Soap Villains Who Were Truly Scary

[DRW50]

The way they shot the Clown Puppet Murders on EON was also genuinely terrifying. Likely moreso than the latest spate of evil doll movies.

 

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[Khan]

At its' peak, EON must have been one of the most clever and most adult shows on TV.

[John]

who was behind the puppet???

[jam6242]

Sven even got my dad watching a soap for the first time.

[Efulton]

I rewatched the Clown Puppet Murders a few years ago and it sill holds up!

 

[DRW50]

 

Most of that era of EON puts any soap in the last 25 years to shame. Henry Slesar was very ahead of his time, especially in regards to female characters. I'm just sorry that so much of his work as headwriter is gone. 

[300 Park Lane]

Christine L. Tudor’s Gwyneth Alden as the serial killer toward the last months of ABC’s Loving. She was deliciously down-right creepy.

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[slick jones]

My ten year old self will always remember Ivan Kipling putting chips in Larry Wolek and Ed Hall's brains.  

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[ReddFoxx]

Less of a character, but more a story line, but the Salem Stalker was scary due to some of the methods used. When Marlena was revealed it was creepy how she admitted to it under the truth serum and just didn't care. Of course the rest of the story line was absolutely ridiculous.

[AdelaideCate007]

Sheila goes without saying.

 

Ryan Chamberlain was definitely creepy and scary the first time around, at least right up until he had the bomb at Mac and Felicia's wedding. Like most villains, the subsequent returns (the time he kidnapped Georgie, this recent return) really diluted the impact, but that original year or so was good stuff. Faison is another one who got less scary as time went on, but he was legit scary up until the Ron years.

 

His original stint was before my time, but the beginning of Billy Clyde's stint in the 90s when he was originally after Donna and Emily Ann was frightening to me. It did get silly once the Dixie stuff started though.

 

I only remember the romance with Rachel years, but from old episodes and clips, Carl on Another World was another one that could be incredibly scary. Vivian on Days and Gwyn on Loving had their creepy moments too.

 

I agree that people like Stefano and Helena were always more entertaining than actually scary.

 

The worst are obviously unfrozen Stavros from GH and Justine on AW.

[Khan]

 

Doug: "We're back!"

Julie: "And we brought a tiger!"

 

 

It's a testament to Charles Keating, Victoria Wyndham and then-HW Peggy Sloane that AW was able to sell viewers on a Carl/Rachel romance considering the history between those two characters.  At one point, in fact, they were AW's most popular couple, which made Richard Culliton's decision to kill off Carl (after having him revert to his former self) all the more puzzling.

[dragonflies]

I think Charles Keating was pretty damn scary on Port Charles too. He was very good at playing villains lol

[MichaelGL]

Did not watch it when it originally aired but just the snippet of what I've seen of Jingles the Clown on Somerset sends shivers down my spine. This was another story penned by the incredible Henry Slesar! It starts at 24:55 

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[Taoboi]

For me...

 

GH

 

FAISON. I had always heard so much from my Mom who was a big Luke and Laura fan (I still remember them coming back and seeing the Cassindine promo with the ring and asking my Mom what was that about and her giving me that Mom look) so when he showed up and started playing cat and mouse with Luke and Felicia...I didn't understand, but his presence...his vibe...was something truly scary. You knew when he was on the scene...something dangerous was coming. 

 

And I liked the first RC return. We got Lisel and I like her and other than that diva toss when she came to PC and her first NB with the Cabaret number and 'is that all there is?' I liked her menace back then.

 

DAYS

 

STEFANO. As a kid, he had his moments. And you knew...if  you crossed him...you WOULD REGRET it. But maybe it was just Joseph Mosolo's presence.

 

Y&R.

 

That 2005 Sheila promo gets me. Every time.

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Wikipedia describes Lilith as "...often envisioned as a dangerous demon of the night, who is sexually wanton, and who steals babies in the darkness." 

 

Anyone who remembers the character of Lilith McKechnie on ATWT knew that this description almost suits her to a T.  As a kid whenever I'd see her caressing that ultra-sharp stainless steel letter opener with her long, blood-red nails accompanied by that creepy stringed-music, it would send chills up my spine.

 

This episode is really worth a look from the opening scene, then skip to 8:04-11:50 then skip to 20:52.  Sarah Botsford is so cold, calculating and menacing as the music cues grow increasingly creepy.  There are other scenes where she seems on the verge of committing murder but this one is a good snippet of why anyone could find the character more than a little unsettling.

 

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