10 best big-screen Draculas ranked, from Bela Lugosi to Nicolas Cage's 'Renfield'
Vampires have a long history in Hollywood, but there’s only one that really counts: Dracula.
The bat man before Batman and the kind of dude who'd teach Edward Cullen of "Twilight" a thing or two about dangerous seduction, the Prince of Darkness has been the most prominent bloodsucker in cinema since Bela Lugosi sauntered onscreen in 1931’s “Dracula.”
The latest incarnation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 literary villain – a Transylvanian nobleman who uses good manners and style to entice potential victims – is played by Nicolas Cage as a narcissistic boss in the horror comedy "Renfield."
Here are the 10 most fang-tastic Dracula portrayals:
10. Duncan Regehr, 'The Monster Squad' (1987)
Before “The Avengers” and “It,” a group of kids banded together to battle a fearsome monster contingent formed by Dracula to snag a mystical amulet and take over the world. The Wolfman's got "nards" (which the youngsters learn when they kick him below the furry belt), but the head vamp has a knack for one-liners and no patience for little children who get in his way.
9. Adam Sandler, 'Hotel Transylvania' (2012)
Sure, Sandler’s Drac is pretty funny and a lot nicer than many of the other guys on this list. Fostering an overprotective streak when it comes to his daughter Mavis, he'd rather not leave his hotel unless he absolutely has to – though Sandler's three "Hotel" movies gave this joyously grumpy dude a lot to do, from falling in love to getting used to having a human son-in-law.
8. George Hamilton, 'Love at First Bite' (1979)
Fish-out-of-water hilarity abounds – as does disco – in the romantic horror comedy as Dracula takes Manhattan, getting himself mixed up in a love triangle, having his coffin accidentally sent to a Harlem church, and showing off serious moves dancing to “I Love the Night Life.”
7. Nicolas Cage, 'Renfield' (2023)
This is a perfect combo of character and actor: Cage is infamous for his seriously gonzo roles, and he goes batty as the scenery-chewing gem of this horror comedy. In the modern-day continuation of the 1931 "Dracula," loyal servant Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) tires of nabbing bodies for his eccentric master (Cage) to consume, though finds Dracula a hard guy to quit.
6. Lon Chaney Jr., 'Son of Dracula' (1943)
During Universal's horror heyday, Chaney was best known as the Wolf Man yet had a shot at all the major roles: Mummy, Frankenstein’s monster and also the good Count. Chaney gave Dracula just enough immortal swagger in the flick, the first to actually show a vampire turning into a bat.
5. Frank Langella, 'Dracula' (1979)
In the '70s retelling of the classic Stoker story, Langella’s vamp is a supremely confident charmer who’s more smooth criminal than sinister supervillain (though he still has a deadly side). When this guy sneaks into a woman’s boudoir at night, she’s anything but scared.
4. Max Schreck, 'Nosferatu' (1922)
Thanks to legal trouble, the silent-movie predecessor to Lugosi’s classic was an unauthorized take on Stoker's novel with changed names (they couldn't even use the word "vampire") and different plot points. Instead of being attractive in any way, Count Orlok is truly a freaky creature of the night, all frighteningly long fingers and goblin-esque facial features.
3. Gary Oldman, 'Bram Stoker’s Dracula' (1992)
Director Francis Ford Coppola’s film – and a transformed Oldman – redefined Drac for a new generation. This version turns into a wolf when he’s hungry for new blood, and Oldman gives him some different looks through the ages, from his origins as a 15th-century warrior to his disguise as a top-hatted Victorian-style gentleman to his true form as an aging, weirdly coiffed creature.
2. Christopher Lee, ‘Horror of Dracula’ (1958)
The move from black-to-white cinema to color helped – as did a whole lot of blood – but Lee had a long and legendary run as the Count, marked by his furious intensity and ridiculously sharp fangs. He was also the first movie Dracula who was truly unnerving in how he shifted from upper-crust lothario to ruthless killer.
1. Bela Lugosi, ‘Dracula’ (1931)
Everything that made the character – and vampires in general – cool began with Lugosi. The slicked-back hair, thick Eastern European accent and flair for capes set the groovy ghoul's signature aesthetic for years to come. Yet it’s the actor’s stirring magnetism and calm demeanor that pull us all in when he utters lines like, “Listen to them. Children of the night, what music they make” – an inviting facade that belies his true malevolent nature.
Read more about movie bloodsuckers:
'Renfield': Nicolas Cage's campy Dracula keeps horror comedy from totally sucking
Streaming: 10 new-school vampire movies you can watch tonight
'Morbius': Even with vampire Jared Leto, lifeless film is a soul-sucking superhero effort
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 best Dracula actors in movies ranked: Nicolas Cage to Bela Lugosi
