Though today, the science-fiction genre is home to some incredibly interesting films, to star in such a film in the 1950s was borderline taboo.

According to actor Lori Nelson, serious actors did not star in sci-fi films. When she was offered a starring role in the 1955 film, Revenge of the Creature, she admitted that she only accepted the part because she was under contract with Universal.

“I did not want to do that picture,” said Nelson during an interview with the Asbury Park Press. “In those days, you just didn’t do them. You didn’t like to do science fiction or ‘creature features,’ as they were called.”

Nelson would later appear in movies like All I Desire (1953) and I Died a Thousand Times (1955), though today, she is widely recognized by the horror community for her work in Revenge of the Creature.

“It’s ironic, because in later years those were the pictures that so many fans remember me in - more so than a lot of my better pictures. The science fiction, in particular, has become such a popular genre in the last few years that it’s just gone crazy. It’s insane how popular it has become.”

Though Nelson was reluctant to appear in the film, she found that there were benefits to the science fiction genre she hadn’t previously considered.

“I didn’t really want to do Revenge of the Creature,” said the actor during an interview with the Asbury Park Press. “I didn’t want to leave Universal with that being my last movie. But as it turned out, it was a big production - the only one in the series of three that was done in 3-D, which made it stand out and made it quite unique. It became, from what I understand from a lot of people, really the best of the three.”

Of course, years later, Revenge of the Creature has become a well-loved cult film, and Nelson admits that she’s grateful to have been a part of such an iconic feature.

“It’s turned out to be a great source of pride for me that I did do that movie,” said the actor. “And it was done at a major studio - Universal - so it had a lot of prestige.”