Horror movies are known for jump scares, an abundance of blood made out of corn syrup, and giving people nightmares. But the genre should also be recognized for its effort to populate its films with as many hot actors as humanly possible. The monsters and villains may be creepy, gross, and scary, but the heroes and victims are often total hunks.
You might be saying to yourself, “I’m watching for the scares, not the eye candy,” but that just means you’re missing out on half of the fun. Yes, turn to horror to feel spine-tingling terror — that’s what we’ll be doing all month long — but you may also want to keep your eyes peeled for all the hot and often half-naked men that populate your favorite horror movies.
So get ready for spooky season by feasting your eyes on the sexiest actors to star in a scary movie.
James Brolin
James Brolin in Amityville Horror
American International Pictures
James Brolin is one of the daddies of horror for a reason. We will never get over his rugged good looks and ‘70s chest hair in the original Amityville Horror.
Josh Hartnett
Josh Hartnett in The Faculty.
Miramax
Weird haircut aside, Josh Hartnett was likely responsible for a lot of gay awakenings when he starred in The Faculty in the late ‘90s. He went on to star in 30 Days of Night, and for everyone who lusted after him way back then, now you can feast your eyes on Daddy Hartnett in 2024’s Trap.
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan in Sinners.
Warner Bros. Pictures
Michael B. Jordan's muscular body was on full display in the Creed movies and Black Panther, but fans of the sexy actor got their money's worth when he played two characters, Smoke and Stack, in the Oscar-winning horror movie Sinners. In this period-piece horror movie, Jordan stuns in a three-piece suit, a blood-soaked tank top, and completely shirtless.
Chris Hemsworth
Chris Hemsworth in Cabin in the Woods.
Lionsgate
Most people might know Chris Hemsworth as Thor in the Marvel movies, but real horror fans know that the hottest he has ever looked was when he starred in the meta-horror classic, The Cabin in the Woods.
Justin Long
Justin Long in Drag Me to Hell.
Universal Pictres
Justin Long is the ultimate Scream King. From starring in Jeepers Creepers to his role in horror master Sam Raimi’s movie Drag Me to Hell to playing a main character in the bonkers horror movie Tusk to more recent roles in the successful and beloved films Barbarian and Weapons, Long has left an indelible and very hot and nerdy mark on the genre.
Jay Hernandez
Jay Hernandez in Hostel
Lions Gate Films
One of the movies that came to define the “torture porn” subgenre, Eli Roth’s Hostel features brutal violence but also a hunky lead in Jay Hernandez, who plays a college grad backpacking through Slovakia. Hernandez also reprised the role in Hostel: Part II.
Gong Yoo
Gong Yoo in Train to Busan.
Well Go USA Entertainment
Train to Busan became a massive hot when it theaters because of it’s fast-paced action, genuinely horrifying scenes, social and class commentary, and star Gong Yoo’s handsome face.
Taye Diggs
Taye Diggs in House on Haunted Hill
Dark Castle Entertainment
You probably first fell head over heels for Taye Diggs in Rent on Broadway, but horror fans know that if you want to see the star looking particularly hot, you need to check out the House on Haunted Hill remake, which is a frequently rewatched movie among horror fans for a reason.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill in Blood Creek.
Lionsgate
Years before he was the Man of Steel and The Witcher, Henry Cavill was a horror movie star. A baby-faced Cavill not only starred in Hellraiser: Hellworld in 2005, but he also starred in Night Hunter and Joel Schumacher’s underrated 2009 B-horror movie Blood Creek, about Nazi zombies.
Mason Gooding
Mason Gooding in Scream IV.
Paramount Pictures
Much like Justin Long before him, Mason Gooding has become a bona fide Scream King. He got his start in the genre in the Scream reboot in 2022 and its two subsequent sequels, and has also starred in The Fall, Heart Eyes, Y2K, and The Gates.
Ryan Reynolds
an Reynolds in Amityville Horror.
MGM
If you’re into daddy energy, go with the OG Amityville Horror, but if you want to see a young Ryan Reynolds with abs for days while he’s in the bath, soaking wet from the rain, or wearing nothing but low-hanging pajama pants, then the remake is the one you should hit play on ASAP.
Skeet Ulrich
Miramax
Meta horror movie Scream is inhabited by a whole ensemble cast of hotties, but Skeet Ulrich and his ‘90s floppy hair may just be the sexiest. And the homoerotic relationship he has with Matthew Lillard just takes it to the next level. We never get a Billie and Stu moment on screen, but their chemistry is palpable and only makes them both even hotter.
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya in Get Out.
Blumhouse Productions
Get Out, the film made everyone stop thinking of Jordan Peel as a comedian and start seeing him as a master of horror, is such an amazing combination of genuine scares, laugh-out-loud jokes, and social commentary that it’s easy to forget just how hunky star Daniel Kaluuya is. But that’s why we’re here to remind you.
Chad Michael Murray
Char Michael Murray in House of Wax.
