Before Nosferatu, These Were the Best Dracula Performances

When it comes to modern historical horror, there’s no one better in the business right now than Robert Eggers. Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are orchestras of ambiance and tension, and his Nosferatu looks to be no different. And ever since early critics’ reactions started to hit the Internet, it became clear that not only does his newest live up to those other modern masterpieces, but it also quite possibly exceeds them.

But his film isn’t the first take on Dracula. It’s not even the first Nosferatu, as the original F. W. Murnau 1922 silent film was itself the second cinematic adaptation of Bram Stoker’s iconic bloodsucker (the first being a now-lost Hungarian silent film in 1921). Murnau’s Nosferatu was actually an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation, hence the title vamp’s name not being Dracula. But the influence of Stoker’s story is unmistakable, even if the vampire himself is far from the white-haired sophisticate described in the book. As it turns out, both renditions of the character can work, as a litany of actors have proved over the years.

Max Schreck in Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)

German actor Max Schreck starred in quite a few films after Nosferatu, but there was ever only one role he was inextricably linked to, and that’s this film’s Count Orlok. With a gaunt physique and piercing eyes, Schreck’s Orlok set a mighty high bar for on-screen vampires very early on. There’s good reason why his vampire became such an influence, and not just on people’s nightmares.

It’s been over a century since Murnau’s film, and Schreck’s version of the title character is still influencing horror cinema auteurs like Eggers. It also inspired the look of Kurt Barlow in Tobe Hooper’s TV miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot (as well as the 2024 remake). Furthermore, The Master from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Orlox in Castlevania, and Baron Afanas from What We Do in the Shadows all found inspiration in Schreck’s monster. Not to mention, the name of Christopher Walken’s cruel business tycoon in Batman Returns was far from a coincidence.

Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931)

Bela Lugosi’s Dracula is the ultimate. It’s ironic, considering Universal was extremely hesitant to cast him. Lugosi had already been receiving positive marks for his portrayal as the title character in the stage play, but it was only after he agreed to a miniscule salary did the studio go with him.

He nails everything about what an on-screen Dracula should be. But there’s one element he had that no other actor, not even Schreck, has been able to match, and that’s the power of his stare. Lugosi’s eyes were haunting. Toss in the fact that he was a somewhat haunted person and, ironically, that the role he wanted so badly was effectively what got him typecast so often that his career prospects plummeted, and you have a tragic actor portraying a tragic character.

Christopher Lee in Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

Christopher Lee portrayed Dracula a whopping 10 times throughout his career, seven of which were for Hammer Film Productions. This incredible run started in 1958 with Hammer’s simply titled Dracula, but peaked with Hammer’s second bloodsucker installment, Dracula: Prince of Darkness.

Throughout his time as the character, Lee actively tried to get his portrayal close to how he was written by Stoker. But, by the same token, he nails what was asked of him by Hammer. This primarily included displaying a brooding nature, wanton casual cruelty, and two big pointed blood-soaked chompers.

Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

Klaus Kinski was a pretty scary guy in general. Any number of behind-the-scenes accounts of his erratic behavior can confirm this. The best of these accounts come from his most frequent collaborator, Werner Herzog, with whom he worked five times.

Nosferatu the Vampyre was the second time, after Aguirre, the Wrath of God and before Fitzcarraldo. Suffice it to say, casting Kinski as Count Orlok was one of the more brilliant decisions Herzog has made throughout a career stuffed with brilliant decisions. Kinski brings a terrifying, unpredictable aura to his depiction, and it’s likely to unsettle the viewer even after the credits have rolled.

[RELATED: Nosferatu Replica Sarcophagus Bed Blows Away Popcorn Buckets]

Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Oldman seem to have drawn more inspiration from John Carradine in House of Frankenstein than Schreck or Lugosi, and it’s perfect for what The Godfather director is trying to do with his film. Bram Stoker’s Dracula can be a little slow, but it’s also the most direct adaptation of the titular source material to date, with 1958’s Christopher Lee-starring Horror of Dracula being a close runner-up.

As one might expect of him, Oldman is phenomenal as the Count. He can be scary when the script calls for it, but what the actor really sells is the romanticism. It’s a crucial element that many other adaptations swap out for scares or general creepiness, and here it helps Oldman’s take become quite possibly the deepest of Drac portrayals ever seen, even if it’s not quite the most iconic.

Nicolas Cage in Renfield (2023)

Renfield was Nicolas Cage’s first movie released by a major studio in 12 years and he makes the most of it. It’s something of a hat-trick performance, as the film is comedic in tone, which Cage nails, but he doesn’t stop from making Drac come across as the emotionally manipulative killer he’s written to be.

The movie can be a little too goofy for its own good sometimes, but it’s also nothing short of rewatchable. And, while Nicholas Hoult (also in Nosferatu) and Awkwafina certainly make for charming leads, that rewatchable factor mostly comes down to Cage. He’s having fun, and vicariously the audience does too.