CT HorrorFest

Matthew Lillard

After honing his craft at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Matthew Lillard got his start in the horror genre with a role in Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College and then hopped right into an awesome role as one of Kathleen Turner's kids in John Waters' 1994 black comedy Serial Mom.

Two years later, however, he solidified his status in the eyes of horror fans with his portrayal of Stu in Wes Craven's 1996 slasher hit Scream. Mr. Lillard has had a very busy career working with actors like George Clooney in The Descendants and Clint Eastwood in Trouble with the Curve, just to name a few.

Also, a talented voice actor, Lillard is well-known for his portrayal of Scooby Doo's Shaggy both in voice and live-action.

Television: Robot Chicken, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Criminal Minds, Twin Peaks, Supernatural

Movies: Scream, Serial Mom, SLC Punk!, Thirteen Ghosts, She's All That, The Descendants, Trouble with the Curve, Scooby Doo

Skeet Ulrich

Born in Virginia, Skeet Ulrich began studying marine biology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington after graduating high school. During that time, he also worked at a local theater building sets for plays to make some extra cash. Being around the theater helped spurn an interest in acting and Skeet transferred to New York University to study under Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and screenwriter David Mamet.

While learning his craft, Skeet did some uncredited extra work in films like Weekend at Bernie’s and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Then, in early 1996, Ulrich hit the big time with two major films hitting theaters that May: Boys with Winona Ryder and The Craft.

While audiences were busy watching his performances in those films, Skeet was busy working with Wes Craven on the 1996 hit slasher film Scream.

We are extremely excited to welcome Skeet Ulrich to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: The Craft, Boys, Scream, As Good as It Gets, The Newton Boys, Ride with the Devil, Takedown, Escape Room

Television: Jericho, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: LA, Riverdale, Robot Chicken

Kathy Najimy

Born in sunny San Diego, Kathy Najimy got her start in Hollywood in 1991 with roles in FOUR major films in that one year but it was her role as Sister Mary Patrick in the following year’s Sister Act that made her a star and won her an American Comedy Award for Funniest Supporting Actress. Then, in 1993, Kathy was nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the witch Mary Sanderson in Disney’s Hocus Pocus.

Currently set to return to her role as Mary Sanderson in Hocus Pocus 2, horror fans will also recognize Kathy as the motel maid from Bride of Chucky.

We are very excited to bring Kathy Najimy to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: The Fisher King, Other People’s Money, Sister Act, Sister Act 2, Hocus Pocus, Bride of Chucky, A Madea Christmas, Hocus Pocus 2

Television: Ellen, Veronica’s Closet, Veep, Make It or Break It, Younger, The Rocketeer

Voice: King of the Hill, WALL-E, American Dad, Robot Chicken

**Please note: Kathy will begin signing at 11AM. All other guests will begin at 10AM.

Thomas G. Waites

Hailing from the fighting city of Philadelphia, PA, Thomas G. Waites studied acting on a full scholarship at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City alongside classmates Keith David and the late Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams. After a well-received performance in the TV movie The Other Side of Victory, Waites scored a role as the lead in 1978’s underrated prison drama On the Yard alongside John Heard and Mike Kellin.

In 1979, he starred opposite Al Pacino in And Justice for All but genre fans may recognize him more from another film that came out the same year…The Warriors; where he played Warriors-member Fox. Horror fans, however, will all remember him as Windows in John Carpenter’s 1982 classic The Thing.

While still quite active in front of the camera, Thomas now spends most of his time at his New York City school, TGW Acting School.

Please welcome Thomas G. Waites to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: And Justice for All, The Thing, The Warriors, The Clan of the Cave Bear, Light of Day, Shakedown, Money Train, State of Grace

Television: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Oz, Homeland, Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Sliders, The Equalizer, Miami Vice

Katie Featherston

Texas born and raised, Katie Featherston always had the acting bug and appeared in numerous productions growing up. After studying acting in college, she made the move to Los Angeles where she auditioned for the lead in an indie horror film that called for actors skilled in improvisation.

Upon landing that role, Katie became the star of the ground-breaking Paranormal Activity series.

