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{{Short description|Nosferatu antagonist}}
{{redirect|Orlok}}
{{redirect|Graf Orlok|the band|Graf Orlock (band)}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Count Orlok
| series = [[Nosferatu]]
| image = Max Schreck as Count Orlok in Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).jpg
| caption = [[Max Schreck]] as Count Orlok
| first = ''[[Nosferatu|Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens]]'' (1922)
| last = 
| creator = [[F. W. Murnau]]<br>[[Albin Grau]]<br>[[Henrik Galeen]]
| portrayer = {{ubl|[[Max Schreck]] ([[Nosferatu|1922]])|[[Klaus Kinski]] ([[Nosferatu the Vampyre|1979]] & [[Vampire in Venice|1988]])|[[Christopher Heyerdahl]] (''[[Are You Afraid of the Dark?]]'')|[[Willem Dafoe]] ([[Shadow of the Vampire|2000]])|Alexander Ward (''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'')|[[Doug Jones (actor)|Doug Jones]] ([[Nosferatu (2023 film)|2023]])|[[Bill Skarsgård]] ([[Nosferatu (2024 film)|2024]])}} 
| voice = 
| nickname = 
| aliases = {{ubl|[[Count Dracula]]|The Bird of Death|Nosferatu}}
| species = [[Vampire]]
| gender = Male
| nationality = Romanian
| based_on = [[Count Dracula]] by [[Bram Stoker]]
}}
'''Count Orlok''' ({{langx|de|Graf Orlok}}; {{langx|ro|Contele Orlok}}; {{langx|hu|Orlok gróf}}) is a fictional character who first appeared in the [[silent film]] ''[[Nosferatu]]'' (1922) directed by [[F. W. Murnau]]. Based on [[Bram Stoker]]'s [[Count Dracula]], he is played by German actor [[Max Schreck]], and is depicted as a repulsive [[vampire]] descended from [[Belial]], who leaves his homeland of [[Transylvania]] to spread the [[Plague (disease)|plague]] in the idyllic city of Wisborg in [[Biedermeier]]-period Germany, only to find death at the hands of a self-sacrificing woman.

Count Orlok would reappear in remakes, played by [[Klaus Kinski]], [[Doug Jones (actor)|Doug Jones]] and [[Bill Skarsgård]], as well as in comic book adaptations and sequels. He is also a character in ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'', debuting in the [[SpongeBob SquarePants season 2|season 2]] episode "[[Graveyard Shift (SpongeBob SquarePants)|Graveyard Shift]]". Orlok's distinct appearance, which is closer to that of vampires of Eastern European folklore than to traditional depictions of Dracula, influenced numerous later vampire designs, including those of ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]'', ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and the ''[[Blade (franchise)|Blade]]'' film franchise, typically in order to distance the creatures from their more conventionally humanized or charming counterparts.

==Name==
As ''Nosferatu'' is an unauthorized and unofficial adaptation of [[Bram Stoker]]'s 1897 novel ''[[Dracula]]'', character names were changed in an attempt to avoid accusations of copyright infringement, including changing [[Count Dracula]]'s name to Count Orlok which, according to historian {{ill|Matei Cazacu|ro|Matei Cazacu}}, derives from the [[Romanian language|Romanian]] ''[[Vrykolakas|vârcolac]]'',<ref>{{Harvnb|Cazacu|2017|p=390}}</ref> while [[David Annwn Jones]] links it phonetically to the [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] ''[[ordog]]''. Jones also notes how ''orlok'' is an archaic form of the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] ''oorlog'', meaning "war".<ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|p=171}}</ref> Alternative spellings have included "Orlock", "Orlac" and "Orloc".<ref>{{Harvnb|Melton|1999|p=507}}</ref>

The character is nevertheless referred to as "[[Nosferatu (word)|Nosferatu]]" in the film's publicity material and in director [[F. W. Murnau]]'s annotated copy of the script.<ref>{{Harvnb|Eisner|1973|pages=108, 247}}</ref> The character is referred to as Dracula in some rereleases of the film.<ref name="joslin.10">{{Harvnb|Joslin|2017|p=10}}</ref>

