When it comes to frequently recuring movie
monsters, vampires are some of the most exciting and fascinating to watch. They
can be cool and seductive one moment, and they can be savage and terrifying the
next. For me, what makes vampires so much fun are the different ways they can
be portrayed, and what a performer brings to a distinct character. So, for this
October season, I thought it would be fun to stop and rank my own personal
favorite vampire performances from the movies. I’m not trying to make any
objective best of list, as there's plenty I still haven't even seen ... these are just the performances that have stuck we me
the most as a fan, and how my feelings on them are stacked up.
#10 Chris
Sarandon as Jerry Dandrige (from “Fright Night” [1985])
While the villainous Jerry Dandridge isn’t as famous a vampire as Dracula, he still makes for a worthy villain. The 1985 Horror Comedy “Fright Night” is personally one of my favorite’s, so I had to shine some light on the films titular main villain. The cast in general really lend to the appeal of the film, and the sinister Jerry Dandridge was brought to life effectively by Chris Sarandon.
The actor would reunite with the film’s director Tom Holland in the
role of a detective in “Childs’ Play”, and would later be the voice of
Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” … but I think
most viewers will recognize him best as Prince Humperdinck, from “The
Princess Bride”. Still, for me, I look back on his role in “Fright Night”
with most fondness. It’s a performance that’s suitably hammy for a film of this
nature, but it’s not too over the top to diminish some genuinely imposing
moments.
#9 Salma Hayek as Santanico Pandemonium (from “From Dusk Till Dawn” [1996])
In 1996, filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and
Robert Rodriguez joined forces to bring us “From Duck Till Dawn”, and
unique amalgamation of a crime thriller, a dark comedy, and an over the top,
campy monster movie, with vampires being the main threat. This is personally my
favorite vampire movie ever made, as it has such a distinct personality all its
own, and an awesome ensemble of character performances. The beautiful and talented Salma
Hayek plays the underworld Queen in the Vampires hideout, and in true form for
these creatures, she manages to be both imposing and erotic in equal measure. While
her screen time is admittedly short, she still absolutely steals ever moment
she has on screen, and contributes to some of the most memorable parts of the
film.
#8 Gary Oldman as Count Dracula (from “Bram Stokers Dracula” [1992])
Count Dracula needs no introduction, as he’s arguably the most famous of all vampires … but with that said, there’s multiple portrayals of the character, all with their own distinct hallmarks and personalities ... so you can expect more than one Dracula on this list. The first to highlight comes from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 “Dracula” picture, which I must admit, I’ve never been a fan of, as the narrative of the picture never hooked me.
With that said, there are obviously two important take aways from this film, one of which being the films epic direction and imagery, and the other is Gary Oldman in the lead role of Dracula. In my view, Gary Oldman is one of the generations great actors, who
can naturally slip into a wide variety of different roles, and for Dracula, he
runs the whole gambit, and he can be sighted as one of the great portrayals of the
character. While his frequently changing appearances and over the top make-up
designs threaten to distract, the actor always manages to steal the spot-light,
and leave a memorable impression.
#7 Klaus Kinski as Count Orlok [Dracula] (from “Nosferatu the Vampyre” [1979])
The original 1922 silent horror movie classic
“Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror” featured an iconic portrayal from silent
character actor Max Schreck, as the sinister Count Orlok, or Dracula depending on which print you watch. Yet, the portrayal
that left the bigger impression on me was Klaus Kinski in the 1979 remake.
Everything from his mannerisms, and body movement is theatrical and captivating,
but it’s his dual nature of feeling both grounded and mystifying that makes him
so fascinating. He’s one of the rare vampire portrayals that honestly scared
me, and felt like the stuff of nightmares. Aside from being suitably creepy,
there’s an underlining current of sadness to his portrayal, which makes him
feel more layered than just another run-of-the-mile, sinister vampire performance.
#6 Kristen Dunst as Claudia (from “Interview with the Vampire” [1994])
While
the lead actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are commendable in their leading roles
of this mid-90’s vampire picture … it was the young Kristen Dunst in one of her
earliest roles as a child turned vampire who always left the biggest impression
on me. Walking a tightrope portrayal of both a sympathetic victim and an
imposing, dominate figure, this was the role that put Kristen Dunst in the spotlight,
and helped launch her carrier. Beyond that, it’s a show case for a young talent
who can steal the show, even among a-list actors like Antonio Banderas … who on
a side note looks awesome as a vampire overlord. I’ve honestly never looked
back on “Interview with the Vampire” as any kind of favorite of mine,
but the performances are worth highlighting, and Kristen Dunst was absolutely
my favorite take-away from the experience.
#5 Bela Lugosi as Dracula (from “Dracula” [1931])
I don’t think any best of Vampire list would be complete without the original, and arguably most iconic vampire portrayal of all time. While 1931’s “Dracula” is significant as the very first sound horror film, it’s Bela Lugosi’s unforgettable performance in the role of Count Dracula that made it a classic. He has such a foreboding presence, every time he’s on screen he’ll be staring at you with those big scary eyes of his, and his wicked smile is just spot on.
