When you think of a vampire, your brain probably splits into two directions. You’ve got the suave, cape-wearing aristocrat who looks like he just stepped out of a cologne commercial, or you’ve got... the other one. The one with the rat-like teeth, the pointed ears, and the long, spindly fingers that look like they could snap you in half like a dry twig.
That second guy? That’s Count Orlok.
If you’re wondering who played the vampire in Nosferatu, the short answer is Max Schreck. But "short" doesn't really do justice to the sheer weirdness and mystery surrounding this performance. In 1922, movie audiences weren't just scared; they were genuinely convinced that director F.W. Murnau had hired a literal, blood-drinking monster because Schreck was just that unsettling. It's one of those rare moments in cinema history where the actor's identity almost got swallowed up by the nightmare he created on screen.
The Man Behind the Talons: Max Schreck
Max Schreck wasn't a ghost, though some people at the time might have argued otherwise. He was a seasoned German stage actor. Born in Berlin in 1879, Schreck spent years honing his craft in the theater, specifically working under the legendary Max Reinhardt. This is crucial because Reinhardt’s school of acting wasn't about "playing" a part; it was about total physical transformation.
By the time he stepped into the oversized shoes of Count Orlok, Schreck was an expert in body language. He didn't just walk; he glided. He didn't just stare; he pierced.
Honestly, the name "Schreck" translates to "fright" or "terror" in German. You couldn't write a better coincidence if you tried. Because of his name and his reclusive nature, rumors started swirling almost immediately. People genuinely believed Schreck was a "method actor" taken to a pathological extreme, or perhaps something even darker. He rarely gave interviews. He didn't hang out at the glitzy Berlin parties. He lived in his own world, often taking long walks through the woods, which only added to the "lonely monster" vibe.
The Myth of the "Real" Vampire
There’s a famous movie from 2000 called Shadow of the Vampire where Willem Dafoe plays Max Schreck. In that film, the conceit is that Schreck actually was a vampire and Murnau was just filming his meals.
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It's a fun story. It's also totally fake.
But the reason that movie exists is that the 1922 performance was so visceral. Schreck’s makeup was groundbreaking for the time. They didn't have the fancy silicone prosthetics we have today. It was greasepaint, built-up ears, and those haunting prosthetic teeth positioned in the front—more like a rodent than a canine. It was a deliberate choice to make the vampire look like a bringer of plague. Remember, this was just a few years after the Spanish Flu pandemic. The sight of a thin, sickly, terrifying figure coming off a ship was a very real, very modern fear for that audience.
Why Nosferatu Almost Disappeared Forever
We only know who played the vampire in Nosferatu today because of a bit of luck and some high-stakes copyright infringement.
F.W. Murnau and the production company, Prana Film, didn't actually have the rights to Bram Stoker's Dracula. They tried to get them. They failed. So, they did what any scrappy, slightly unethical filmmaker would do: they changed the names. Dracula became Orlok. Vampires became Nosferatu. London became Wisborg.
Stoker’s widow, Florence Stoker, was not amused. She sued. She won.
A court order demanded that every single print of Nosferatu be destroyed. If those lawyers had their way, Max Schreck’s performance would be a footnote in a lost legal document. Fortunately, a few prints had already made it overseas. Like the vampire himself, the film refused to stay buried. It survived in the shadows until it was rediscovered decades later as a masterpiece of German Expressionism.
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The 1979 Reimagining: Klaus Kinski
While Schreck is the original, he’s not the only one to wear the bald cap. In 1979, the visionary director Werner Herzog decided to remake the film as Nosferatu the Vampyre. This time, the vampire was played by Klaus Kinski.
Kinski was a force of nature. He was notoriously difficult to work with—prone to screaming matches and erratic behavior. But his take on the character was different. Where Schreck was a predator, Kinski was a tragic, weary soul. He played the vampire as someone who was bored of immortality. He was lonely. He was "the beast" who just wanted to be loved but killed everything he touched.
