Welcome to Day 22 of Spooky Season!! We’ve been losing so many horror legends, especially this year, and it’s been incredibly heartbreaking. Today, I share part 3 of horror legends I wish I could’ve met. These are the horror legends that aren’t with us anymore that I would’ve loved to have known. I hope you enjoy and if you’ve met any of these celebrities, I’d love to hear your stories about them!!

Hayden Panettiere (1989-2026)

I know Hayden is known mostly for her work outside of the horror genre. What really made me a fan of hers was when she starred as a fellow horror movie nerd in Scream 4. In that role alone, you could tell how fun and wonderful she was. I never heard a single bad thing about her, she was a good person who left us way too soon.

Tony Todd (1954-2024)

Tony was always one of those actors where I looked forward to watching a movie JUST because he was in it. He played in some of my favorite horror franchises, including Final Destination, Candyman, and Hatchet. He was so great at playing a character you could really root for… or your worst nightmare. I love that in his last Final Destination appearance, he was given free reign to say what he wanted and he left us with one last reminder to enjoy life.

Lon Chaney Jr. (1906-1973)

Lon was a nepo baby who really proved he was cut out for the movie business. One thing I noticed about him in his horror films I’ve seen is that he had a very protective nature. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a protective person in real life. I absolutely loved him in Spider Baby and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. It’s kind of funny how he was both a good person and bad person in both of those films.

Daveigh Chase (1990-2026)

Daveigh made an entire generation scared of strange videotapes and phone calls by playing the terrifying Samara Morgan in The Ring. When she stopped acting after 2016, I just assumed she was retired and living her best life. I had no idea that things were so bad for her, and it breaks my heart. We never really know what our favorite stars are really going through.

Tim Curry (1946-2026)

From Home Alone 2, The Wild Thornberrys, and Charlie’s Angels, to IT, Clue, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, I literally grew up with Tim in my living room. He gave it his all, no matter what the role was. He even played three different characters in his episode of Tales From The Crypt. He was such a force and he was unjustly cut down by a stroke. I really hope he was at peace in his final days because he really didn’t deserve what happened to him.

Janet Leigh (1927-2004)

Janet had such a wonderful energy and glow in her films! I loved her ever since I saw her in Psycho. It was wonderful seeing her act with her daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis in The Fog and Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. She seemed to have a very caring nature and she always brightened up the room when she walked on-screen.

Priscilla Pointer (1924-2025)

Priscilla was definitely one of those stoic and confident souls. You can definitely tell by the way she raised her voice and held her head up high. She also got to act along with her daughter, Amy Irving, in one of my favorite horror films, Carrie. I hated her character so much in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3, but that only means she played the part so well. She’s always been someone I loved to see on-screen.

Jim Seidow (1920-2003)

Jim was a legend in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre universe. It was really fun seeing him on-screen because you can definitely tell he had a blast with his character, especially in the sequel. I’ve always loved that Bill Moseley worked with him in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and later played Jim’s character, Drayton in 2013’s Texas Chainsaw. I think it was a great way to honor the character he made famous.

Marian Waldman (1924-1985)

Marian was one of those celebs that I became an instant fan of after seeing them in just one role. She was absolutely amazing and hilarious in Black Christmas, she was the main reason I loved the movie so much. She had such an energy and sense of humor that really made me wish I knew her in real life. I believe she was one of those actresses who really let their personality spill into their characters.

Clu Gulager (1928-2022)

I’ve always loved the way Clu talked, especially whenever he went on a rant in his films. I became a fan of his ever since I saw him in The Return Of The Living Dead. Even when he played the infuriating father in A Nightmare On Elm Street 2, he was still very entertaining. He definitely was the kind of guy who had no problem laughing at himself and having fun with whatever part he did.