The Munsters: Daniel Roebuck on being cast as Grandpa (a.k.a. The Count)

Writer/director Rob Zombie’s new film The Munsters, an update of the classic sitcom, is now deep into production, and among the many images Zombie has shared while getting the film up and running was a shot of Jeff Daniel Phillips, Sheri Moon Zombie, and Daniel Roebuck in costume as Herman Munster, his wife Lily, and Lily’s father Grandpa / The Count. In the midst of bringing Grandpa back to life, Roebuck took some time to talk to the folks over at Horror Geek Life, discussing what it’s like to take on such an iconic role – and assuring fans that there’s no better person in the world to be making The Munsters than Rob Zombie.

On the casting of the lead characters, Roebuck said:

Everything fell the way it should have, and Jeff (Daniel Phillips) is perfectly cast and he will be so entertaining in the part of Herman. Sheri (Moon Zombie) is so delightful as well. I actually auditioned years ago for the part of Herman in one of the TV movies that didn’t turn out so well. It just wasn’t meant to be. I’m glad I didn’t land the role of Herman, and I’m not trying to talk down about that particular project but it’s not what Rob’s film will be. … After it sank in (that he had been cast as The Count), I had the epiphany that I’d been preparing for this role my whole life. I’m in this movie because it’s God’s will, it’s where he wants me to be. I created a character when I was twelve years old and I named him The Count. Rob told me the character in the script was named The Count. It’s a funny vampire named The Count and when I was twelve, I was a funny vampire named The Count.”

When asked about the naysayers who don’t think the Zombies should be making The Munsters, Roebuck said,

I don’t want to give any of that negativity any sort of value but the simple fact is, there’s not a better person in Hollywood, or anywhere else on the planet, who should be making The Munsters movie other than Rob Zombie. It’s gone through the hands of so many other people and I know Rob wasn’t just looking for something to attach his coattails to. He’s a huge fan of it and being a life-long fan approaching this material it really is as good as it gets. I know Sheri, and nobody works harder than Sheri Zombie. I’ve written a part for her in a movie I wrote and directed, as well as another film I co-wrote and co-directed, so that’s what I think of her talent. I think she’s terrific and I absolutely love working with her.”

As for what he hopes to bring to the role of Grandpa,

I think that wherever Rob wants this character to go is where we will go. … Kevin Burns did the documentary Al Lewis: Forever Grandpa, there’s a Facebook group with the same name, and Al Lewis will be forever Grandpa. There’s been several other actors who have played the character in between Al Lewis, and now me. All were good actors, but having the opportunity to do it in a feature film will be good for me because I’ll have longer to work on it. The fact is, you can’t get to Grandpa without going to Al Lewis. He and I are both similar, we both have this East Coast sound, and I don’t know. Since I’ve been preparing my whole life for this, I think I’ll do a pretty good job. Let me put it like this, Jeff, Sheri and I are not playing Fred Gwynne, Yvonne De Carlo, or Al Lewis. We are playing Herman, Lily, and The Count, which is an easier way for us to approach it. “

Asked what he hopes audiences will walk away from Rob Zombie’s The Munsters feeling, Roebuck answered,

I really hope audiences walk away feeling entertained and laughing. That’s all we really hope for making any movie, well, unless it’s a drama. If all goes well and people really like, maybe we’ll get the chance to do it again. I just hope people realize that they’ll have a whole new version of The Munsters that can live and co-exist side-by-side with the original version of The Munsters. No one wants to replace it, we all love it so much. We just want to shine a spotlight on it with our approach which I think is the best way to look at it.”

There’s much more to the Roebuck interview, so click over to Horror Geek Life to check it out.

The original The Munsters ran for two seasons, from September 1964 to May 1966, and consisted of 70 episodes. (You can buy the complete series at THIS LINK.) The show

starred Fred Gwynne as Frankenstein’s monster and head-of-the-household Herman Munster; Yvonne De Carlo as his wife Lily Munster; Al Lewis as Lily’s father, Grandpa, the somewhat over-the-hill vampire Count Dracula who longs for the “good old days” in Transylvania; Beverley Owen (later replaced by Pat Priest) as their teenage niece Marilyn Munster, who was attractive by conventional standards but the “ugly duckling” of the family; and Butch Patrick as their werewolfish son Eddie Munster.

Zombie has also shared a picture of his director’s chair, the blueprint for an exact replica of the Munsters’ house, given us a look at costume designs for Herman and Lily Munster’s sleepwear, confirmed that horror host character Zombo will be in the movie, posted a picture of the wig the actor who plays Grandpa will be wearing, given an early look at the crafting of Herman’s head, shown off some of the wardrobe, shared pictures of some creature effects, showed the houses being built on Mockingbird Lane, updated on the construction of the Munsters Mansion, teased that Herman will be wearing the leather jacket he wears when racing in the Dragula roadster, given us a glimpse of Richard Brake as mad scientist Dr. Henry Augustus Wolfgang, and more.