Top Ten Scariest Vampire Performances of All Time

When the time came to decide on another roundtable top ten list from the team here at the Source, listing our picks for the most terrifying vampire performances was the indisputable choice. Over and over in genre discussions, the nature of what a vampire is or should be is always a subject up for debate. Is he remorseful? Does he want to be loved? Or should we look to films to give us a vampire who’s darker, and ultimately more like a creature than a man? It’s Twilight vs Fright Night, for those choosing from the two distinct extremes. And they are distinct. Because for every romantic and penitent vampire, there is a monster; a pure and unapologetic creature of darkness, ready to strike and kill at any moment.

So we dedicate this list to the purest of fiends, and those performers who brought the true horror of the vampire as a monster to life on the silver screen.

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#10 Amanda Bearse: Amy Peterson, Fright Night (1985)

Are you scared yet? Kicking off our list is Amanda Bearse, who most will remember as Marcy from the sitcom Married With Children, as, well, this. Amy Peterson, the girl next door-type in the original Fright Night, turned into one of the most grotesque visual incarnations of a vampire you can find. This is a monster face that packs a punch.

#9 Jude Law: Steven Grlscz, Immortality (The Wisdom of Crocodiles) (1998)

We know. Jude Law looks like another romantic vampire hero-type in this photograph, doesn’t he? Don’t be deceived. Based on the novel The Wisdom of Crocodiles by Paul Hoffman, the vampire Steven Grlscz is a brutal monster both from within and without. His physical cruelty can only really be matched by his penchant for psychological torture.

#8 Chris Sarandon: Jerry Dandrige, Fright Night (1985)

While Colin Farrell’s performance as Jerry in the 2011 remake of Fright Night was formidable, we decided to go with Chris Sarandon on this one. One of the most iconic cult classic performances of a vampire villain to date, Sarandon’s Jerry Dandrige turns the concept of the “vampire boyfriend” on its head… and straight into horror.

#7 The Vampires of I Am Legend (2007)

There are no distinct individual performances when it comes to the vampires in the 2007 adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic novel I am Legend. Nevertheless, the horrifying nature of these post-apocalyptic creatures earns a spot on our list. While much more clearly defined as vampires in the novel than the film, these monsters nest, hide in the darkness from the sun, drink blood, and destroy everything in their path. But one of the most terrifying elements of these vampires is their zombie-like quality. Because, while most vampires within the mythos retain a piece of their human selves after transformation, for better or worse, the monsters of I am Legend cease to be anything but monsters. They are no longer human, like any other vampire, but greater than that, they are no longer anything but the embodiment of an impulse to survive and kill.

#6 Lina Leandersson: Eli, Let The Right One In (2008)

AND Chloë Grace Moretz: Abby, Let Me In (2010)

There are those who might think it’s horror blasphemy to give credit to an original and a remake in the same sentence, but these two versions of John Ajvide Lindqvist’s vampire novel Let the Right One In (Låt den rätte komma in) are both terrifying in their own right. The character of Eli (Abby in the American version) is everything you should fear in a killer, and you’ll never see it coming. There’s always something distinctly eerie about a life paused in childhood or adolescence in the canon of vampire literature and film; the individual continues to age and become more cunning, while their appearance still retains a deliberate kind of innocence or even helplessness. While often disarmingly tender, the true reality of what Eli/Abby is, and what he/she is capable of, is sudden and horrific.

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#5 Willem Dafoe: Max Schreck, Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

To start, it’s important to say Willem Dafoe is the only actor ever to be nominated for an Oscar for playing a vampire, for his performance as the infamous and subsequently fabled actor (and vampire?) Max Schreck in the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire. If you’re looking for a biopic with hard facts and verifiable historical content, this isn’t the movie you’re looking for. But if you would like to see an incredible dramatization of the terrifying rumors and tales surrounding the filming of the 1922 German classic Nosferatu, and Schreck himself, this is for you. Dafoe takes on the task of not only recreating one of the most iconic horror performances of all time, but frightens us even further by portraying a man behind a legend who was potentially and allegedly as terrifying as the fictional monster itself.

#4 Gary Oldman, Dracula, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

It’s a simple fact of life to say virtually any list discussing noteworthy vampire performances (romantic or horrific) is going to include Gary Oldman, for his performance in the 1992 Francis Ford Coppola film Bram Stoker’s Dracula. For our purposes here, we’re going to put aside the romantic incarnation of Dracula in this film, and go straight for those moments when Oldman truly embodied a monster. From the sinister “old” Dracula (pictured on the right) to the full-formed bat creature (pictured on the left), there were frequent periods in this film when the full horrific potential of Dracula was realized… and it wasn’t pretty.

#3 The Vampires from 30 Days of Night (2010)

For our number three spot, we give you another cast of vampires from the 2010 film 30 Days of Night. The sheer brutality of how they  kill, combined with the staggering force of their numbers, make these vampires some of the most menacing, terrifying, monsters in recent memory. If you’ve ever wondered what a mass-vampire killing frenzy looks like, check out this film.

#2 Reggie Nalder: Kurt Barlow, Salem’s Lot (1979)

There are times when a picture truly does say a thousand words, and this is no exception to that rule. From the mind of the master of horror himself, Stephen King, Reggie Nalder’s performance as Kurt Barlow (in the 1979 television adaptation of Salem’s Lot) seems to borrow a few tricks from Max Schreck, both in form and substance. And in case the visual itself wasn’t terrifying enough, keep in mind this is a vampire who will also growl and snarl at you, never speaking, before you die.

#1 Max Schreck: Nosferatu, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)

Taking into account a few rumors (fully realized in the film Shadow of the Vampire), Max Schreck is the only actor on this list who has been accused of being a real (monstrous) vampire. But even putting aside the mystery surround this man, and the speculation revolving around the film itself (mysterious deaths, etc.), the horror of this Dracula adaptation still retains its power over audiences today. As a silent film, the burden of horror is placed solely on the physical performance of the actors and the atmosphere they inhabit. And, as far as we’re concerned, the accomplishment of Schreck as Count Olaf, creating a pure vampire monster for all the ages, is unparalleled -and probably always will be.

What are your thoughts on vampires as monsters, and who do you think has delivered the horror? Do you agree with our list? Have we missed any of your favorites? Let us know what you think in the comment section below! And stay tuned for more news, articles, and special features right here on The Vampire Source.