Last Updated on August 3, 2021
#1 – Max Schreck in NOSFERATU
Forget anyone else, Max Schreck’s take on the role (renamed Count Orlok for copyright issues) is the most visually iconic and terrifying vampire of all time. This is clearly DRACULA but the special effects have never been matched, even 90 years later. People can claim they don’t like black and white or silent films, but I promise you if they watch NOSFERATU they will have nightmares for days.
#2 – Christopher Lee in DRACULA (1958)
The Hammer Studios version of Dracula is much creepier and more Gothic than the Universal version of the novel and launched a lucrative franchise starring Christopher Lee in the lead. This version of Dracula feels much more terrifying than any other version but still a human at the core. After years of facing off against Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing, Lee’s DRACULA ranks as one of the standards to compare all Draculas to.
#3 – Bela Lugosi in DRACULA (1931)
There is no one on Earth who envisions DRACULA without picturing Bela Lugosi. This is the bar that every actor compares themselves to when playing The Count persona of the character. He may not be as scary today as he used to be, but Lugosi’s penetrating eyes and voice make this the most lasting version of all time.
#4 – Gary Oldman in BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
There is no arguing that Gary Oldman may be the best actor to ever tackle the role of Dracula, but Francis Ford Coppola’s vision of the film combines the frightening visage, the aristocratic demeanor, and the romantic soul of the Bram Stoker character. This may be the best acted version of Dracula on screen.
#5 – Duncan Regehr in THE MONSTER SQUAD
THE MONSTER SQUAD is truly THE GOONIES meets the classic Universal Monsters and accomplishes the team up better than VAN HELSING ever did. Duncan Regehr’s take on the vampire is steeped in the Bela Lugosi role but also still very menacing. This was also the first time I remember seeing him called Alucard, my favorite anagram of all time.
#6 – Jack Palance in DRACULA (1973)
The inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s version of the story, Dan Curtis’ film is the first DRACULA movie to combine the character of the Count with the historical figure Vlad the Impaler. Jack Palance’s performance is not subtle in any way, but full of menace. Definitely a forgotten gem in the annals of Dracula history, this is a good alternative for fans of DARK SHADOWS.
#7 – William Marshall in BLACULA
While the title makes it sound like a joke, BLACULA is actually a damn fun movie. William Marshall lends an aristocracy to the character. Leader of an African nation, he is turned by the actual Count Dracula and wreaks havoc across 1970s Los Angeles. Yeah, this movie is a B-level effort, but Marshall elevates the character to more than a punchline.
#8 – Willem Dafoe in SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE
This is a unique one as Willem Dafoe is actually portraying Max Schreck, the actor who played Dracula in the F.W. Murnau silent film NOSFERATU. But, SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE purports that Schreck truly was a vampire. An intriguing mix of truth and fiction makes this a fun variation on the tried and true formula for a Dracula film.
#9 – Frank Langella in DRACULA (1979)
Frank Langella’s portrayal of Count Dracula harkens back to the Bela Lugosi performance. His portrayal is much more aristocratic and less overt, but it is John Badham’s direction that gives this take a much more traditional feel. Langella’s take on Dracula is muted and subtle but nonetheless entertaining to watch.
#10 – Klaus Kinski in NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE
The duo of actor Klaus Kinsi and director Werner Herzog will go down in history as one of the best of all time, but their take on Dracula remains one of their most unique. Filmed twice, once in English and once in German, this is at once a remake of the classic silent film and a contemporary art house meditation on the vampire mythos. Giving the vampire a voice, this Dracula is at once a predatory monster and a quiet victim of his bloodlust. A brilliant portrayal.
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