Bruce Campbell

Campbell's career effectively starts in a Michigan backyard. The 1978 short Within the Woods — a proof-of-concept horror film made with Sam Raimi on a shoestring — launched what would become the Evil Dead franchise and set the template for how Campbell works: scrappy, collaborative, committed to the bit. The Evil Dead series proper followed, and by the time Army of Darkness arrived in 1992, Campbell had a cult following that most mainstream actors don't manage in full careers. He didn't coast on horror. The mid-1980s through early 1990s saw him take on projects across genres — Crimewave (1985), a Raimi-directed crime comedy co-written by the Coen Brothers; Maniac Cop (1988), a lean exploitation thriller; and Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat (1989). Television opened up differently for him in 1993 when Fox aired The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., a genre-blending western that ran one season and developed a devoted audience that still won't let it go. He'd later anchor Jack of All Trades (2000) and spend years as a recurring presence in both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, playing Autolycus, King of Thieves, from 1995 to 1999 — a role that's honestly a lot of fun, even if it doesn't get mentioned enough (Wikipedia). The 2000s brought Bubba Ho-Tep (2002), arguably his most interesting non-Evil Dead performance, and a long run on Burn Notice (2007–2013) as Sam Axe, a role that introduced him to a broader cable audience. Then, in 2015, Ash vs. Evil Dead brought him back to his signature character for three seasons on Starz — older, louder, and somehow more charismatic than ever. He's also written and directed his own work, including the mockumentary My Name Is Bruce (2007) and Man with the Screaming Brain (2005), which he co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in. That level of creative control isn't accidental. It's the whole point.