In [[Werner Herzog]]'s 1979 remake, ''[[Nosferatu the Vampyre]]'', the character names revert to those used in the original novel,<ref>{{Harvnb|Prager|2012|p=105}}</ref> while the [[Nosferatu (2023 film)|2023]] and [[Nosferatu (2024 film)|2024 remakes]] maintain the names used in the original 1922 film. In the 1988 sequel to the 1979 film, ''[[Vampire in Venice]]'', the character is referred to as "Nosferatu".

==Creation==
[[File:The Golem , page 2 from the book Der Golem , illustrated by Hugo Steiner-Prag (cropped).jpg|thumb|An illustration from [[Gustav Meyrink]]'s ''[[The Golem (Meyrink novel)|The Golem]]'', which influenced Orlok's design]]
The character was largely conceived by Prana Film founder and occultist artist [[Albin Grau]]. Grau claimed he was inspired to shoot ''Nosferatu'' after meeting a farmer during the [[Serbian campaign]], who stated that his father had been a vampire.<ref>{{citation |first=Christiane |last=Mückenberger |editor1-first=Günther |editor1-last=Dahlke |editor2-first=Günter |editor2-last=Karl |chapter=Nosferatu |title=Deutsche Spielfilme von den Anfängen bis 1933 |publisher=Henschel Verlag |location=Berlin |date=1993 |isbn=3-89487-009-5 |page=71 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|p=174}}</ref><ref name="alexanderandsonsrestorations">{{cite web |url=https://alexanderandsonsrestorations.com/vampires-great-war/ |title=Of Vampires and the Great War |website=alexandersonsrestorations.com|date=30 October 2014 |access-date=2 January 2024 |archive-date=12 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212104436/https://alexanderandsonsrestorations.com/vampires-great-war/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Grau had a strong influence on Orlok's look, which was inspired by {{ill|Hugo Steiner-Prag|de|Hugo Steiner-Prag}}'s illustrations for [[Gustav Meyrink]]'s ''[[The Golem (Meyrink novel)|The Golem]]''.<ref name="berriatúa">{{cite AV media | people=Berriatúa, Luciano (director) | year=2007 | title=The Language of Shadows: Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau and His Films | type=documentary | location=Germany | publisher=Friedrich-Wilhelm-Murnau-Stiftung}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Giesen|2019|p=18}}</ref> He may have also been influenced by the corpses he saw in the trenches of the [[First World War]].<ref name="alexanderandsonsrestorations"/>{{bettersource|date=June 2025}} Further links to the war have been noticed in Orlok's association with rats, which were a persistent nuisance in the trenches,<ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|p=183}}</ref> and the character suddenly appearing enveloped in thick smoke, which has been linked to the poison gas used during the conflict.<ref name="alexanderandsonsrestorations"/>{{bettersource|date=June 2025}} Grau also had the character correspond with Knock through letters filled with [[Enochian]], hermetic and [[Alchemy|alchemical]] symbols.<ref name="churton68">{{Harvnb|Churton|2014|p=68}}</ref>

The character was played by [[Max Schreck]], whose military experiences during the First World War have been thought to have influenced his performance.<ref name="alexanderandsonsrestorations"/>{{bettersource|date=June 2025}} According to Grau's diary entries, Schreck, when in full makeup, was "shunned" by the Slovak assistants on set.<ref name="berriatúa"/> His portrayal of Orlok was the first to depict vampires as being fatally vulnerable to sunlight. Previous vampire portrayals had shown them being uncomfortable with sunlight, but not mortally susceptible.<ref>{{Harvnb|Scivally|2015|p=111}}</ref>

