The cast and characters of Renfield suggest that Universal Pictures’ take on Count Dracula’s story is poised to be a refreshing and enjoyable watch. Apart from the cast members and characters, Chris McKay took a bold approach shifting Dracula’s story from action-horror to a horror comedy. It was also a curious but smart decision to center the story on Dracula’s familiar, R. M. Renfield, instead of the vampiric icon. Renfield promises to be a comical ride with enough terrifying moments to pass for horror which should excite genre fans.
The Mummy’s (2017) commercial failure and negative reception forced Universal Pictures to abandon its Dark Universe, a cinematic universe it had conceived, and return to standalone films. If all goes well with Renfield, it might warrant a revisit to the shared film narrative concept and perhaps, necessitate the return of the Dark Universe. It’s unfair to hang that possibility on the cast and character of Renfield but how they are received would go a long way in determining the future of Dracula’s story amongst other Universal’s classic horror projects.
Dracula – Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage plays Dracula, a self-centered, Transylvanian vampire; the grumpy boss of the title character, Renfield. Cage is expected to bring something new to the portrayal of the legendary character, a fine blend of horror and comedy. Whether or not he’ll be able to pull this off is left to be seen but his talent has never been in doubt. The American actor has portrayed a vast range of diverse characters, some of which earned him coveted awards.
His career picked up in the 80s with films like Valley Girls (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), and Moonstruck (1987) before Leaving Las Vegas (1995) earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. He recorded more critical and commercial successes in the years that followed with The Rock (1996); Con Air and Face/Off (1997); City of Angels and Snake Eyes (1998); The Family Man and Gone in 60 Seconds (2001). Adaptation (2002) and recent works like Pig (2021) and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) also received critical acclaim.
R. M. Renfield – Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Hoult portrays the title character R. M. Renfield, the age-long servant of Dracula who falls in love with a traffic cop and gets inspired to break free from his egomaniac boss. Hoult’s portrayal of Renfield is central to how the cast and character of Renfield would be judged in time. The role is yet again another opportunity for the English actor to challenge his talent and showcase his prowess as a genre-diverse actor. He began his career as a child actor, got his breakthrough as Marcus Brewer in About a Boy (2002), and consolidated on that with his portrayal of Tony Stonem in Skins (2007-2008).
Hoult gained wider recognition with adult roles, beginning with A Single Man (2009) and then Clash of the Titans (2010) before he played Hank McCoy in X-Men: First Class (2011). He has reprised that role in subsequent installments of the X-Men series, including Days of Future Past (2014), Apocalypse (2016), Deadpool 2 (2018), and Dark Phoenix (2019). Hoult is also known for his roles in Jack the Gaint Slayer (2013), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Tolkien (2019), The Menu (2022), and The Great (2020-present).
Rebecca Quincy – Awkwafina
American actress, Awkwafina, plays Rebecca Quincy, a quarrelsome traffic cop of the New Orleans Police Department and Renfield’s love interest who inspires his decision to break free from Dracula. Awkwafina edged her way into mainstream consciousness with her “My Vag” rap song in 2012 and then Girl Code (2014-2015) synergized her as a comic talent suitable for roles in comedy films.
She first played Christine in Nicholas Stoller’s Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (2016), which was followed by comedic roles in Dude, Ocean’s 8, and Crazy Rich Asian (2018); The Farewell, Between Two Ferns: The Movie, and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). The Golden Globe award-winning actress has also brought her brilliance to bare in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (2020-present).
Teddy Lobo – Ben Schwartz
Ben Schwartz portrays a mob enforcer named Teddy Lobo. If his role is crucial to the success of Renfield’s cast and character, Schwartz has what it takes to make that happen. With dozens of projects to his name, the Bronx native guest starred as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein in Parks and Recreation (2010-15, 2020) and thereafter aced a lead role in Matthew Carnahan’s House of Lies (2012-16).
The American actor and comedian voiced Randy Cunningham, Dewey Duck, and Leonardo respectively in Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja (2012-15), DuckTales (2017-21), and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2018-20). Some of his popular films include The Interview (2014), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), and its sequel, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. Apart from voicing the character in both films, he was also used for the Hedgehog’s facial motion capture.
Ella – Shohreh Aghdashloo
Iranian-American actress Shohreh Aghdashloo would be seen as a mob boss named Ella in Renfield. Aghdashloo began her career as a theatre actress in her late teens and then made her film debut in the 1976 Iranian film, Chess of the Wind. She made her American film debut starring as Mrs. Pori Karemnia in 1989’s Guests of Hotel Astoria but only gained momentum in the 2000s with her roles in Surviving Paradise (2000), House of Sand and Fog (2003), X-men: The Last Stand, and The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009).
Shohreh has also had roles in fairly popular movies like The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012), Rosewater (2014), Star Trek Beyond (2016), and Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021). However, she is most recognized for her television roles, especially as Dina Araz in 24 (2005), Sajida Talfah in House of Saddam (2008), and Chrisjen Avasarala in The Expanse (2015-2022). Aghdashloo has also appeared as Brenda in at least five episodes of The Flight Attendant (2022).
Chris Marcos – Adrian Martinez
Adrian Martinez portrays Chris Marcos, a traffic police officer and co-worker of Rebecca Quincy. Like other supporting cast and characters of Renfield, he is a talented comic with an abundant experience he’s expected to bring into play in the supernatural horror comedy. A versatile actor who has worked in theater and appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, Martinez is probably most known for playing Hernando in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013), Farhad in Focus (2015), and Addison in Measure of Revenge (2022). He also appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) as Bodega Cashier.
His first regular role on television was on the late-night talk show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien (2000-2007). The American actor and comedian would later play Hector in the fantasy medical series, A Gifted Man (2011-2012), Dumont in the crime thriller series, The Blacklist: Redemption (2017), and Roberto in the comedy series, No Activity (2017). More so, he had a lead role as Tookie in ABC’s crime drama series, Stumptown (2019-2020).
Mark – Brandon Scott Jones
American actor Brandon Scott Jones appears as a support group leader named Mark in Renfield. Also a comedian, writer, and producer, Jones is best known for playing Donny in Todd Strauss-Schulson’s romantic comedy film, Isn’t It Romantic (2019). He is also popular for portraying Captain Isaac Higgintoot in CBS’ sitcom, Ghosts (2021-present). This has earned him Best Supporting Actor nominations for the Critics’ Choice Television Awards and Saturn Award. Some of his other works as an actor include Senior Year (2022), The Good Place (2019-20), and The Other Two (2019-21).
Other supporting cast and characters of Renfield include Jenna Kanell as Carol, Bess Rous as Caitlyn, Caroline Williams as Vanessa, James Moses Black as Captain J. Browning, and Miles Doleac.Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Follow Us
