From Nielsen to Oldman: 5 Best Draculas in Movies, Ranked

In all, more than sixty movies were made about Dracula, in which the Count was both an ugly monster and a sexy dandy, but we have chosen the most striking iterations that radiate incredible charisma and inspire awe.

5. Leslie Nielsen in Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) – Most Amusing

Leslie Nielsen mocks everything that has gone before in the cinematic portrayal of Dracula: Bela Lugosi's speech, Christopher Lee's hiss, and Gary Oldman 's sophistication.

All sorts of clichés that we have seen in movies about the main vampire in history for the past 70 years are mocked and ridiculed by Nielsen, inside and out. This doesn't make his Dracula the most horrible and terrifying, but definitely leaves a vivid and memorable image in the history of movie incarnations of the Count.

4. Klaus Kinski in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) – Most Horrifying

Contrary to the romantic touch seen in other Dracula versions, the image of the Count created by Klaus Kinski is monstrous, but at the same time serious and sad. Director Werner Herzog remembered the origins and emphasized that immortality and thirst for blood are not a gift but a heavy burden for Dracula.

Thanks to the creepy make-up with long claws and protruding fangs and Kinski's peculiar appearance, Werner Herzog's Dracula became the most terrifying vampire in cinema.

3. Christopher Lee in Dracula (1958) – Most Expressive

Hammer Company's British Dracula was visually and technically modern for its time, starring the impeccable gentleman Christopher Lee, who shocked viewers by transforming into a raging, hissing, bloodthirsty monster in an instant, almost without the help of makeup or special effects.

Lee was so flawless and charismatic as Dracula that he went on to play the vampire nine more times, more than any other actor in film history.

2. Bela Lugosi in Dracula (1931) – Most Canonical

The canonical image of the Count, which has been associated with this cult character for decades, is presented in Dracula by Tod Browning. Yes, it’s old, but it’s classy. Universal Pictures invited Bela Lugosi, an American actor of Hungarian origin, to play the main role.

Realizing that this would open the doors to Hollywood, Bela was extremely meticulous in his approach to the role, avoiding parties and friends and working day and night on the role.

There was practically no make-up on the actor, thanks to which it was possible to embody at the same time an aristocratically refined and monstrous image, entrenched forever in the history of cinema.

1. Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) – Most Stylish

95 years after its publication, Bram Stoker's novel received a faithful adaptation in Francis Ford Coppola's movie, starring Gary Oldman.

Unlike previous attempts to bring Count Dracula from the pages of a book to the big screen, Coppola focused not only on the monstrous side of the character, but also presented Dracula in human form, showing him in a completely new way.

As a result, Oldman's Dracula is tragic, sad, sexy, and repulsive all at the same time. Coppola's film proved to be the most stylish, thanks to Eiko Ishioka, whose whimsical and chic outfits won the film the Oscar for Best Costume Design.