Bill Skarsgård has been Hollywood’s resident master of the macabre for years now, with iconic roles that showcase his talent for bringing some of the most horrifying characters to life. Nosferatu is the latest addition to his fast-expanding portfolio.
While most characters in the film were frightened of the same character, Skarsgård and his co-star Nicholas Hoult had a very different fear in real life. What is even more ironic is that they felt this way while filming one of the most terrifying scenes of the film.
Bill Skarsgård reveals the one thing that both he and Nicholas Hoult were scared of
Bill Skarsgård comes from a family of performers. From his father to his brothers, all of them have been in the same profession for years now. The Eternals actor himself has been constantly working since 2008. Some of his early works include the historical drama, Anna Karenina and Simon & the Oaks.
Skarsgård’s career began picking up speed in 2017 when he appeared as the petrifying Pennywise in Andy Muschietti’s horror film, It. He reprised the character in the sequel, It Chapter Two. In the years since then, he has played numerous other dark characters, but his turn as Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’ reimagining of Nosferatu definitely tops them all.
Nicholas Hoult has also earned quite a reputation in the industry with projects like X-Men: First Class, The Great, Juror #2, and now of course, the Eggers-directed Gothic gothic horror. Despite their expertise in the field, both Hoult and Skarsgård had a common fear: messing up their performances.
The Villains actor recently sat down with Josh Horowitz for an interview on the latter’s Happy Sad Confused podcast. When asked if any of his co-stars got scared of him on set when he was in character, he revealed that it was actually him and Hoult who were scared.
It was very early on in the shoot. We did the Thomas coming to Count Orlock and entering the castle. That was one of the first things that we shot, so I think both Nick and I were more scared of screwing up than actual evil.
He elaborated that they were worried about delivering their best performances for Eggers and the movie. The fear and anxiety seem absolutely natural considering this was one of the most important scenes of the film, and they were not yet very accustomed to the filming conditions.
Bill Skarsgård’s transformation for Nosferatu was even more intense than his role in It
Skarsgård is no stranger to makeup and prosthetics when it comes to these sinister roles. He was barely recognizable as Pennywise and earlier this year, he doused himself in fake blood and black ink for his lead role in the remake of The Crow.
However, none of this seemed to have prepared him for the elaborate transformation he had to go through to embody Count Orlok. He told Entertainment Weekly:
I never felt like the character until I had everything on. So, full makeup and full costume. I remember our second camera test that we did. There’s no audio, there’s no voice recording. It’s just the camera, a lot of candles, and me sitting in a chair. Especially when it’s on film, you can actually hear the camera rolling, but you see that little red light and then it’s go time.
The John Wick: Chapter Four star further said it was not until the cameras started rolling on the first day that he felt that he was truly the vampire despite the rehearsals they had done. He explained that the fear stemmed from something beyond his control – either the character would come alive, or it wouldn’t. He couldn’t force it; it just had to be there. Luckily for everyone, it is very much there.
Frequently asked questions
What did Bill Skarsgard say he and Nicholas Hoult were really scared of while filming Nosferatu?
On the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Skarsgard said that while shooting the scene of Thomas arriving at Count Orlok’s castle, one of the first things they filmed, he and Hoult were ‘more scared of screwing up’ their performances for director Robert Eggers than of any actual evil on screen.
Which Nosferatu scene were Bill Skarsgard and Nicholas Hoult filming when they felt this fear?
According to Skarsgard, it was the sequence where Thomas comes to Count Orlok and enters the castle. He noted it was shot very early in the production, before the actors had settled into the filming conditions, which added to their anxiety about delivering strong performances.
How intense was Bill Skarsgard’s transformation into Count Orlok in Nosferatu?
Skarsgard told Entertainment Weekly he never felt like the character until he had everything on, meaning full makeup and full costume. He described a camera test with just candles, the camera rolling and its red light, and said the performance was something he couldn’t force, it simply had to come alive on camera.