==Characterization==
In  ''[[Nosferatu]]'', the Count is described in the fictional book ''Of Vampyres, Ghastly Spirits, Witchcraft, and the Seven Deadly Sins'' as a [[Hematophagy|hematophagous]] creature that dwells in dank caves, tombs and coffins filled with soil gathered from graveyards containing the victims of the [[Black Death]]. The book elaborates that Orlok originated from the "seed of [[Belial]]", an entity described in the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] as one of four Satanic [[archdemon]]s and associated with pestilence in [[Psalm 41]]: 8-10. [[David Annwn Jones]] notes that this is in contrast to [[Count Dracula]], upon whom the character was based, as Orlok is never stated to have once been human or of being an undead revenant, being instead a creature of demonic lineage who sleeps in coffins merely for the sake of protection against sunlight and convenience in transporting the rats under his command.<ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|pp=169–170}}</ref> The film contains no references to a Dracula-like noble ancestry and does not feature any [[Brides of Dracula|brides]] or Roma henchmen, with Orlok's lust for the character of Ellen Hutter being his only human affiliation. Jones further comments that:

{{cquote|Though invisibility and partial invisibility and, presumably, the ability to communicate with and transform into animals are shared, other of Dracula's aspects of magic are jettisoned in favour of [[Enochian magic|Enochian]] script and spells. ... In all but the active consumption of blood, Orlok ... [is] closer to the devilish entities in [[Roman Polanski]]'s ''[[Rosemary's Baby (film)|Rosemary's Baby]]'' (1968), [[William Friedkin]]'s ''[[The Exorcist (film)|The Exorcist]]'' (1973) and [[Richard Donner]]'s ''[[The Omen]]'' (1976) than to Stoker's vampire.<ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|pp=172–173}}</ref>}}

As noted by [[J. Gordon Melton]], Orlok resembles folkloric vampires more than Dracula,<ref name="melton.508">{{Harvnb|Melton|1999|p=508}}</ref> being thoroughly repulsive, sporting a bald head, a beaklike nose, hollowed-out eyes, pointed ears, and sharp fingernails.<ref>{{Harvnb|Kinnard|1995|pp=134–138}}</ref><ref name="kaes.105">{{Harvnb|Kaes|2009|p=105}}</ref><ref name="joslin.10"/> His fangs, rather than being elongated [[Canine tooth|canines]], are positioned at the front of his mouth like those of a rat.<ref name="melton.497">{{Harvnb|Melton|1999|p=497}}</ref> He walks with a slow and labored gait,<ref name="melton.497"/> and his attire consists of a long black coat and tight pants which, according to {{ill|Anton Kaes|de|Anton Kaes}}, "give the impression of skeletal limbs tightly wrapped in funereal clothes".<ref name="kaes.105"/> Orlok also lacks Dracula's suave or charm, acting with unrelenting strangeness, with his initial demeanor toward the character of [[Thomas Hutter]] being that of an old Eastern European aristocrat who has outlived his societal usefulness.<ref name="kaes.105"/> All of these traits combined preclude the possibility of him ever being mistaken for a human, thus preventing viewers from identifying with him.<ref>{{Harvnb|Kinnard|1995|pp=137–138}}</ref><ref name="kaes.105"/>

While never seen [[shapeshifting]] in the film, he is nevertheless shown to be capable of walking through walls, as per Stoker. His association with the [[Plague (disease)|plague]], while absent in Dracula, is consistent with vampiric mythology, as vampires were once blamed for several historical epidemics.<ref name="joslin.14">{{Harvnb|Joslin|2017|pp=14–15}}</ref> Unlike Stoker's Dracula, he casts a shadow and reflects in mirrors.<ref>{{Harvnb|Giovannini|1997|p=43}}</ref><ref name="melton.508"/><ref name="joslin.17">{{Harvnb|Joslin|2017|p=17}}</ref>

==Fictional character biography==
Count Orlok is a [[vampire]] from [[Transylvania]] known as the "Bird of Death" or "Deathbird" (''Totenvogel'') who dwells alone in a vast [[castle]] hidden among the rugged peaks in a lost corner of the [[Carpathian Mountains]]. The castle and its master, forgotten by the world for centuries, are swathed in shadows and exhibit a highly sinister feel due to years of neglect. The local [[peasants]] live in terror of phantoms and [[Werewolf|werewolves]] haunting the region and never venture out after dark.

