13 Great Horror-Movie Scream Queens: From Janet Leigh to Sarah Michelle Gellar

What would the horror genre be without scream queens? Dead.

From Fay Wray's flailing helplessness in the 1933 classic “King Kong” to Milla Jovovich's steely-eyed determination in the long-running “Resident Evil” series, the definition of “scream queen” has broadened considerably over the last several decades – and with Halloween right around the corner we thought we'd highlight a few of the greatest examples from every era (and budget level). The final list of 13 (fortuitous!) isn't meant to be an exhaustive list – notable omissions include “A Nightmare on Elm Street” star Heather Langenkamp, Troma icon Debbie Rochon and “Halloween” actor Danielle Harris – but rather to highlight a few of our favorite female genre icons from years past.

After checking out the list below, let us know who your favorite scream queens are by voting in the poll further down the page.

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