrorize the poor kid. If I remember right, he was told it was a family drama.
I think i read somewhere that kid was just hanging around the studio practicing his karate moves and eli roth decided he just had to be in the movie somewhere
There’s a behind the scenes photo of him and rose the hat, I believe it’s when they’re cutting him up, and the chick who’s playing rose looks so traumatized, but he was just all smiles having a good time 😂
She's the *only* reason I could sit through the Thorn Trilogy.
The whole anthology thing not working out after Season of the Witch was... vexing. *Very* fucking vexing. But hell, let's have two characters magically survive IMMOLATION...
Carrie Henn. Her preformance as Newt was incredible. Her and Ripley’s relationship are the heart of the movie and the reason it’s my favorite
Also wanted to shout out Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd, Amie Donald as M3gan and Alisha Weir as Abigail. All did amazing jobs and i love their characters
The two creepy undead kids that send shivers up my spine: the boy who turns into a vampire in Salems Lot and scratches at his friend’s window, and Gage from Pet Sematary who hacks up Fred Gwynn.
Martin Stephens in the THE INNOCENTS (1961) or Ann Carter in CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944). For adolescent, it's John Amplas in MARTIN (1977). These are superior performances to anything in the last 25-40 years. Will die on this hill and then be a ghost who gets played by somebody who gives a better performance.
Rhoda. Little Rhoda Penmark. It's been decades since I saw the Bad Seed, but I remember it well. Patty McCormick was great in that role. So was the woman who played her mama.
Edit: I woke up at 6am this morning remembering how my cousin and I used to quote a line or two from The Bad Seed: *Leroy, gimme those shoes! Gimme those shoes, Leroy!* and we'd have a good laugh before going on to jump rope, play tag or ride our bikes. LOL. *Leroy, gimme those shoes.* And Leroy was played by the great character actor, Henry Jones. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MryAHAFa7LU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MryAHAFa7LU) I need to watch that film again.
Abigail Breslin in Signs despite not super loving that movie. She was so good and you could help but love her. Also gotta give Daveigh Chase credit for her performance in the Ring franchise 🖤🖤🖤
Marilyn Harris as Little Maria, in '31 Frankenstein.
She shows no fear of the monster and invites him to a game of tossing flowers into the lake.
4 Years later, older and taller, she leads a group of children that the monster crosses paths with, after he escapes the burning hermit's hut.
I came here to say this. When I showed the movie to my husband he said everything she did seemed so real. Too real. Her distress in the scene at the elevator made me distressed.
I have no way to prove this but I was absolutely 100% prepared to say his specific performance in that specific movie after reading your title as my easy first choice. He seemed so SMART. I loathe how showmakers write twelve-year-olds like they're 8 and 8-year-olds like they're 4. "OH NO MOMMY WHY DID THAT MAN FALL DOWN AND RED LIQUID COME OUT OF HIM??" -something 5-year-old me would be embarrassed to have said.
HJO seemed like a smart as hell kid in that film and it is easily one of my favorite performances for a kid.
H.J. Osment was in A.I. and this was not really a horror film but it sort of is one. What this boy robot has to experience is very negative. It's not a popcorn muncher of a film, it's "Count my tears as they fall".
Daeg Faerch in Halloween no doubt. Was my first look at Michael Myers, with his Collegeville clown mask and KISS shirt, looking at his pet rat with God of Thunder blaring in the background.. It got a glimpse of a normal child, who would gradually become consumed by the clutching arms of Evil. Daeg portrayed the young slasher amazingly, giving off creepy vibes, down to his intimidating stare and sneaky nature.
Some other good child actors include Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th Part 4, and Danielle Harris as the fear crippled Jaime Lloyd in Halloween 4.. despite liking those performances, Daeg’s portrayal of Michael Myers just takes the cake for me…
Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3
Mostly because Leo wants everyone to forget that movie, and because of this I want everyone to remember it.
Without a doubt, Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist.
Not only did I love the movies at the time, but I adored her (In a wow, she's good way, not she's cute) . I was a kid myself, and I thought she was the best actress.