During the [[Biedermeier]] period<ref>{{Harvnb|Jackson|2013|p=38}}</ref> in 1838, Orlok forms a pact with the housing agent Knock, promising him wealth in exchange for a house in the (fictional) city of Wisborg, Germany. Orlok receives Knock's employee, [[Thomas Hutter]], and almost reveals his true nature after Hutter accidentally cuts his finger, causing the Count to briefly lose control. Orlok then feeds off Hutter after he collapses from shock. When Hutter regains consciousness, Orlok signs the documents to purchase the house and notices a miniature portrait of Hutter's wife, Ellen, remarking that she has a "lovely neck."

After Hutter discovers Orlok's vampiric nature, the Count attempts to feed off him again, but is repelled when he [[Telepathy|telepathically]] senses Ellen's distress. The next morning, Orlok is discovered "sleeping" in a filthy coffin filled with earth. Hutter then witnesses Orlok loading a cart with several coffins filled with soil, one of which he then hides in, and they are driven off to be loaded onto the ship ''Empusa'' headed for Wisborg.

During his journey through Europe, he kills everyone onboard the ''Empusa'' and spreads the [[plague (disease)|plague]] throughout the continent. Upon his arrival in Wisborg, Orlok infests the city with rats that sleep in his coffins, and countless people fall victim to the plague, forcing the local authorities to declare a [[quarantine]] and provoking [[hysteria]] among the citizens. Ellen learns that the Nosferatu can be vanquished only if a woman pure in heart willingly allows him to feed on her long enough to prevent him from seeking shelter from sunrise. Ellen coaxes Orlok to her room and lies in bed whilst he drinks from her neck. The sun rises, and Orlok is burned away in a cloud of smoke.

==Interpretations==
In his ''[[From Caligari to Hitler]]'', [[Siegfried Kracauer]] identified Orlok as a "[[Divine retribution|scourge of God]]" comparable to [[Attila]], noting that it was "highly significant that during this period German imagination, regardless of its starting-point, always gravitated towards such figures — as if under the compulsion of love-hate".<ref>{{Harvnb|Kracauer|1966|p=79}}</ref> {{ill|Matei Cazacu|ro|Matei Cazacu}} draws a parallel between Orlok's attempt at subjugating Wisborg with the failed imperial ambitions of [[Wilhelm II]], but notes that "the vampire at least had the consolation of experiencing love".<ref>{{Harvnb|Cazacu|2017|p=276}}</ref> {{ill|Anton Kaes|de|Anton Kaes}} notes how Orlok's thirst for blood represents a love of eternal values rather than the "erratic sphere of commerce" represented by Hutter, which would have resonated with contemporary audiences living in a period of [[inflation]] and multicultural tension.<ref name="kaes.105"/> Kaes also draws a link between Orlok and the [[shell shock]]ed veterans returning from the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]], with Orlok being interpreted as the personification of Thomas Hutter's trauma, intruding into his personal life and competing for the love of Ellen.<ref>{{Harvnb|Kaes|2009|p=118}}</ref>

Some authors have compared Orlok's appearance to [[Stereotypes of Jews|stereotypical caricatures of Jewish people]] from the time in which ''Nosferatu'' was produced. His features have also been compared to those of a rat or a mouse, the former of which Jews were often equated with.<ref>{{Harvnb|Giesen|2019|pp=108–109}}</ref> [[J. Hoberman]] notes how Orlok's actions in the film evoke "both the [[blood libel]] and the accusation of poisoning wells to spread disease that resulted in widespread pogroms and the near-extermination of Jews throughout the Rhineland in the mid-14th century".<ref>{{cite web |last=Hoberman |first=J. |author-link=J. Hoberman |title=The Twinned Evils of 'Nosferatu' |url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/nosferatu-hoberman-murnau |website=tabletmag.com |publisher=[[Tablet (magazine)|Tablet]] |access-date=28 January 2025 |date=19 May 2020}}</ref> Others have said that perceived associations between Orlok and antisemitic stereotypes are unlikely to have been conscious decisions, citing director [[F. W. Murnau]]'s protectiveness of Jewish cast members and status as a homosexual, which would have made him "presumably more sensitive to the persecution of a subgroup inside the larger German society".<ref>{{Harvnb|Magistrale|2005|pp=25–26}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Jackson|2013|p=20}}</ref>

