Scream queen

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A scream queen is an actress who has become synonymous with horror films, either through an appearance in a notable entry in the genre or through constant appearances as the female protagonist. The first actress to be labeled as a scream queen was Fay Wray in King Kong. Two other actresses usually associated with the term are Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis, who are also mother and daughter, and are generally remembered because of their career defining roles in the classic horror films Psycho and Halloween, respectively. Curtis is also noted for her numerous films in the genre, such as The Fog, Prom Night and Terror Train along with her appearances in a few of the Halloween sequels.

The rise of the slasher sub-genre in the early 1980's and its re-emergence in the mid-to-late 1990's has led to a misuse of the term in mainstream media, which has subsequently dubbed any actress appearing in a movie featuring even the most mild horror themes, as a Scream Queen.

Many believe the new Scream Queen is Sarah Michelle Gellar.