I cried so hard when she died. Hell I still get choked up sometimes when I see the dedication during Poltergeist.
The two kids in The Others
Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist trilogy. RIP
Carrie Henn in Aliens
Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense
Linda Blair in The Exorcist
Megan Follows in Silver Bullet
Danny Lloyd in The Shining
Jacob Tremblay in Doctor Sleep
The girl who played Newt in Aliens
Carrie Henn She was so nice when i met her at a convention recently
My friend told me that she basically just led a normal life after *Aliens* and her friends in college kind of jokingly needled her with her line reads ("mostly" etc), and I think that's really cute. I name every character in every X-Com playthrough after the Aliens cast every time, so I at least will always remember her in some way, no matter how goofy.
Why don’t you put her in charge??
They come at night….mostly ….
Mostly.
Buggerit i should have scrolled down before throwing the same comment. The Alien movies have really been the only "horror" movies i have had any sort of connection/enjoyment of.
Corey Feldman in Friday the 13th the final chapter as tommy jarvis
My favorite movies are The Burbs and Gremlins, so everytime I rewatch the final chapter I’m surprised about how many movies I love with him in it.
When he humps his pillow after catching a glimpse of the girl next door.
Seriously, fucking iconic!
Danny Lloyd The Shining (1980) Harvey Spencer The Omen (1976) Trouble is, Harvey was just that sort of person and his poor behaviour was encouraged for the role, I can’t help but think that led to his violent crime in his adulthood.
My vote was for Harvey too!
My vote for Danny in The Shining also
Maybe common knowledge, but Kubrick didn’t tell Danny Lloyd that he was filming a horror movie during production so as to not terrorize the poor kid. If I remember right, he was told it was a family drama.
Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist.
It broke my heart when i heard the director of 3 talked about how she wanted to be a director, and he wanted to help
I think the kid who played her brother was a much better actor. The scenes with the clown and the tree swallowing him made the entire movie for me
I agree Oliver was great. Dominique Dunne was fantastic as the older sister. In fact, the entire cast was 100% solid. God, I love that movie.
Same...sorry I didn't see your comment 🤪
Same!
That kid who yells about pancakes, does slo mo karate, then bites a guy
I rewatch that scene whenever I need a quick laugh
I think i read somewhere that kid was just hanging around the studio practicing his karate moves and eli roth decided he just had to be in the movie somewhere
The Cabin In The Woods
Cabin fever
Linda blair
The director had a vision and what an amazing job they did with The Exorcist.
Kirsten Dunst in Interview with the Vampire
She killed that role
She killed a lot in that role 😭
I want some more
First thing that came to mind
Excellent choice
Yup! She did great in that. Going from sweet to menacing like a flick of the switch.
She totally did. As miscast as Cruise and Pitt were IMO they got it right with Dunst and Bandera as Armand.
Drew Barrymore as Charlie in "Firestarter"
Noah Wiseman in Babadook. I felt like his frazzled mother by the end of that movie.
I felt like his frazzled mother 2 seconds into his first screaming session, lol.
Lol!! Right?
Fucking HATED that kid
😅
He was single-handedly responsible for the 74% increase in condom purchases.
YES! He did exactly what the writer and director wanted, which was to drive everyone mad.
I hate that movie, but his performance was pretty fantastic.
Totally!
I’d never heard of this movie. It’a on NF so I’m gonna add to my watchlist.
Fantastic job. AND handled bidness at the end there. Was always just tryna handle bidness
Harvey Scrimshsaw (Caleb) in The Witch.
That monologue is insane! Can’t believe I had to scroll to find this answer. I’m
Isabelle Fuhrman in Orphan
YES!
Also her sister was such a sweetie
Just watched this movie and she did excellent at being unnerving
Gotta be Haley Joel. Finn Wolfhard gave him a bit of a run too. He's like 20 now though.
Finn Wolfhard is 21 years old.
Baseball boy in Doctor Sleep
There’s a behind the scenes photo of him and rose the hat, I believe it’s when they’re cutting him up, and the chick who’s playing rose looks so traumatized, but he was just all smiles having a good time 😂
Haley Joel Osment or Miko Hughes
Miko Hughes for sure. That scene in Pet Sematary is forever etched into my brain.