==Reception==
Reception to Orlok, and his perceived "monstrousness" compared to other vampires, has been very positive, with publication [[Vulture Magazine]] declaring, "A defining Dracula movie in all but name, Nosferatu is one of the most important and influential films ever made, thanks in part to Schreck’s terrifying Count Orlok. With his teetering build, bat-shaped ears, and curling nails, Orlok remains a potently unsettling villain a hundred years later."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mattison|first1=Celia |title=Dracula Movies Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/dracula-movie-performances-ranked.html |website=vulture.com |publisher= Vox Media, LLC. |access-date=31 January 2025 |archive-date=20 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420212603/https://www.vulture.com/article/dracula-movie-performances-ranked.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Roger Ebert]] praised Schreck's performance as Orlok, noting that it "avoids most of the theatrical touches that would distract from all the later performances ... The vampire should come across not like a flamboyant actor but like a man suffering from a dread curse."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ebert |first1=Roger |title=Nosferatu |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-1922 |website=rogerebert.com |publisher=Ebert Digital, LLC. |access-date=11 November 2022 |archive-date=18 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218104654/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-1922 |url-status=live }}</ref> Likewise, [[Kim Newman]] praised the monstrous nature of Orlock, stating, "Schreck's vampire is truly nightmarish, scuttling from shadows like something you'd really like to see back under its rock."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newman|first1=Kim |title=Nosferatu Review |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/nosferatu-review/ |website=EmpireOnline.com |date=January 2011 |publisher=Bauer Media Group, LLC. |access-date=31 January 2024 |archive-date=10 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510173047/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/nosferatu-review/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Conversely, [[André Gide]] believed the Orlok character was too overtly monstrous to credibly deceive the other characters.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Geduld |first=H..M. |year=1972|title=Authors on Film |publisher=Indiana University Press |location=Bloomington |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/3/oa_edited_volume/chapter/2964739}}.</ref>

==Later depictions==
===Kinski's portrayals===
{{Quote box |This vampire is someone millions can identify with. He personifies the mingled sadness and desire of people who want to kill themselves because they can't live without physical and spiritual love.|source=[[Klaus Kinski]]<ref name=jacobs>{{cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Diane |title="I Become My Characters" |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/07/archives/i-become-my-characters-i-become-my-characters.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=7 October 1979 |archive-date=13 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113212544/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/07/archives/i-become-my-characters-i-become-my-characters.html |url-status=live }}</ref>|bgcolor=#c6dbf7 |salign=right |width=40%}}
The character was portrayed by [[Klaus Kinski]] in [[Werner Herzog]]'s 1979 remake ''[[Nosferatu the Vampyre]]''. Herzog described this incarnation as "not a monster, but an ambivalent, masterful force of change. When the plague threatens, people throw their property into the streets; they discard their bourgeois trappings. A re‐evaluation of life and its meaning takes place."<ref name="kennedy">{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Harlan |title=Dracula Is a Bourgeois Nightmare, Says Herzog |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/30/archives/dracula-is-a-bourgeois-nightmare-says-herzog-bourgeois-nightmare.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=30 July 1978 |archive-date=13 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113211951/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/30/archives/dracula-is-a-bourgeois-nightmare-says-herzog-bourgeois-nightmare.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Kinski described him as "a man without free will. He cannot choose, and he cannot cease to be. He is a kind of incarnation of evil, but he is also a man who is suffering, suffering for love. This makes it so much more dramatic, more double‐edged."<ref name="kennedy"/>
[[File:Duesseldorf Filmuseum Nosferatu Kinski ohren.jpg|thumb|Prosthetics used by Klaus Kinski for ''[[Nosferatu the Vampyre]]'' at the Filmmuseum Düsseldorf]]
Kinski's make-up was an imitation of Max Schreck's in the 1922 original and was applied by Japanese artist Reiko Kruk. Although Kinski fought with Herzog and others during the making of other films, he got along with Kruk, and the four-hour makeup sessions proceeded without any outbursts from Kinski himself.<ref>{{cite web |last=Maxwell |first=Patrick |title=''Nosferatu'' Reawakens: An Evening with Werner Herzog and a New 35mm Print of ''Nosferatu the Vampyre'' |url=https://www.moviemaker.com/nosferatu-reawakens-an-evening-with-werner-herzog-and-a-new-35mm-print-of-nosferatu-the-vampyre/ |work=Moviemaker.com |publisher=Movie Maker |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=31 January 2023}}</ref>