Warner Bros. Pictures
You may think of Chad Michael Murray as the star of tween movies like Freaky Friday or A Cinderella Story, or maybe as Lucas Scott on One Tree Hill, but horror fans know him from the House of Wax remake (which starred a whole cast of hotties), The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, and Camp Cold Brook.
Robert Ri'chard
Robert Ri'chard in House of Wax.
Warner Bros. Pictures
The House of Wax remake was nothing like the original and had some cringey moments, but you won’t care about any of that because the cast is chock-full of hot men. Robert Ri’chard has stunning eyes, a mega-watt smile, and biceps that will make you drool.
Patrick Wilson
Patrick Wilson in Insidious.
Blumhouse Productions
Patrick Wilson has been in so many horror movies that he has more than earned the Scream King moniker. From starring in the Insidious franchise and The Conjuring cinematic universe to movies like Bone Tomahawk, In the Tall Grass, and shows like Cape Fear, he’s graced the horror genre with his handsome mug for years.
Idris Elba
Idris Elba in Prom Night.
Screen Gems
While the remake of ‘80s slasher classic Prom Night didn’t have Scream Queen Jamie Lee Curtis, it did feature Idris Elba as a detective chasing the killer. Elba is quite literally a hunk in every movie and television show he’s ever been a part of, but seeing him wearing a leather shoulder holster for his gun will make you thankful he decided to star in a horror movie.
Steven Yeun
Steven Yeun
Universal Pictures
Not only did Steven Yeun play Glenn for seven seasons on The Walking Dead, but he also got covered in blood in Mayhem and then played a cowboy-suited hunk in Jordan Peele's epic alien film Nope.
Ryan Phillippe
Ryan Phillippe in I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Columbia Pictures
The ripped abs and pouty lips that made Ryan Phillippe a ‘90s heartthrob are on full display in I Know What You Did Last Summer, a slasher movie that features an unforgettable scene of Phillippe taking a shower after working out.
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Freddie Prinze Jr. in I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Columbia Pictures
I Know What You Did Last Summer and its sequel shot ‘90s heartthrob Freddie Prinze Jr. into superstardom because of his charisma, acting chops, and the way his arms looked in that tank top. Then, he reprised the role more than 25 years later in 2025 looking all daddy.
Mekhi Phifer
Mekhi Phifer in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer.
Columbia Pictures
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer is admittedly not the best sequel (remember that Jack Black has white guy dreads in it), but it’s elevated by the fun slasher kills, Brandy’s personality, and Mekhi Phifer’s abs.
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes in Blade.
New Line Cinema
Wesley Snipes broke the classic vampire mold when he played Blade. As a half-vamp, half-human, Blade was a Daywalker who could hunt down vampires who prey on humans, and he did so using his drool-worthy muscles.
Devon Sawa
Devon Sawa in Chucky.
SYFY
If you’re a child of the ‘90s, you probably first fell for Devon Sawa when he starred in Casper, Idle Hands, or Final Destination, but if you stopped following his career after that, you missed out on the hot daddy he’s become. If you haven’t watched him in the Chucky TV series (in one season he even plays a hot priest) or in the slasher movie Heart Eyes, then you are truly missing out. Go do yourself a favor and binge both immediately.
Duane Jones
Duane Jones in Night of the Living Dead.
Image Ten
Duane Jones made history when he starred in George Roomer’s seminal zombie film Night of the Living Dead. Jones was the first Black actor to star as the lead in a major horror film and the genre was better for it. His character Ben was groundbreaking back in 1968, and it was only made better by just how handsome the actor was.
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon in Hollow Man.
Columbia Pictures
Kevin Bacon started off his career with his bulge making an unforgettable impression on horror fans in the original Friday the 13th, but since then he has been in Flatliners, Tremors, Stir of Echoes, You Should Have Left, MaXXine, and They/Them. But it was his role in Hollow Man that left fans drooling despite it being critically panned.
Freddy Rodriguez
Freddy Rodriguez in Planet Terror.
Freddy Rodriguez plays the hunky, leather-jacket-wearing antihero El Wray in Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror, opposite an equally hot Rose McGowan, a go-go dancer who replaces her leg with a machine gun.
Kyle Gallner
Kyle Gallner in Strange Darling.
Miramax
Kyle Gallner has been in so many horror movies that he has more than earned his Scream King title. He made a splash when he starred as a hot emo boy in Jennifer’s Body, and since then he has been in The Haunting in Connecticut, the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake, The Walking Dead, The Cleansing Hour, Scream (2022), Smile and Smile 2, and Strange Darling, and somehow he has just gotten hotter as the years have gone by.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Candyman.
Universal Pictures
Nia DaCosta's brilliant Candyman reboot is a meta take on the fan-favorite story that is full of social commentary and creepy imagery, but you're also absolutely watching for just how hot Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is.
Bill Skarsgård
Bill Skarsgård in Hemlock Grove.