He was so good in Wes Cravens New Nightmare.
Corey Haim in Silver Bullet(1985)
Love that movie!
The kid from Deliverance playing that banjo!!
Billy Redden, in case you ever wanted to know the actors name 😊
My first thought was Haley in The Sixth Sense. Next would be Danielle Harris from Halloween. Linda Blair in the Exorcist
Danielle Harris definitely needs to be higher up this list. She essentially saved/revitalized the series
She's the *only* reason I could sit through the Thorn Trilogy. The whole anthology thing not working out after Season of the Witch was... vexing. *Very* fucking vexing. But hell, let's have two characters magically survive IMMOLATION...
I agree, Haley Joel Osment did a superb job acting in that movie!!! His fear and crying and emotions all seemed absolutely real!
Shocked I’m just now seeing Linda Blair this far down. Absolutely stellar.
The little girl in “Train to Busan”. Her performance absolutely WRECKED me. She’s amazing.
Miko Hughes as Gage in Pet Semetary
Wow that is a reach back. But agree.
Thank you! I was scrolling this thread thinking I was going to have to look up his name so I could comment! That kid gave me nightmares! He was GOOD!
The kid in Babadook I was impressed by his acting
I actually hated that kid so much I wanted the babadook to take him out 20 minutes in
I made a comment to my partner that I would just let him go, if I was his mom, lol. There's a reason I am remaining childfree.
The one and only character that I, as an autistic person, find relatable
Carrie Henn. Her preformance as Newt was incredible. Her and Ripley’s relationship are the heart of the movie and the reason it’s my favorite Also wanted to shout out Danielle Harris as Jamie Lloyd, Amie Donald as M3gan and Alisha Weir as Abigail. All did amazing jobs and i love their characters
Corey Feldman in any horror film
Danny Pintauro in Cujo. Realistically terrified & then that seizure! 😬
Wow forgot about him. My vote for least change visually from kid to adult.
The Golden Freddy kid from the FNaF movie. That dude is like 7 and his acting was better than Josh Hutcherson's.
Danny Lloyd, the boy who plays Danny Torrance in The Shining.
Dakota Fanning in Hide and Seek with Robert De Niro
She WAS excellent in that!!!
The two creepy undead kids that send shivers up my spine: the boy who turns into a vampire in Salems Lot and scratches at his friend’s window, and Gage from Pet Sematary who hacks up Fred Gwynn.
I thought Alex Wolf was amazing in Hereditary. The whole cast was phenomenal
Julian Hilliard was great in Color Out of Space and The Haunting of Hill House. Hill House had a particularly talented cast of child actors IMO
The Corey’s in the list boys
Lost boys
Linda Blair although she was a teenager, and the little girl that played Newt!
Martin Stephens in the THE INNOCENTS (1961) or Ann Carter in CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944). For adolescent, it's John Amplas in MARTIN (1977). These are superior performances to anything in the last 25-40 years. Will die on this hill and then be a ghost who gets played by somebody who gives a better performance.
Patricia Mccormick in *The Bad Seed*.
This is my choice too.
Iconic is over used, but really fits here. She was one of the first, and a model for everyone who followed.
Rhoda. Little Rhoda Penmark. It's been decades since I saw the Bad Seed, but I remember it well. Patty McCormick was great in that role. So was the woman who played her mama. Edit: I woke up at 6am this morning remembering how my cousin and I used to quote a line or two from The Bad Seed: *Leroy, gimme those shoes! Gimme those shoes, Leroy!* and we'd have a good laugh before going on to jump rope, play tag or ride our bikes. LOL. *Leroy, gimme those shoes.* And Leroy was played by the great character actor, Henry Jones. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MryAHAFa7LU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MryAHAFa7LU) I need to watch that film again.
