Dracula is arguably the most iconic horror monster in cinema history, having been terrifying audiences across the world for over a century on screen.
Dracula is arguably the most iconic horror monster in cinema history, having been terrifying audiences across the world for over a century on screen. Countless sensational performers, directors, and writers have served up brilliant renditions of the bloodthirsty fiend, with only the best of the best standing out in a long list of adaptations and portrayals of the notorious count. With penetrating eyes, pale skin, and an insatiable appetite for carnage, power, and blood, Bram Stoker's famed literary character has become a hallowed figure in pop culture. The eerie 1922 German silent horror film Nosferatu helped first introduce the masses to the frightening vampire, becoming a cinematic masterpiece in the process.
Some of Hollywood’s most talented actors have tackled the role of the diabolical Dracula, with silver screen greats like Gary Oldman, Christopher Lee, and Bela Lugosi all having spectacularly portrayed the character. Nicolas Cage played a lunatic who believes he's a vampire in Vampire's Kiss, but everyone is excited that the upcoming film Renfield will star Cage as Dracula. Audiences everywhere can’t seem to get enough of the Stoker staple, with the movie monster constantly being reinterpreted throughout the decades. From the riveting series Penny Dreadful to Francis Ford Coppola's underrated gothic picture Bram Stoker’s Dracula, these titles have some of the best actors to play the infamous character on screen.
The Showtime horror drama series Penny Dreadful features a thrilling mixture of famed 19th-century Victorian Gothic fiction characters, delving into the bewitching backstories of literary icons like Dorian Gray, Victor Frankenstein, and Count Dracula and revealing their ominous origins. In the spooky show, Christian Camargo brilliantly portrays Bram Stoker’s notorious vampire Dracula, with the rendition of the character being the brother of Lucifer and a fallen angel who assumes the identity of a zoologist named Alexander Sweet in order to seduce Vanessa Ives. The third and final season of Penny Dreadful introduced the fanged villain and garnered widespread critical acclaim, earning a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score.
Stephen Sommers directed the 2004 action horror film Van Helsing, which stars Hugh Jackman as the legendary titular monster hunter, who is sent to Transylvania to defeat Count Dracula as the nefarious villain attempts to use werewolves and Dr. Frankenstein’s creature to create a terrifying horde of the undead. Richard Roxburgh appears as the diabolical Count Vladislaus Dracula, with the character being able to transform into an imposing bat while also harnessing immense power and superhuman capabilities. Van Helsing pays homage to the beloved Universal Horror Monster films from the 1930s and ‘40s, and despite less-than-stellar reviews went on to be a hit at the box office and grossed over $300 million.
After having been nominated for a Tony Award for his impressive portrayal of the eponymous character in the 1977 Broadway production of Dracula, Frank Langella reprised his role for the 1979 big screen adaptation. The esteemed actor was interested in exploring a new side of the iconic movie monster that had yet to be depicted, having once expressed, “I decided he was a highly vulnerable and erotic man, not cool and detached and with no sense of humor or humanity. I didn't want him to appear stilted, stentorian or authoritarian as he's often presented. I wanted to show a man who, while evil, was lonely and could fall in love." Dracula was a critical and commercial success, winning the Saturn Award for Best Horror Film and re-inventing the character with a more emotional and sensual appeal instead of solely a sinister one.
The 2014 dark fantasy action flick Dracula Untold decided to shake-up the illustrious Bram Stoker tale by creating a compelling origin story for the eponymous character, with Dracula serving as the frightful alter ego of Romanian ruler Vlad III “the Impaler” Drăculea. In the prequel, Luke Evans tackles the famous role of warrior and revered prince Vlad, who willingly decides to become a vampire in order to protect and keep his family and land safe from foreign forces.
Evans’ Dracula is shown as an admirable hero who was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, straying completely away from the evil monster depicted in Stoker’s novel; Time Magazine praised his portrayal in their review, writing, “Evans carries Untold by admirably fulfilling the two essential functions of a period-movie hero: to enunciate comic-book dialogue with Shakespearean authority and to look great with his shirt off.”