Kinski's portrayal was praised by [[Roger Ebert]], who wrote that there is "nothing pleasant about Herzog's vampire", which was "played totally without ego by Klaus Kinski ... [who] does honor to the seriousness of vampires. ... if they were real, here is how they must look",<ref>{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Nosferatu the Vampyre Movie Review (1979) |url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-the-vampyre-1979 |work=RogerEbert.com |publisher=Ebert Digital LLC |access-date=3 November 2013 |date=24 October 2011 |archive-date=16 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140216091449/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-nosferatu-the-vampyre-1979 |url-status=live }}</ref> while {{ill|Fabio Giovannini|it|Fabio Giovannini}} describes Kinski's portrayal as "without doubt, the most repugnant vampire in cinematic history".<ref>{{Harvnb|Giovannini|1997|p=56}}</ref> [[David Annwn Jones]] notes how Kinski's character plays down the demonic aspects of the original Orlok and approaches Dracula more closely, as he mentions his noble lineage and has the ability to create more vampires from his victims.<ref>{{Harvnb|Annwn Jones|2023|p=191}}</ref>  Furthermore, Kinski's vampire does not reflect in mirrors, unlike the original.<ref name="joslin.17"/> Simon Bacon, in comparing Kinski's performance to Schreck's, notes:
{{cquote|Kinski's Dracula not only builds upon the bestial nature of Schreck's vampire – he is visibly ancient and inhuman – but adds a world weariness and melancholy to his persona in keeping with the introspection of the 1970s [[New German Cinema]] movement. ... While Schreck's movements are rigid and arch, mirroring the gothic architecture that so often surrounds him, Kinski's posture is rounded as if he were constricting from within and his movements are generally slow and pained.<ref>{{Harvnb|Bacon|2022|p=81}}</ref>}}

In the 1988 pseudo-sequel to the 1979 remake, ''[[Vampire in Venice]]'', the vampire, played by Kinski once again, is portrayed as a "[[Byronic hero]]" seeking death by making love to a virgin woman. The film includes several innovations in the vampire myth, showing the monster as being able to walk around in daylight, cast a reflection in mirrors and is undeterred by crosses.<ref>{{Harvnb|Curti|2019|p=169}}</ref> Kinski initially refused to shave his head and wear fake fangs for the role, though conceded and wore Orlok's traditional rat-like fangs for several scenes.<ref>{{Harvnb|Curti|2019|p=168}}</ref> Matthew Edwards stated that "Kinski paints his sadistic vampire with a sneering disgust for those around him",<ref>{{Harvnb|Edwards|2016|p=290}}</ref> while Roberto Curti stated that Kinski's performance "drowns the film".<ref>{{Harvnb|Curti|2019|p=170}}</ref>

===The Tale of the Midnight Madness===
Orlok was played by [[Christopher Heyerdahl]] in the 26 June 1993 episode of ''[[Are You Afraid of the Dark?]]'', "The Tale of the Midnight Madness." In the episode, a troubled movie theatre finds renewed success when it begins showing a midnight run of a film titled ''Nosferatu: The Demon Vampire'', which is similar to the 1922 film. Things are going well until Orlok steps through the screen into the real world and begins terrorizing the theatre.

