Past AADA Students in Your Spooky Favorites
From The Academy's classrooms to spine-chilling scenes, many of our talented former students have perfected the art of fright in iconic horror films, gripping mystery shows, and thrilling stage productions.
Do you have a favorite spooky production featuring an alum? Let us know!
Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story)
Sarah Paulson has been a staple of American Horror Story since debuting in its first season in 2011. Playing multiple roles that stretched her range, Paulson has become a fan favorite as she's intertwined her career with the series.
Lisa Brescia (Wicked)
Lisa Brescia defied gravity on Broadway from February 2007 to June 2008, when she stood as the standby for Elphaba, slipping into the role during the absence of Julia Murney and later Stephanie J. Block.
Zach Norton (Harry Potter Cursed Child - tour)
Recent grad Zach Norton joins Harry Potter and the Cursed Child as it tours North America. The actor will play Karl Jenkins and Viktor Krum, and join the show’s ensemble.
Bruce Greenwood (The Fall of the House of Usher)
Adapted from the poem by Edgar Allen Poe comes The Fall of the House of Usher, an American gothic story starring Bruce Greenwood. The actor embodies Roderick, the morally comprised head of the Usher dynasty.
Matthew Lillard (Five Nights at Freddy’s)
Matthew Lillard stars in Five Nights At Freddy’s, a film adaptation of the pizzeria-set horror game of the same name.
Beth Broderick (Sabrina the Teenage Witch)
Broderick starred as Aunt Zelda Spellman, the straight-laced mentor to Sabrina as she comes of age, in the beloved series.
Adam Scott (Krampus)
In Krampus, horror besets a family when Tom (Adam Scott) unwittingly summons the demon Krampus.
Alexander Ward (Vitala: Sleepy Hollow)
He’s known for playing creatures in countless productions (including the American Horror Story franchise and Pandemic)...so who’s under all those layers of makeup?! None other than Mr. Alexander Ward in Sleepy Hollow!
Danny DeVito (Haunted Mansion)
Danny DeVito rounded out the star-studded cast of Haunted Mansion, the 2023 film drawing inspiration from the iconic Disney attraction and early 2000s Eddie Murphy-starring film.
Anne Hathaway (The Witches)
In a fresh look at Roald Dahl’s 1983 novel, Anne Hathaway plays the Grand High Witch, a role originated by Angelica Huston in 1990.
Julia Garner (Apartment 7A)
Julia Garner brings to life Terry, a young, ambitious dancer living in 1960s New York in Apartment 7A, the anxiety-inducing prequel to Rosemary’s Baby.
Jennifer Coolidge (The Watcher)
The Watcher follows a married couple moving into their dream home…but things are not as they seem in this Netflix series based on a true story.
Sarah Paulson (Hold Your Breath)
In this psychological thriller set in 1930s Oklahoma, Margaret Bellum (Sarah Paulson) fears what paranormal threats lurk behind the dust clouds razing her once great farm.
Carrie-Anne Moss (Die Alone)
A zombie apocalypse has wiped out most of humanity, but Mae, a survivalist played by Carrie-Anne Moss, fends them off on an isolated farm in Die Alone.
Catherine Dyer (Stranger Things)
Straight-laced detective Connie Frazier is brought to life by Catherine Dyer in Stranger Things, the Netflix series and pop culture staple.
Matthew Lillard (Scream)
In Scream, the ‘90s horror classic that spawned a media franchise, Matthew Lillard stars as Stu Macher, the eccentric buddy to Billy Loomis.
Christine Ebersole (American Horror Story)
Ebersole performed the role of Elizabeth Taylor, a larger-than-life resident of the Hotel Cortez in American Horror Story’s fifth season. The role was a nod to the famous actress from Hollywood’s Golden Age.
Matthew Lillard (Thirteen Ghosts)
Matthew Lillard plays Dennis Rafkin, a character who can communicate with the supernatural in Thirteen Ghosts.
Paul Rudd (Ghostbusters Afterlife)
The Ant-Man star joined one of cinema’s most iconic franchises when he starred in Ghostbusters: Afterlife, the 2021 sequel to the original films.
Tony Nappo (Don’t F**k With Ghosts)
In this buddy comedy from Stuart Stone, two ambitious filmmakers attempt to prove the existence of ghosts. Tony Nappo stars as Sherpa Steve while hijinks ensue.
Danny DeVito (Batman Returns)
Let’s return to Gotham’s gritty underworld in Batman Returns, as Danny DeVito delivers a masterclass in villainy as The Penguin.
Carrie-Anne Moss (Frankenstein)
In 2015, Carrie-Anne Moss starred as Elizabeth Frankenstein, Victor’s wife, in an adaptation of Frankenstein set in contemporary Los Angeles.
Paul Rudd (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers)
Before Paul Rudd became a staple of the Marvel franchise, he played Tommy Doyle in Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, which was released in 1995.
Jessica Chastain (It Chapter 2)
In the sequel to the 2017 hit, Jessica Chastain stars as Beverly Marsh as the Losers’ Club reunites to fight off Pennywise.
Tony Nappo (Saw II)
Tony Nappo nailed the role of Gus in Saw II, the sequel to the slasher film where character's must navigate their way through sadistic puzzles.
Eion Bailey (From)
Jim Matthews (Eion Bailey) is a father trying to protect his family from supernatural forces in From, a series reminiscent of The Twilight Zone, where a mysterious town traps passersby.
Sarah Paulson (Ratched)
Ryan Murphy tapped Paulson for another sinister role in Ratched. In it, she brings to life the iconic character, Nurse Ratched, from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
Agnes Moorehead (Bewitched)
Ms. Moorehead endeared herself to a generation of TV audiences as Endora, the playful mother of Samantha Stephens (played by Actors Society Member Elizabeth Montgomery), in Bewitched.
John Cassavetes & Ruth Gordon (Rosemary’s Baby)
The duo appeared together in the 1968 thriller Rosemary’s Baby, precursor to the Julia Garner-starring Apartment 7A.
Matthew Lillard (Scooby Doo)
Fans will recognize Lillard as Shaggy from the live action Scooby Doo films from the early 2000s.