Netflix
If you have the hots for monsters, you might have thought Bill Skarsgård was sexy when he played an ancient vampire in Nosferatu, or if you have a clown fetish, maybe Pennywise in IT got your motor running, but for the rest of us, Skarsgård starring as a vampire in Hemlock Grove is how we first noticed how hot he is.
Gael Garcia Bernal
Gael Garcia Bernal in Old.
Universal Pictures
If you had the hots for Gael García Bernal when you were younger, but haven’t seen him in anything since Y tu mamá también, you need to check out Old immediately. It’s definitely not a feel-good movie, nor does it have a bisexual threesome, but you’ll get a peek at Bernal in his daddy era.
Alexander Skarsgård
Alexander Skarsgård in Infinity Pool.
Neon
Not only did Alexander Skarsgård play a hot vampire in True Blood, but he also starred in Brandon Cronenberg’s (yes, he’s the son of that Cronenberg) sci-horror head trip Infinity Pool. The movie is disturbing, but the scene where Mia Goth’s character walks Skarsgård around on a leash while he’s baked except for his collar will leave rent-free in our heads until the end of time. This film is also the reason we got to see Skarsgård wear a black leather leash and collar on the red carpet at Sundance.
Tyriq Withers
Tyriq Withers in Him.
Universal Pictures
Tyriq Withers started out his career with a horror short film and has been acting in the genre ever since. He was in Horror Noire but his impressive muscles were really on display in I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) and when he played an extremely hot football player in Jordan Peele’s Him.
Nick Stabile
Nick Stabile in Bride of Chucky.
Nick Stabile made a splash when he starred in Bride of Chucky. The movie isn’t as scary as other films in the franchise, but it’s earned it’s cult classic status because of Jennifer Tilly’s performance, how camp it is, and Stabile’s shirtless car wash scene.
Russell Todd
Russell Todd in Friday the 13th Part 2.
Paramount Pictures
Russell Todd’s piercing blue eyes, pouty lips, and hard chest made him an instant hit when he starred in the horror classics Friday the 13th Part 2 and Chopping Mall.
Matt Bomer
Matt Bomer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
New Line Cinema
Matt Bomer is most famous for his roles in White Collar, the Magic Mike movies, and Fellow Travelers, but horror fans know the insanely hot actor best for starring in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning and in American Horror Story.
Robert Rusler
Robert Rusler in Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.
New Line Cinema
Robert Rusler’s wearing nothing but a pair of tiny green short shorts in Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge will forever be remembered by gays of a certain age. The film itself has also enjoyed cult classic status because of its homoerotic themes, made more intense by star Mark Patton being closeted at the time. Rusler also appears in the documentary Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, which examines the legacy of the gayest Nightmare on Elm Street movie.
Diego Boneta
Diego Boneta in Summer Camp.
Somnium Films
In 2015’s Summer Camp, Diego Boneta stars as Will, a hunky camp counselor trying to survive the deadly, rage-inducing infection that has broken out. Just a few years later, Boneta let horror fans feasts their eyes on him again when he starred as a member of a wealthy serial killer cult in Monster Party.
Jason Patric
Jason Patric in The Lost Boys.
Warner Bros.
There was no shortage of hotties in The Lost Boys — it also starred both of the Coreys, Kiefer Sutherland and Billy Wirth — but it was Jason Patric’s stunningly handsome face and hot body (and his acting chops, of course) that made him unforgettable.
Kurt Russell
Kurt Russel in The Thing.
Universal Pictures.
Yes, Kurt Russell spends the majority of the runtime of The Thing wearing layers of clothing and a giant coat, but his handsome face and sexy wind-swept hair are always on display.
John Cho
John Cho in The Grudge.
Ghost House Pictures
John Cho can play more than just a stoner. In The Grudge reboot, he plays a sexy real estate agent who tries to sell the cursed house. In The Exorcist TV show, he stars as a former child psychologist, and in Searching, he plays a desperate and determined father looking for his missing teen daughter. And in all of these roles, he's a dreamboat.
Luke Evans
Luke Evans in 'Dracula Untold.'
Universal Pictures
Out actor Luke Evans is known for his ripped bod and the plethora of thirst traps he has posted on social media, but he also starred in a lesser-known vampire movie. Dracula Untold was critically panned when it came out, but is worth watching for just how sexy Evans is alone.
Colin Farrell
Colin Farrell in Fright Night.
Touchstone Pictures
Nothing can beat the campy classic Fright Night, but its remake starring David Tennant, Dave Franco, Anton Yelchin, and Toni Collette comes close. Especially since a drool-worthy Colin Firth stars as suspected vampire Jerry Dandridge. Chris Sarandon plays the hunky vamp in the original, but Farrell’s version with his bulging biceps may be even more memorable.
Christian Bale
People have been misunderstanding American Psycho since the day it came out — hint: Patrick Bateman isn’t someone you should hero-worship. Directed by Mary Harron and written by out screenwriter Guinevere Turner, American Psycho is not only a brilliant film, but it also showcases a very nude Christian Bale multiple times. Who could ask for more?