Let's welcome Katie Featherston to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: Paranormal Activity, Paranormal Activity 2, Paranormal Activity 3, Paranormal Activity 4, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

Documentaries: In Search of Darkness, In Search of Darkness: Part II

Micah Sloat

A musician and singer born in Connecticut, Micah Sloat began studying acting while attending the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, CA. In the Spring of 2006, he saw an ad looking for actors who were able to improvise scenes and work throughout the night and he figured he'd throw his hat in the ring.

The ad was for a low budget indie film from first time writer/director Oren Peli for what became one of the highest grossing independent films of all time: Paranormal Activity.

Join us in welcoming Micah Sloat back to Connecticut for CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: Paranormal Activity, Paranormal Activity 2, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones

Jake Roberts

Born into a wrestling family in Gainesville, Texas, WWE Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts began his wrestling career in 1974 going back and forth between Georgia Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. After working with many promotions over the next decade, including the legendary Stampede Wrestling and World Class Championship Wrestling, Jake debuted with the World Wrestling Federation in 1986 and had his first major feud with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat who was the recipient of Robert's signature finishing move, the DDT, and had his snake Damien draped across his prone body.

Known as one of the greatest talkers in wrestling history, his gifts on the mic led to numerous signature promos and his own talk show segment on WWF television called "The Snake Pit". Along with his many feuds with other stars like "Ravishing" Rick Rude and The Honky Tonk Man, Jake had a hand in creating the Austin 3:16 phenomenon, being the target of Steve Austin's famous promo after falling to Austin at the 1996 King of the Ring.

You can currently catch Jake "The Snake" Roberts live on TNT every week for AEW as manager as "The Murder Hawk" Lance Archer.

Please join us in welcoming WWE and Professional Wrestling Hall of Famer Jake "The Snake" Roberts to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Rachel True

Born in New York City, Rachel True got her first big break in 1991, with a role on The Cosby Show. Rachel then nabbed a role in Chris Rock's 1993 film CB4, and the HBO series Dream On before landing the role that would put her on the horror map. Her role as Rochelle in 1996's witchy classic, The Craft would gain her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress Role at the 1997 Fangoria Chainsaw awards.

After The Craft, Rachel starred alongside Dave Chappelle in Half Baked and went on to star as Mona in the series Half and Half, for which she received a nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2002 NAACP Image Awards. 

While Rachel continues to act, she has also recently published her own tarot deck, True Heart Tarot, as the art of tarot has been a lifelong practice for her, even prior to her role in The Craft.

We are excited to welcome Rachel True to CT HorrorFest 2021.

Television: The Cosby Show, Beverly Hills 90210, Dream On, The Drew Carey Show, Half & Half, Sharknado 2: The Second One

Movies: The Craft, CB4, Nowhere, Half Baked, Embrace of the Vampire, The Big Split, Divas, Sharkndao: Heart of Sharkness

C.J. Graham

Over the years, CT HorrorFest has been honored to be able to celebrate some of the great actors who have portrayed Jason Voorhees in the series; from Ari Lehman to Tom Morga to Warrington Gillette to the late, great Steve Dash - we've had a good bunch of them, and we are super excited to add another to the list!

Please join us in welcoming the man behind the mask in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives - C.J. Graham - to CT HorrorFest in 2021!

Films: Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, Highway to Hell

Chris Durand

Chris Durand was already a well-known stunt man before signing on to don the iconic mask of The Shape for 1998's Halloween H20. In addition to his stunt cred, he'd also played Ghostface in the previous year's hit Scream 2 so the team at H20 knew that they were getting someone who could perform while inside a costume.

Famously, Chris had never seen any of the Halloween films before being cast as Michael, nor did he visit them before playing the part. "We wanted the character to be right but didn't want to mimic previous portrayals", he said; so they developed how they thought this Myers should play out on the screen for H20 and he knocked it out of the park - so much so that when they were casting the next Michael Myers for Halloween (2018), thousands of fans petitioned for Chris to play the role in the new addition to the franchise!

Let's welcome New Haven, CT's own Chris Durand, to 2021's CT HorrorFest!

Films (actor): Demolition Man, Scream 2, Halloween H20, Class of 1999 II: The Substitute, Outta Time

Films: (stunts): Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Crow, Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, Resident Evil: Extinction, Talladega Nights, Pearl Harbor, Armageddon, The Mask, Encino Man

Bob Elmore

Getting his start in Hollywood as a stuntman in 1985, Bob Elmore probably never thought that his name would be mentioned alongside one of the greatest horror movie villains of all time - Leatherface. Bob's interest in stunts began in the 1970's when he was hired to do chainsaw stunts in a Wild West show at California's Knott's Berry Farms. Soon after, he began pursuing a career doing stunts in movies.

