Which actor do you consider the best Dracula?

[samurainoir]

In the history of cinema! We can count the obvious unauthorized ones as well, including Nosferatu and all the various "Alucard" variants.

[LonnieFisher]

Bela!!

[MIB41]

Hands down, Christopher Lee... He put the gore in Dracula.

[Orion]

Bela!!

Agreed. He was perfect.

[Mikey]

I want to pick Bela, but honestly he's just plain not scary.
He's like anybody's weird uncle

I have to choose Christopher Lee ... He's psycho Dracula - nobody can beat that

[toys2cool]

Gary Oldman

[Doc]

Gary Oldman

I agree

[bizzaro megomauler]

leslie neilson

[wolfie]

Count Duckula.

[madmarva]

While the Christopher Lee, Frank Langella and Gary Oldman Dracula films are better movies than they original Dracula, Bela Lugosi is Dracula to me. I know the point is arguable, though.

I also really liked Louis Jourdan in the BBC miniseries that aired on PBS in the States back in the 1970s. By today's standards it is slow and dated, but the most faithful adaption to the novel that I've seen.

Of course, the character of Dracula has transcended the novel.

[Meule]

True, Lee looks scarier, but to me Bela is Dracula, he even has the right accent

[PNGwynne]

Louis Jourdan is surprisingly good (BBC version)!

People like Lee--he is dynamic but actually pretty one-dimensional.

I've got to go with Lugosi--iconic, probably why Dracula has survived as a character in pop culture, and a nuanced perfomance considering the limitations of language & direction.

[Mikey]

John Carradine never gets any love

[samurainoir]

John Carradine never gets any love

Neither does George Hamilton

[Timothy2251]

This is a toughie, but I have to go old school and pick Bela. His appearance, his mannerisms, his costume - those are iconic at this point. You say Dracula to anyone, and that's the image that pops up.

However, on a personal level, I'm down with Christopher Lee's take. Like PNGwynne said, it's a dynamic portrayal, but Lee needed more variety to the role besides just showing up and biting some hot British actress. Man, those English girls... ). I prefer his turn in Franco's Count Dracula - the man gets a chance to ACT for a change.