Bill Skarsgård may be the latest actor to terrify audiences as Count Orlok, but this year’sNosferaturemake almost cast one of three other famous actors before him. Based on the 1922 silent filmNosferatu: A Symphony of Horror,this latest reinterpretation sees Skarsgård assume the role first played by German film star Max Schreck. However, before being offered the role of the film’s titular vampire, Skarsgård had originally auditioned for and been offeredNicholas Hoult’s role of Thomas Hutter.
Speaking with Swedish film siteMoviezine, Skarsgård explained that in the movie’s earliest incarnations, director Robert Eggers wasconsidering several well-known actors to play Count Orlok. In addition to mentioning Daniel Day-Lewis and Mads Mikkelsen, Skarsgård also revealed that his co-starWillem Dafoe was also slated to play himbefore landing the role of Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz. Check out a translation of his comments below:
I know he (Eggers) talked about Daniel Day-Lewis. And for a while it was Willem Dafoe who was going to play him, when I was cast as Thomas. And Mads Mikkelsen…
What Robert Eggers’ Other Picks Would Have Meant For Nosferatu’s Count Orlok
All Three Names Would Have Been Exciting Choices
The idea of Dafoe originally being selected to tackle the role of Count Orlok is probably not surprising, given that he has already played a version of the character. Having previously starred in2000’s Shadow of the Vampire,Dafoe was selected to portray a fictionalized version of the originalNosferatustar, Schreck. Depicted as a real-life vampire selected by German director F. W. Murnau to play his movie’s villain, Dafoe’s performance as Schreck even landed him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
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Meanwhile, both Day-Lewis and Milkkelsen would also have proven themselves exciting potential picks for the roles. Not only is Milkkelsen already well known for his other villainous roles, includingthe cannibalistic Hannibal Lecter, but he is also a fan-favorite pick to play Dracula in a future adaptation. As for Day-Lewis, his own potential casting as Count Orlok could have also fulfilled what many consider to be a missed opportunity, given that he waspreviously considered to play the Vampire Lestat in 1994’sInterview With the Vampirebefore Tom Cruise eventually landed the role.
Our Take On Skarsgård Becoming Eggers’ Vampiric Count
Eggers Still Made The Right Decision
No stranger to playing horror villains himself, Eggers’ decision to cast Skarsgård as Count Orlok rather than Thomas Hutter ultimately appears to have been the right one. Despite Dafoe’s already proven ability to play an engaging Count Orlok, his previous links with the role likely would have only served to overshadow Eggers’ take on the character.
WithNosferatualready faring well with critics, and Skarsgård’s tenure as the movie’s villain being widely praised for its terrifying nature, it is hard to argue that Eggers’ other choices would have done better. As intriguing as each potential pick would have been, Eggers made the right call in shifting Skarsgård away from the role of Thomas and into Count Orlok’s instead.
Nosferatu
Cast
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