In 1986, Bob was hired to do stunts on The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and he figured he was in for a pretty easy day of work. That easy day of work grew as the director realized that the actor hired to portray Leatherface for the film wasn't strong enough to wield the 75-pound chainsaw, so, they had to keep Bob on and he ended up being "the man behind the skin-mask" through-out approximately 98% of the film.

CT HorrorFest is thrilled to bring Bob Elmore to our 2021 show!

Stunts: Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, The Monster Squad, License to Drive, Dr. Giggles, Casino, Delirious, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Nothing But Trouble

Actor: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Usual Suspects, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Jordyn DiNatale

From our own state of Connecticut comes actress Jordyn DiNatale. After honing her skills on the stage, Jordyn first appeared in a 2012 film named Murt Ramirez Wants to Kick My Ass. A few short years later she first took her first stab at the horror genre with a 2014 film called Jamie Marks is Dead directed by Carter Smith who also directed the popular 2008 horror film The Ruins. Then in 2019, she appeared alongside Robert De Niro in the Martin Scorsese epic The Irishman.

It was just this year, however, that horror fans were introduced to Jordyn in a big way as she slashed her way into our hearts as Shadyside killer Ruby Lane in all three Fear Street films. So, if you’re roaming around the venue this year during CT HorrorFest and you hear someone singing “You Always Hurt the One You Love”, start running. 

We are super excited to welcome Jordyn DiNatale to CT HorrorFest 2021!

Films: Fear Street: Part One – 1994, Fear Street: Part Two – 1978, Fear Street: Part Three – 1666, The Irishman, Lez Bomb, Central Park, Miles, Murt Ramirez Wants to Kick My Ass, Jamie Marks is Dead 

Television: The Birch, The Punisher, Shades of Blue, Inside Amy Schumer, Mindhunter, Eye Candy, Truth Slash Fiction

Jeff Zornow

Horror Comic Award-winning artist, Jeff Zornow has spent countless years providing the art on comics such as Halloween, Godzilla, Jurassic Park, '68 and more.

Jeff also creates tee shirt designs for Fright Rags, Pallbearer Press, House of Mysterious Secrets and more. His work has also graced the cover of titles from Arrow Video, Acid Bath Productions and Shout Factory. He also provides album cover/t-shirt art for bands including Misfits, Acid Witch, Mortician, F.K.U., Waking the Cadaver and more.

Jeff also does the art for the CT HorrorFest posters.

We are happy to have Jeff return on September, 18th.

Celebrity Pricing:
Please note that all pricing is at the discretion of the Talent and although we do our best to confirm prior to the event, pricing may be subject to change. Also, if Talent has other types of merchandise outside of 8 x10 photos, that pricing may differ.

Matthew Lillard:
Autograph-$50
Selfie/Pic-$40
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$80

Skeet Ulrich:
Autograph-$50
Selfie/Pic-$40
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$80

Kathy Najimy:
*Please note Kathy Najimy will not start signing until 11am*
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic-$30
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$60

James Jude Courtney:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$40

Jake Roberts:
Autograph-$30
Selfie/Pic-$30
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$60

Rachel True:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic-$40
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$60

Katie Featherston:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic-$20
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$50

Micah Sloat:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic-$20
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$50

Thomas Waites:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$40

Peter Maloney:
Autograph-$30
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$30

Jordyn DiNatale:
Autograph-$30
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$30

Chris Durand:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$40

CJ Graham:
Autograph-$40
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$40

Bob Elmore:
Autograph-$25
Selfie/Pic- Free with Autograph purchase
Combo Autograph & Selfie-$25

Will you mandate masks?

Per the current latest Connecticut guidelines, aligned with CDC recommendations, it is required that all unvaccinated people wear a face covering while attending indoor functions; therefore, guests at CT HorrorFest who have not been vaccinated are required to wear a mask. We will not be checking vaccination cards, so we are counting on our guests to be honest and do what’s right. While the state currently requires only unvaccinated to be masked, we still recommend and encourage mask usage among both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals attending this year’s show.

