Barbara Crampton

Creator Context

Summary

American actress and producer whose long career spans daytime television and influential horror films including Re-Animator, From Beyond, Chopping Mall, You’re Next, We Are Still Here, Jakob’s Wife and Suitable Flesh. In recent years she has repeatedly spoken about the lack of substantial roles for older women, women’s historical exploitation in genre cinema and the importance of female representation both on screen and behind the camera. As producer and star of Jakob’s Wife, she helped shift the story toward a feminist perspective, female agency and a woman’s awakening, and she has supported female-centered collaboration among horror actors and filmmakers. Her public identity is centered on women’s opportunities and representation in horror, though there is no strong record of broader partisan activism or a dominant general social-justice persona.