The makeup process for Kinski was grueling. It took four hours every single morning to apply the white face paint and the ears. Herzog insisted on filming in many of the same locations as the original, creating a bridge between Schreck’s 1920s nightmare and Kinski’s 1970s melancholy.
The New Era: Bill Skarsgård’s Orlok
Fast forward to the present day. Robert Eggers, the director behind The Witch and The Northman, has been obsessed with Nosferatu since he was a kid. He finally got his chance to remake it.
For the 2024/2025 version, the task of filling Max Schreck’s shoes fell to Bill Skarsgård.
Now, Skarsgård is no stranger to being the "weird guy." He played Pennywise in IT. He knows how to use his height and his expressive face to creep people out. But reports from the set suggest he went even deeper for this. He worked with an opera singer to lower his voice to a register that shouldn't be humanly possible. He lost a significant amount of weight.
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What’s interesting about this latest version is that it brings the conversation back to the physical performance. Just like Schreck in 1922, Skarsgård is using his entire body to communicate a sense of "otherness."
Comparing the Three Big Orloks
- Max Schreck (1922): The pure, terrifying mystery. A literal "shadow" that felt like it emerged from the walls. His performance is characterized by stillness and sudden, jerky movements.
- Klaus Kinski (1979): The romantic tragedy. High-status acting mixed with a pathetic, sickly energy. He made you feel bad for the monster right before he bit someone's neck.
- Bill Skarsgård (2024): The modern transformation. A mix of historical accuracy and high-budget physical horror. This version emphasizes the "ancient" aspect of the vampire.
The "Curse" and the Legacy
There’s always talk about curses when it comes to these roles. Max Schreck died relatively young at 56, shortly after a stage performance. People tried to link his death to the "dark energy" of the film, but honestly, it was just a heart attack.
The real legacy isn't a curse; it’s the archetype. Before Max Schreck, vampires were often just guys in capes or folk-monsters. Schreck gave us the "feral" vampire. Every time you see a vampire in a movie that looks more like an animal than a human—think 30 Days of Night or the Reapers in Blade II—you are looking at the DNA of Max Schreck.
He changed how we process fear. He showed that you don't need a lot of dialogue to be the most memorable person in a movie. In the original Nosferatu, Schreck is only on screen for about nine minutes total. Nine minutes! Yet, he is the only thing anyone remembers.
That is the power of a perfect casting choice.
What You Should Do Next
If you’ve never actually sat down and watched the 1922 original, you’re missing out on a piece of history that still holds up. Most silent films feel like museum pieces, but Nosferatu still has a way of making your skin crawl, especially the scene where he rises from his coffin on the ship.
- Watch the 1922 version first. It’s in the public domain, so you can find high-quality restorations on YouTube or specialized streaming services like Criterion Channel. Look for the "BFI" or "Murnau Stiftung" restorations for the best image quality.
- Double-feature it with 'Shadow of the Vampire'. Seeing Willem Dafoe's fictionalized version of Schreck right after seeing the real thing makes for a fascinating evening.
- Pay attention to the hands. If you’re a fan of acting or cinematography, watch how Schreck uses his fingers. It’s a masterclass in using "extremities" to create a silhouette.
- Explore the score. Different versions of the film have different soundtracks. The Hans Erdmann original is the classic, but modern metal bands and orchestral composers have written new scores that completely change the vibe.
Ultimately, Max Schreck didn't just play a vampire. He defined the monster for a century. He was a man of the theater who stepped into the flickering light of a new medium and left a shadow that we still haven't been able to outrun.
Next Steps for the Horror Buff:
Check out the works of F.W. Murnau beyond the vampire genre. Films like Faust (1926) show that his visual style wasn't a fluke—the man was a genius of light and shadow. Also, keep an eye on the production notes for the newest Robert Eggers version to see how they utilized practical effects over CGI to honor Schreck’s original 1922 transformation.