recently watched the innocents and i agree Martin was great
I’ll tell you the opposite…that kid from the babadook 😅
Carolann from Poltergeist always very much creeped me out. Especially in the second one when her mirror version became a thing. Yikes 😱
Those kids in the devils backbone really knocked it out of the park
Linda Blair & Drew Barrymore…Do Corey Feldman (Friday 13th IV) & Corey Haim (Silver Bullet) count? They weren’t children, good movies though…😀
Abigail Breslin in Signs despite not super loving that movie. She was so good and you could help but love her. Also gotta give Daveigh Chase credit for her performance in the Ring franchise 🖤🖤🖤
Roey Culkin was phenomenal too
Danielle Harris in Halloween 4. One of the best performances from a child actor that I’ve ever seen. Really makes the movie, if you ask me.
https://preview.redd.it/1lb0mkppn3yc1.jpeg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c2aef16b9268ee0c10d24a020670f7dd18c3077
A. Michael Baldwin, aka, 'Mike Pearson', from *Phantasm*.
B O Y
Wow. I *HEARD* this.
" I See Dead People "
Bob from House by the Cemetery
I like the kid from Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. Solid, likeable performance, not sure what he's done since.
Corey Feldman!
I liked Stephen Dorff in The Gate. Corey Haim in Silver Bullet.
Marilyn Harris as Little Maria, in '31 Frankenstein. She shows no fear of the monster and invites him to a game of tossing flowers into the lake. 4 Years later, older and taller, she leads a group of children that the monster crosses paths with, after he escapes the burning hermit's hut.
Rio Kanno in Dark Water. She sells the emotional climax, and she’s like 5 years old or something.
I came here to say this. When I showed the movie to my husband he said everything she did seemed so real. Too real. Her distress in the scene at the elevator made me distressed.
Jacob Tremblay I believe it’s spelled absolutely killed it in the Dr Sleep movie
Chloe Grace Morerz in Let Me In
the girl from the Black Phone!
Gotta throw my girl Danielle Harris out there. I know she gets hate but she’s a queen.
Def Alex Vincent as Andy barclay in the child’s play movies!
Shout out to Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son! Elijah Wood as well I suppose.
Miko Hughes as Gage Creed in Pet Sematary. He was like 2-3 years old at the time and damn, did he do an amazing job of being the creepy zombie kid
Milly Shapiro in Hereditary (though she was a teenager)
The twins in The Shining
The girl in Let Me In. Then she grew up to be the worst actress ever.
Jacob Tremblay in Doctor Sleep. That scene was HARROWING. He absolutely nailed it.
Abigail Breslin and Rory Culkin in Signs (2002)
The two girls in Mama...they both nailed it
Black Phone. Madeline McGraw as Gwen, “What the fuck Jesus?!”
Mckenna grace
This is hard, almost all child actors are god awful. But the ones in the It movies are GREAT and also six sense
Both kids in The Ring.
The little kid from the first Child’s Play movie. I rewatched it recently and he did such a good job.
Alex Vincent from Childs Play 1 and 2
Heather O'Rourke (rip)
Definitely!
kirsten dunst was great in interview with the vampire
Probably doesn't count but she's playing a kid, Sissy Spacek in Carrie. I thought they were all great in Carrie but especially Sissy.
The boy from The Ring creeped me out.
Mimi in psycho goreman
Miko Hughes, the kid who played Gage Creed in the original (90s?) movie 'Pet Semetary'
Chris and Martin Udvarnoki from the 1972 movie The Other.
David Dorfman in The Ring. When he says, "You weren't supposed to help her!"
I have no way to prove this but I was absolutely 100% prepared to say his specific performance in that specific movie after reading your title as my easy first choice. He seemed so SMART. I loathe how showmakers write twelve-year-olds like they're 8 and 8-year-olds like they're 4. "OH NO MOMMY WHY DID THAT MAN FALL DOWN AND RED LIQUID COME OUT OF HIM??" -something 5-year-old me would be embarrassed to have said. HJO seemed like a smart as hell kid in that film and it is easily one of my favorite performances for a kid.
H.J. Osment was in A.I. and this was not really a horror film but it sort of is one. What this boy robot has to experience is very negative. It's not a popcorn muncher of a film, it's "Count my tears as they fall".
