TheNosferatucast is a star-studded affair of veteran actors and up-and-coming stars who help bring one of the most famous vampire stories to life in the 21st century. Filmmaker Robert Eggers continues his trend of period horror movies with this remake of the hugely influential 1922 silent movie of the same name. Eggers' status as a visual master of the genre is further cemented with the engrossing look ofNosferatuwhich helped to earn the movie four Oscar nominations in technical categories.
However, another element that helped to elevateNosferatuwas the remake’s cast. Following a similar character structure to the original 1922Nosferatu,2024’s version brings a new batch of actors to the screen as those surrounding the titular vampire. Withupcoming vampire moviesmaking somewhat of a resurgence for the genre,Nosferatuled the way as a compelling remake of a beloved classic, complete with a talented director and a cast of Hollywood actors whose reputation precedes them.
Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok/Nosferatu
Date of Birth: August 20, 2025
Actor:Bill Skarsgård is a Swedish actor born in Stockholm, Sweden. Skarsgård’s earlier work came in Swedish productions, earning acclaim in movies likeSimple Simonwhich led to him being cast in the Netflix original seriesHemlock Grove. The actor’s Hollywood credits grew withThe Divergent Series: AllegiantbeforeSkarsgård received his breakout role in 2017 viaAtomic BlondeandIt.In the latter, Skarsgård gained widespread praise for his performance as the killer clown Pennywise, a role he reprised forIt Chapter Two. Recent movies includeThe Devil All The Time, Eternals,andJohn Wick: Chapter 4.
The Crow
Eric/The Crow
Character:InNosferatu, Bill Skarsgård plays the iconic horror villain known as Count Orlok. Count Orlok is a vampire who operates from a reclusive Romanian castle, spreading fear, terror, and plagues throughout the townsfolk around him. The character was based on Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula, with Nosferatu becoming one of the most iconic movie monsters of all time. Skarsgård continues this in 2024’sNosferatuas the cruel, ruthless vampire causing chaos due to his infatuation with a young woman. Skarsgård earned high praise for his transformative performance in which he worked with an opera singer to change his voice completely.
Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter
Date of Birth: August 06, 2025
Actor:Lily-Rose Depp is a French-American actor born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Île-de-France, France. The daughter of actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, Depp’s early career included the independent filmTuskbefore she transitioned into fashion modeling. Depp made a transition to mainstream movies with 2019’sThe King, leading to appearances in films likeCrisis, Voyagers, andSilent Night.Depp’s breakthrough role came in HBO’sThe Idol, and while the show itself received criticism, Depp’s performance was praised.
The Idol
Jocelyn
Character:Depp portrays Ellen Hutter in 2024’sNosferatu, the object of Count Orlok’s infatuation. This takes cues from the original 1922 movie, in which Orlok became obsessed with tasting Ellen’s blood. 2024’sNosferatudelves much deeper into the connection between Ellen and Orlok, with their almost spiritual link stemming from Ellen’s childhood. Ellen’s relationship with Count Orlok is integral toNosferatu, from the vampire’s defeat to how he impacts those around the young woman. Depp was hailed as one of the highlights of the movie thanks to her truly committed performance.
Nicholas Hoult as Thomas Hutter
Date of Birth: July 19, 2025
Actor:Nicholas Hoult is a British actor born in Wokingham, Berkshire, England. The actor’s early roles included theater work beforeHoult’s breakout role came in 2002’sAbout a Boy.As Hoult got older, he received more recognition for roles in the British TV showSkins,2009’sA Single Man,and 2010’sClash of the Titans. Hoult’s first mainstream Hollywood role came inX-Men: First Classas Hank McCoy/Beast, a role he reprised in several sequels. Other films of Hoult’s includeWarm Bodies, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Favorite, Tolkien,andThe Menu.
The Menu
Tyler Ledford
Character:Hoult plays Thomas Hutter inNosferatu, the husband of Depp’s Ellen. Thomas has had his own troubles with Count Orlok due to his wife’s connection with the monster. At first, however, Thomas sees Orlok as simply a rich count who can help the former with his business. As Orlok’s infatuation with Ellen grows and the vampire’s darkness spreads, Thomas finds himself at the center of the terrifying story.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Friedrich Harding
Date of Birth: August 06, 2025
Actor:Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a British actor born in High Wycombe, England. Taylor-Johnson’s earlier work came as a child actor in movies likeShanghai Nights, The Illusionist,andAngus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.Johnson’s breakout roles came in 2009 and 2010 when he appeared inNowhere BoyandKick-Assrespectively. More mainstream Hollywood roles for the actor followed when he was cast in the likes ofGodzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron, andNocturnal Animals.Recent widespread performances of Taylor-Johnson’s came inTenet, The King’s Man, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy.
Taylor-Johnson met his wife, director Sam Taylor-Johnson, on the set of Nowhere Boy which she directed.