*Please note that we will continue to follow State guidance on this topic so this may change by the date of the event.

I’m not feeling well, should I still attend?

Absolutely not. This is true even before the pandemic.

What is CTHF doing to help prevent the spread of COVID-19?

The Naugatuck Event Center has set up sanitization booths in different locations throughout the venue. We will also be fully vacating and clearing out the Panel Room in between events to thoroughly clean room before the next panel/event. (Yes, this means that people will not be allowed to camp out in the panel room and keep a seat for the day – we apologize for that, but we need to be cautious). The Event Center will also be cleaning the bathrooms frequently and we are working with them to try and get bathrooms on other floors available to our attendees (still in progress).

What can I do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19?

*Mask up!

*Wash your hands regularly and use hand sanitizer.

*Do your best to maintain a safe distance from anyone not in your group.

*Again, do not attend this event if you are presently suffering from any symptoms of COVID-19 or if you have been in contact with anyone with these symptoms in the last 14 days.

Important to note

We will not tolerate any harassment of any attendee, guest, celebrity, vendor at CTHF for choosing to wear, or not wear, a mask. Anyone engaging in such behavior will be asked to leave immediately (without refund). CT HorrorFest is happy to be able to put on this event in such uncertain times and we will do our best to make sure that it is a fun and exciting experience for all who attend.

Assumption of risk and liability

COVID-19 and its variants are extremely contagious. While CT HorrorFest has put some preventative measures in place to help reduce the spread of the virus, we cannot guarantee that you will not become infected with COVID-19.

Is CT HorrorFest scary?

Not unless you find meeting celebrities and shopping awesome vendors scary. Some people come dressed in costumes. But don't expect a haunted house or to be chased by someone with a chainsaw.

What time should I arrive as an attendee and buy tickets?

Any time. Tickets will be on sale all day long at the door for $25 cash only at the front table. 

Can I come in costume?

Of course!

How much are autographs?

Autographs are priced at the discretion of the talent. The last few years on the East Coast, autographs have ranged from $20-$200. We will do our best to publish a list of autograph/photo prices a few days before the event, provided that they get us the information ahead of time.

Is there an ATM onsite?

Yes.

My costume has a weapon is that OK?

All costume props must be inspected at the front desk. Because of safety reasons, we cannot allow any real or sharp weapons into the venue without being checked.

Can I have my machete/knife, etc. signed by a celebrity?

If you collect signatures of Jason, Michael, or any other character on a real weapon you must present the weapon to a CT HorrorFest staff member at the FRONT desk. We will then take the weapon and bring it to the celebrity where you can have it signed. After the celebrity signs the item you must either exit and put it in your vehicle or give it to a CT HorrorFest staff member who will keep it at the front desk for safe keeping.

What happens if the convention is canceled?
If for any reason the convention is canceled we will refund all ticket purchases and vendor tables within 30 days.

What happens if the celebrity you are coming to meet cancels?
As the event promoters we hope that no one cancels. That is truly a nightmare for us. We understand that you may have purchased a ticket to meet one specific person but celebrity cancellations are out of our control. We do not offer refunds for this reason as the show will go on.

I’m having an issue with another attendee, what do I do?

Please do not take any matters like this into your own hands. Whatever your issue is, go to the front desk and let a staff member know and we will take care of it.

My friend is running a haunted house, can I hand out flyers at CTHF?

No. Attendees are not allowed to distribute, stickers, cards, or any promotional item without prior approval from CTHF. Our vendors and sponsors pay for the ability to promote their haunts, events, businesses, etc. so it would be unfair to allow attendees to do the same for free.

I’d like to livestream one of the panels to my podcast page.

No livestreaming or re-broadcasting of any panels or events at CTHF is allowed without prior approval from CTHF.

Will there be food?

The venue will have approved food vendors on site selling food, snacks, and beverages (including beer and wine).

Can I smoke?

There is no smoking of any materials, including vaping or e-cigarettes, allowed in the Naugatuck Event Center. You are free to go outside and smoke and re-enter the event.

Can I take photos of vendors and/or celebrities?

With their permission, yes.

Will you be adding more guests?

We have probably reached our limit on celebrity guests.

Can I interview some of the celebrities for my podcast during CTHF?

No, the celebrities are there to meet with fans and we need the lines to move at a steady pace so that they're able to meet with everyone without interruption.