Alex Vincent (Andy from Child's Play) was such a cute kid
I have to agree with Haley Joel Osment. His acting was incredible!
Eun Seo Wu in Phone
So bad they are good? Children of the Corn, 1980s. "Malachai!"
Daeg Faerch in Halloween no doubt. Was my first look at Michael Myers, with his Collegeville clown mask and KISS shirt, looking at his pet rat with God of Thunder blaring in the background.. It got a glimpse of a normal child, who would gradually become consumed by the clutching arms of Evil. Daeg portrayed the young slasher amazingly, giving off creepy vibes, down to his intimidating stare and sneaky nature. Some other good child actors include Corey Feldman as Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th Part 4, and Danielle Harris as the fear crippled Jaime Lloyd in Halloween 4.. despite liking those performances, Daeg’s portrayal of Michael Myers just takes the cake for me…
Macaulay Culkin in The Good Son. Creepy and menacing AF.
All the kids in The Innocents.
Danielle Harris as Jamie in halloween
Per cemetery kindergarten cop kid
Gage in Pet Sematary.
Daveigh Chase, The Ring.
Brandon Adams in the Wes Craven movie "people under the stairs"..Check out if you never seen it,he was a fearless kid in a crazy spooky situation
Leo DiCaprio in Critters 3 lol
Macaulay Culkin and Elijah Wood in The Good Son. Danielle Harris in Halloween 4&5. That’s the 2 responses that immediately came to my mind.
The girl who plays Reagan in The Exorcist
The girl that played the daughter in Silent Hill. That was one sinister looking young Lady when she appeared as the Doppleganger.
Don’t know his name, but the overweight kid that played the catcher in “Sandlot”. Makes me laugh every time
Ben Shapiro in Children of the Corn
The kids in Monster Squad
Leonardo DiCaprio in Critters 3 Mostly because Leo wants everyone to forget that movie, and because of this I want everyone to remember it. 
Harvey Spencer in the omen !!!!
Linda Blair
Gage Creed in Pet Sematary. He does such a cute and great evil child.
The adorable little boy actor from child's play. He was so precious. I just wanted to protect him :(
Idk if favorite, but I was super disturbed by Macauley Culkin in The Good Son. It was so against his cute kid stereotype it was really something.
Harvey Scrimshaw, who plays Caleb in Robert Eggers The Witch
No fair.
The kids from Let the Right One In (the original Swedish version).
Macaulay Culkin The Good Son
forever Fairuza Balk in Return to Oz
Fool in People under the Stairs (Brandon Adams)
Macaulay Culkin in "The Good Son" Kid dug deep to find that kind of depravity!
Without a doubt, Heather O'Rourke from Poltergeist. Not only did I love the movies at the time, but I adored her (In a wow, she's good way, not she's cute) . I was a kid myself, and I thought she was the best actress. I cried so hard when she died. Hell I still get choked up sometimes when I see the dedication during Poltergeist.
Drew in Firestarter
the OG spooky kid! His delivery of "I see dead people" still gives me goosebumps.
Omg i was literally just talking about this last night! Loved The Sixth Sense!!
Newt. Mostly.
Kirsten Dunst as Claudia in interview with the vampire 1994
Felissa Rose in Sleepaway Camp
Veronica Cartwright - The Birds. Outta the park.
The kid in The Client. Sarandon and Mary Louise Parker were great too. Not horror but suspense anyway
They're here
Alex Vincent - Child’s Play. It really broke my heart when Chucky was trying to kill him and he was trapped 🥺
Linda Blair🖤
The kids in The Innocents absolutely blew me away with their acting.
Dakota Fanning in hide and seek you just knew she had a future. Until war of the worlds her screaming loosened fillings.
The two kids in The Others Heather O’Rourke in Poltergeist trilogy. RIP Carrie Henn in Aliens Haley Joel Osment in The Sixth Sense Linda Blair in The Exorcist Megan Follows in Silver Bullet Danny Lloyd in The Shining Jacob Tremblay in Doctor Sleep