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
Bullet Train
Tangerine
Character:Taylor-Johson portrays Friedrich Harding inNosferatu. Harding was a minor character in the original movie, with Robert Eggers desiring to expand his role for the 2024 remake. As such, Friedrich Harding is a rich ship merchant in the film and a friend of Thomas Hutter, tasked with looking after Ellen while Thomas is gone. In the 2024 movie, Harding has a complicated relationship with his wife as they navigate Orlok’s chaos and darkness, replacing Friedrich’s sister from the original movie. He is a devoted family man who attempts to keep a level head as chaos descends upon his household.
Emma Corrin as Anna Harding
Date of Birth: July 18, 2025
Actor:Emma Corrin is a British actor born in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. Corrin’s early career began in the late 2010s when they appeared in movies likeCesare, Alex’s Dream,andMisbehaviour, alongside TV roles in shows such asGrantchesterandPennyworth.Corrin’s breakout role came in Netflix’sThe Crown, in which they portrayed Princess Diana,leading to roles in other popular shows likeA Murder at the End of the World.Recent mainstream movie roles of Corrin’s came inMy PolicemanandDeadpool & Wolverine.
A Murder at the End of the World
Deadpool & Wolverine
Cassandra Nova
Character:Corrin portrays Anna Harding inNosferatu. Anna is the wife of Taylor-Johnson’s Friedrich, replacing the character’s sister from the original 1922 film. Anna and Friedrich have an interesting, complex relationship inNosferatuand are friends with the Hutters, meaning they are two of the people at the forefront of Count Orlok’s terrorism in their small town. While others are put off by Ellen’s apparent mental health issues, Anna remains a caring friend who refuses to abandon her.
Willem Dafoe as Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz
Date of Birth: July 02, 2025
Actor:Willem Dafoe is an American actor born in Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. Dafoe’s earliest roles came in the 1980s in movies likeThe Loveless, Streets of Fire, andTo Live and Die in L.A.Dafoe’s breakout role came in 1986’sPlatoon, for which he received an Academy Award nomination. Dafoe’s roles from here on out include a mix of arthouse and mainstream movies fromThe Last Temptation of ChristtoSpider-Man.Other recognizable films of Dafoe’s includeAmerican Psycho, John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Florida Project, andPoor Things, to name an incredibly small handful.
Nosferatu will be Dafoe’s third collaboration with director Robert Eggers after The Lighthouse and The Northman.
The Florida Project
Bobby
Character:Willem Dafoe plays Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz inNosferatu.Albin Eberhart Von Franz is loosely based on the character of Bulwer from the original film. Bulwer was a physician who aided the Hutter’s in their plight against Count Orlok, though was mostly inconsequential to the plot. As such, Eggers insisted he wanted to give Dafoe’s Von Franz a much bigger role, turning him into a scientist of the occult as well as a physician. Von Franz is also a crazed vampire hunter, who vows to help Ellen.
Ralph Ineson as Dr. Wilhelm Sievers
Date of Birth: June 04, 2025
Actor:Ralph Ineson was born in York, North Yorkshire, England. Ineson’s earliest roles came in British TV shows likeThe Bill, The Cinder Path,andPlaying the Field, as well as independent movies likeFirst KnightandShootingFish.Ineson’s breakout role came inThe Office, leading to another mainstream role in both parts ofHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Some of Ineson’s more well-known TV shows includeGame of Thrones, Chernobyl,andWillow, while his movie credits are found inThe Witch, Ready Player One, The Green Knight, and the upcomingThe Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Like Dafoe, Ineson has appeared in three Robert Eggers movies: The Witch, The Northman, and Nosferatu.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows(Part 1andPart 2)
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Galactus
Character:InNosferatu,Ineson portrays Dr. Wilhelm Sievers. Sievers is a hospital director in the film’s fictional town of Wisburg. In the film, Sievers is an ally of Dafoe’s Von Franz, having been a former student of his and admiring his brilliance despite his controversial reputation. Eggers described Sievers as the John Watson to Von Frantz’s Sherlock Holmes, explaining their partnership inNosferatu’s story. Sievers also oversees a hospital that houses Orlock’s human servant, Herr Knock.
Simon McBurney as Herr Knock
Date of Birth: August 12, 2025
Actor:Simon McBurney is a British actor born in Cambridge, England. McBurney’s early career came not as an actor, but as a director of theater. McBurney is the founder and artistic director of the Théâtre de Complicité, London, leading him to oversee many stage plays. As an actor,McBurney’s career took a mainstream turn inThe Manchurian Candidate, leading to performances inRobin Hood, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Theory of Everything,andMission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.McBurney’s recent mainstream TV credits includeCarnival RowandHijack.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
Hijack
Edgar
Character:Nosferatu’s main cast is rounded out by McBurney as Herr Knock. Herr Knock is the employer of Hoult’s Thomas Hutter who secretly holds a fanaticism with the occult. Knock works as the servant of Count Orlok, sending Hutter to the estate of the vampire at the beginning of the film. As such, many of the events ofNosferatustem from McBurney’s Herr Knock, rendering him responsible for the monster’s ensuing reign of terror.
Nosferatu
Cast
Nosferatu is a remake of the 1922 silent film of the same name from director F. W. Murnau. Robert Eggers is crafting his own version of the story for the reboot as writer and director, with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the shoes of Count Orlok. Nosferatu tells the tale of a young woman who falls victim to a vampire utterly infatuated with her.