''[[SlashFilm]]'' describes Heyerdahl's portrayal as "pretty disturbing" and says that he is "eminently icky as the fabled vampire."<ref>{{cite web |last=Spiegel |first=Josh |title=Every Actor Who Has Played Nosferatu (And What They Look Like Without Makeup)|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/1741985/every-actor-played-nosferatu-without-makeup/ |publisher=SlashFilm |access-date=18 May 2025 |date=27 December 2024 }}</ref>

===2023 remake===
Orlok was played by [[Doug Jones (actor)|Doug Jones]] in the [[Nosferatu (2023 film)|2023 remake]]. In an interview with ''[[Dread Central]]'', he stated: "I don't think Orlok realizes how much he's faded. In his mind, he's still the dashing count he once was, and that dichotomy fascinated me". His makeup was restricted to his face and hands, and took four hours to apply. Regarding his portrayal, Jones said: "The farther you get from human, the harder it is to play, ... Orlok's humanity is still there, buried under layers of torment and hunger. That's where the real performance comes from—his desires, regrets, and fears".<ref>{{cite web |last=Korngut |first=Josh |title=Doug Jones Like You've Never Seen Him Before in 'Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror' |url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/519443/doug-jones-like-youve-never-seen-him-before-in-nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horror-january-cover-story/ |work=Dreadcentral.com |publisher=Dread Central |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=9 January 2025 |archive-date=13 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113214222/https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/519443/doug-jones-like-youve-never-seen-him-before-in-nosferatu-a-symphony-of-horror-january-cover-story/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Director David Lee Fisher explained that this interpretation of Orlok was deliberately distanced from Kinski's portrayal and approached Shreck's original performance more closely, being "an elemental force of nature ... definitely destructive, but not necessarily evil".<ref>{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Minoo |title=Nosferatu Remixed – An Interview with Director David Lee Fisher |url=https://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog/nosferatu-remixed-an-interview-with-director-david-lee-fisher/ |work=Classicmoviehub.com |publisher=Classic Movie Hub Blog |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=25 November 2014 |archive-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209212902/https://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog/nosferatu-remixed-an-interview-with-director-david-lee-fisher/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Jones' performance received mixed responses, with Tarryn Gaherty of ''[[Valnet#Collider|Collider]]'' praising him as one of the best aspects of the film, "masterfully combin[ing] physical acting with prosthetics and practical effects",<ref>{{cite web |last=Gaherty |first=Tarryn |title=Robert Eggers' 'Nosferatu' Isn't the Only Remake of the Horror Classic Released in 2024 |url=https://collider.com/nosferatu-2024-doug-jones-david-lee-fisher/ |work=Collider.com |publisher=Collider |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=27 December 2024}}</ref> while Jennie Kermode of ''Eye For Film'' compared him unfavourably to prior Orlok performers, stating "he cannot capture the same air of uncanny charisma [as Max Schreck], which the film really depends on; neither can he compel the viewer's attention as Klaus Kinski did in his attempts".<ref>{{cite web |last=Kermode |first=Jennie |title=Nosferatu |url=https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/nosferatu-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode |work=Eyeforfilm.co.uk |publisher=Eye For Film |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=19 October 2024}}</ref>

