Bill Skarsgård has long been a master of playing dark, disturbing characters, from his terrifying portrayal of Pennywise in It to his role as a villainous assassin in John Wick: Chapter 4. However, his latest role as Count Orlok in Robert Eggers’ reimagining of Nosferatu has left him with a sense of finality when it comes to playing such evil figures. In a recent conversation with Empire, Skarsgård revealed that the intense transformation for the role of the iconic vampire left him exhausted, both physically and mentally. The actor admitted that he no longer has the desire to take on such dark, malevolent characters.
To bring Orlok to life, Skarsgård fully immersed himself in the role, undergoing rigorous vocal training to achieve a menacing tone and enduring hours of prosthetic makeup to transform into the ancient vampire. The commitment to the role, while rewarding, had a lasting impact on him, and he expressed relief once filming was completed. He noted that the role of Orlok, a powerful occult sorcerer, was particularly difficult, affecting him in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
With this haunting experience behind him, the actor has hinted that he may be ready to step away from the horror genre, at least for a while. But does this mean Skarsgård is truly done with playing villains? Would you like to see him return to horror in the future, or is it time for a new chapter in his career?