Bill Skarsgard Says His Role in Nosferatu ‘Was Like Conjuring Pure Evil’
Robert Egger’s Nosferatu is one of the most anticipated films of this year. In an interview with Esquire, Bill Skarsgard talked about his character in the upcoming movie. Skarsgard played the role of Count Orlock, the vampire antagonist.
In the conversation, he said, “It took its toll” and continued, “It was like conjuring pure evil. It took a while for me to shake off the demon that had been conjured inside of me.”
He also discussed his character’s yet-to-be-revealed makeup and costume. He doubted that people would not recognize him and revealed that he spent around three to six hours on makeup every day. To lower his voice pitch, he trained with an opera singer.
He said about the character, “He’s gross… but it is very sexualized. It’s playing with a sexual fetish about the power of the monster and what that appeal has to you.” He further added, “Hopefully you’ll get a little bit attracted by it and disgusted by your attraction at the same time.”
The film’s director, Robert Eggers, also joined the conversation with Esquire. He talked about Skarsgard’s dedication to becoming the character. He said, “I remember early on him trying to talk to me about what it meant to be a dead sorcerer — and I’m into some pretty heavy occult s—, but he was on a different level.”
He remembered that in the second makeup test, he felt like Skarsgard became the character. He continued, “It was eerie to see in the footage. Anything he did, anywhere he turned or looked, you were like, ‘He’s got it.’”
Nosferatu is the third remake of the 1922 film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. The film’s development commenced in 2015. The filming started in 2023 in the Czech Republic. Robert Eggers also produced the movie, along with Jeff Robinov, John Graham, and Lily-Rose Depp. It is set to release in theaters on December 25, 2024.
Skarsgard is best known for his character in the horror movie It and its sequel as the terrifying clown. He also acted in the horror film Barbarian and the horror series Hemlock Grove and Castle Rock. He portrayed the villain role in last year’s John Wick Chapter 4.
He will next be seen as the titular character in the upcoming movie The Crow, which will hit theaters on August 23, 2024. His other upcoming projects are Locked and Emperor.