The BBC One drama-horror television serial Dracula consists of three chilling episodes that center on the backstory of the infamous count, chronicling his origins in Eastern Europe and his never-ending battle with the determined Van Helsing and his fierce line of descendants. Claes Bang is superbly terrifying as Dracula, fully embracing the character’s malevolent nature and wreaking havoc on those who are unlucky enough to cross his path. According to the serial’s writers, their version of the villainous vampire is “the hero of his own story” and they set out to honor the original source while also adding thrilling new elements to his backstory. Dracula was well-received by critics and was a rating’s hit on both BBC One and Netflix, with the show and Bang earning TV Choice Awards nominations.
The first major theatrical adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula was the 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film Nosferatu, which featured Max Schreck as the hunched back, claw-wielding creature of the night Count Orlok, who sets his sights on both a new home and the wife of his estate agent in the spooky picture.
Related: 100 Years Later, Nosferatu Remains One of the Most Influential Vampire Movies
While regarded as a highly influential masterpiece of cinema and one of the best silent movies of all time, Nosferatu was an unauthorized reworking of the Stoker classic that ultimately led to Stoker’s heirs suing the filmmakers over the adaptation, resulting in nearly all the copies of the film being burned. It took decades for Nosferatu to be re-discovered. The silent triumph introduced audiences across the world to the chilling Dracula and is a hallowed silver screen staple; Time Out rightfully declared, “So this is it: ground zero, the birth of horror cinema.”
The admired Christopher Lee portrayed the cape-wearing, fanged fiend Count Dracula in a remarkable seven Hammer Horror films, beginning with the 1958 British picture Dracula; the dynamic performer would appear as the devilish villain for 15 years, concluding his tenure in 1973’s The Satanic Rites of Dracula.
Lee’s interpretation of the famous vampire helped introduce him as a brooding and sensual character, with British educationalist/writer Christopher Frayling stating, “Dracula introduced fangs, red contact lenses, décolletage, ready-prepared wooden stakes and – in the celebrated credits sequence – blood being spattered from off-screen over the Count's coffin." The esteemed actor was not always pleased with the direction and depiction of Dracula in the films, but his portrayal remains a lauded touchstone in the horror genre.
From the mind of distinguished director Francis Ford Coppola comes the 1992 Gothic horror film Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which touts a dazzling cast led by Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Anthony Hopkins that once again brings the Stoker classic to life in a stunning, exquisite fashion. Oldman steals the show as the desolate, terror-inducing Count Dracula who is determined to once again be reunited with his long-lost love Mina Murray while battling against her fiancé Jonathan Harker and Abraham Van Helsing.
Related: These Are the Best Winona Ryder Movies Ranked
Coppola was attracted to the sensual elements of the vampire and Stoker tale, and set out to make aspects of the film to embody an “erotic dream;” the revered filmmaker focused heavily on the atmosphere, costumes and imagery to bring this side of Dracula to life. Oldman once expressed he was compelled to portray the iconic movie monster because he always wanted to utter the famous line: “I’ve crossed oceans of time to find you,” with the role being worth it solely for that quote.
The legendary Bela Lugosi helped establish Count Dracula as a cultural icon when he donned the notorious black cape and fangs in the 1931 supernatural horror classic Dracula, which follows the blood-sucking creature as he travels to England in search of new victims to terrorize and feed from. Lugosi had first portrayed the character in the Broadway production of the novel, and despite a successful run he was not the first choice to appear in the big-screen adaptation; the silver screen star lobbied hard to nab the role, taking a meager salary of $500 weekly to headline the beloved flick.
Lugosi became the ultimate Dracula with his menacing and sinister rendition of the antagonist, cementing his status as a horror film great. Even though Dracula helped make the actor a household name, he would be plagued by type casting and was hesitant to reprise the role, having once said, “No! Not at any price. When I'm through with this picture I hope to never hear of Dracula again. I cannot stand it... I do not intend that it shall possess me".