I especially love the way he moves his body, as
it’s very elegant, but also very sinister, and no one else wears that cape like
he does. He actually has a good deal of charm and sophistication, which only
highlights the performance more. Lugosi would forever more be immortalized as
the most iconic actor to ever play the Count, in fact the rhythm in which he
spoke would become a common cliché for most vampires in the pop culture.
Objectively speaking, he’s probably the most important vampire performance of
all time, but there’s still four others that I personally like a little more.
#4 Willem Dafoe as Max Schreck (from “Shadow of the Vampire” [2000])
Willem Dafoe is another one of those great character actors who always shines in the villain role, and is probably most famous to younger generations for his Green Goblin portrayal in “Spider-Man”. For me, I think his best villain performance comes from the 2000 horror picture “Shadow of the Vampire”, which is a fictional take on the making of the 1922 horror classic “Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror”, and suggests the previously mentioned monster actor Max Schreck was in fact a real vampire the whole time. While I highlighted Klaus Kinski's portrayal of Count Orlok [Dracula] from the 1979 remake, Willem Dafoe’s depiction of the actor as the character is in a whole other ball bark.
The talent is barely recognizable under the makeup, but
even harder to recognize in his performance, as he balances the savagery of the
creature with a juicy sense of hummer. He’s less sympathetic and more openly
malicious, but with a dominating screen presence and feral energy. Willem
Dafoe’s performance was so captivating that he received an Oscar nomination for
Best Supporting Actor, which is no small feat for a vampire portrayal.
#3 Alisha Weir as Abigail (from “Abigail” [2024])
A small group of criminals kidnap a twelve-year-old girl, who’s also a Balle dancer, and hope to ransom her for a huge sum of money. Unfortunately for them, they picked the wrong girl to kidnap, because this little Ballerina is also a vampire, and plays a long game of cat and mouse with her abductors. The premise of a vampire ballerina is one of those creative choices that could have either worked great or failed miserably, and thanks to a smart script, and solid direction, the film works great. However, at the center of it all is the young Alisha Weir in her dominating portrayal of Abigail.
As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the new great child-acting
performances in a horror film, as the actress skillfully runs the gambit of
acting sad and vulnerable as a kidnaped child, to suitably creepy as a creature
of the night, to darkly funny and sophisticated as an adult with a child’s
appearance, and performing all her own stunts as an acrobatic vampire, combining
animalistic savagery with her graceful and elegant dance forms. For me, “Abigail”
is one of my favorite horror movies of the 2020’s, and Alisha Weir’s portrayal
of the title character is one of the decades great monster performances.
#2 Wesley Snipes as Blade (from the “Blade” franchise [1998-2004])
Perhaps the most unique vampire on my list,
as he’s technically a half-vampire, and a superhero to boot, but just as
memorable and significant as any of the great vampire portrayals on film. When
it comes to iconic comic-book character portrayals, I feel Weasley Snipes as
Blades deserves his spot among the absolute best. He has the stance and
intimidation, as well as reserved sense of hummer and personality that always
shines through. I’ll admit, I’ve only ever been a casual fan of the “Blade”
movies, but Wesley Snipes sharp performance as the titular vampire hunter has
always stuck with me, and is absolutely one of my favorites … even if he isn’t
a traditional vampire in the same sense of the others I’ve listed.
Before I
reveal my number one favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …
Max Schreck as Count Orlok from “Nosferatu, A Symphony of
Terror” (1922)
Kiefer
Sutherland as David from “The Lost Boys” (1987)
Lina Leandersson as Eli "Let the Right One In" (2008)
Nicolus Cage
as Peter Loew from “Vampire’s Kiss” (1989)
Gloria
Holden as Countess Marya Zaleska from “Dracula’s Daughter” (1936)
#1 Christopher Lee as Count Dracula (from 1958’s “Horror of Dracula” and his long running Dracula Franchise [1958-1973])
Surprise, surprise … a Dracula performance comes in at number one. As we’ve seen on my countdown, and even beyond this list, there have been some stellar interpretations of Count Dracula, ranging from Bela Lugosi’s iconic performance in the 1931 “Dracula” classic, to Gary Oldman’s portrayal in the 1992 motion picture “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”. Either one of them is worth putting at number one on any best of vampire performances list, but if I had to choose my personal favorite Dracula performance, it would have to be Christopher Lee’s portrayal of the count from “Hammer’s Dracula” series from 1958 through 1973.
Christopher Lee is a titan when it comes to villain portrayals in general, and he’s played Dracula in more movies than any other actor, which for me makes him feel the most special. He’s so commanding in the role that he just couldn’t be left alone. No-one else looks as awesome in that red Dracula cape, nor does anyone else have that same deep and imposing voice. Even though he’s not as iconic as Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee is faster, deadlier, sinister and just plain awesome in the role, making him one of the definitive Dracula’s, and my personal favorite Vampire performance in the movies.
Thanks for
reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the spooky films you love to watch
… especially around October.
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