Actor Bill Skarsgård collaborated with an opera vocalist to develop a chilling 'vampire-like' growl for the role of Nosferatu.
In the chilling world of the 2024 Nosferatu remake, Bill Skarsgård's portrayal of the vampire Count Orlok is a testament to the power of a well-crafted performance. To bring this eerie character to life, Skarsgård deliberately deepened his voice "as much as possible" to create an otherworldly and unsettling presence.
Director Robert Eggers wanted Orlok's voice to be profoundly deep, amplifying the unsettling atmosphere of the film. Eggers drew inspiration from "chain-smoking Bulgarian actors" for the character's vocal style, shaping it to feel haunting and foreign.
An Icelandic opera singer, Ásgerður Júníusdóttir, played a crucial role in this process. She coached Skarsgård on how to modulate and deepen his voice effectively, helping him expand his vocal range and control. This coaching was key in helping Skarsgård push his vocal performance beyond his natural voice into a sound that could convincingly portray the eerie vampire.
Skarsgaard practiced a 20-minute vocal routine to prepare for the role, including warming up his voice and doing vocal exercises between takes. His dedication paid off, as he described his voice as being "the most vibrant" it had ever been after his vocal training for Count Orlok.
Skarsgaard's unnerving roar in Nosferatu (2024) is his real voice, inspired by opera. His interview with USA Entertainment Today discussed his vocal training for the role and his use of tips from Júníusdóttir. He even joked, "Don't mess with opera singers, they are vampirically terrifying!"
Nosferatu (2024) is a spooky gothic horror film with menacing old buildings, terrifying prosthetics, and intrigue. It is a remake of F. W. Murnau's 1922 silent film of the same name, and Bram Stoker's Dracula, published in 1897, is its inspiration. Vampire thrillers have been a mainstay of popular culture for centuries, with the Twilight series and What We Do in the Shadows being notable examples.
In addition to his vocal work, Skarsgård underwent a significant physical transformation with prosthetics, but the voice was a critical element of making Count Orlok feel truly "f* up and unsettling," as Skarsgård described it. With his deep, haunting voice and terrifying appearance, Skarsgård's Count Orlok is sure to leave a lasting impression on audiences.
In the realm of movies-and-tv, the voice of Bill Skarsgård's Count Orlok in Nosferatu (2024) is a testament to the entertainment industry's power to captivate audiences with uniquely haunting performances. Skarsgård's intense vocal training, fueled by coaching from Ásgerður Júníusdóttir, transformed his voice to become deeply unsettling, which contributed significantly to the character's terrifying presence.