===2024 remake===
[[Bill Skarsgård]] played Orlok in [[Robert Eggers]]' [[Nosferatu (2024 film)|2024 remake]]. This incarnation, a former [[Solomonari|Solomonar]] who had made a pact with [[Satan]] in a bid for immortality,<ref name="dubiel">{{cite web |last=Dubiel |first=Bill |title=Count Orlok's Immense Powers In Nosferatu Have Roots In Old Romanian Folklore |url=https://screenrant.com/nosferatu-count-orlok-vampire-solomonari-romanian-folklore-explainer/ |work=Screenrant.com |publisher=Screen Rant |access-date=14 January 2025 |date=3 January 2025 |archive-date=8 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250108125059/https://screenrant.com/nosferatu-count-orlok-vampire-solomonari-romanian-folklore-explainer/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is portrayed as having developed an exploitative psychic bond with Ellen Hutter when she was a child, only to torment her in adulthood once she marries [[Thomas Hutter|Thomas]].<ref name="hemenway">{{cite web |last=Hemenway |first=Megan |title=Nosferatu's Love Triangle Explained: Who Does Ellen Really Love? |url=https://screenrant.com/nosferatu-love-triangle-ellen-thomas-count-orlok-explainer/ |work=Screenrant.com |publisher=Screen Rant |access-date=18 March 2025 |date=28 December 2024}}</ref>

Skarsgård was originally set to play Thomas Hutter, but Eggers decided to cast him as Orlok after seeing his performance as [[Pennywise]] in ''[[It Chapter Two]]''. Eggers' intention was to distance his Orlok from conventional cinematic vampires and to draw inspiration from folklore, resulting in a "hulking brute  with a booming voice — less vampire, more undead Transylvanian nobleman", while still retaining details recalling Schreck's portrayal, such as fingernails, posture and the shape of the head.<ref name="salisbury">{{cite web |last=Salisbury |first=Mark |title=Robert Eggers on taking his time making 'Nosferatu' and changing Bill Skarsgard's role |url=https://www.screendaily.com/features/robert-eggers-on-taking-his-time-making-nosferatu-and-changing-bill-skarsgards-role/5200552.article |work=Screendaily.com |publisher=Screen Daily |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=9 January 2025 |archive-date=12 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112104331/https://www.screendaily.com/features/robert-eggers-on-taking-his-time-making-nosferatu-and-changing-bill-skarsgards-role/5200552.article |url-status=live }}</ref> The makeup was applied by David White, who modeled the skin tone on that of a 17th-18th century [[wax sculpture]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Rawles |first=Timothy |title=iHorror Interviews 'Nosferatu's' Make Up Master David White |url=https://ihorror.com/ihorror-interviews-nosferatus-make-up-master-david-white/ |work=ihorror.com |publisher=iHorror |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=21 January 2025 }}</ref> Orlok's design in this film is partially inspired by [[Vlad Dracula]], whom the original Dracula was named after,<ref name="wise">{{cite web |access-date=3 December 2024 |date=2 December 2024 |first=Damon |last=Wise |title=''Nosferatu'' Review: Robert Eggers' Gothic Romance Is A Perverse, Technically Brilliant Tango With Death |url=https://deadline.com/2024/12/nosferatu-review-robert-eggers-lily-rose-depp-nicholas-hoult-gothic-vampire-romance-1236191438/ |website=Deadline |archive-date=3 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203022045/https://deadline.com/2024/12/nosferatu-review-robert-eggers-lily-rose-depp-nicholas-hoult-gothic-vampire-romance-1236191438/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with Eggers stating that "there's never been a version of Dracula or [[Nosferatu (word)|Nosferatu]] dressed like a Transylvanian nobleman with authentic [[Transylvanian Hungarians|Hungarian]] attire from the 16th century." Costume designer [[Linda Muir]] sought inspiration from the Transylvanian military from around 1560 to the mid-1600s, incorporating pieces of clothing such as [[dolman]], [[wiktionary:mente#Noun 4|mente]] fur coat, or [[Kalpak|kolpak]] into Orlok's costume.<ref name="i-D">{{Cite web|url=https://i-d.co/article/nosferatu-robert-eggers-making-of-moodboards-costumes/|title=Making Nosferatu Sounds Even More Cursed Than Watching It|date=2024-12-27|access-date=2025-01-15|website=[[i-D]]|last=Greenwood|first=Douglas}}</ref> Skarsgård, having refused to have his voice digitally modulated, was trained to lower his voice by Icelandic opera singer [[Ásgerður Júníusdóttir]], incorporating [[Tuvan throat singing|Mongolian throat singing]] into his lines.<ref name="truitt">{{cite web |last=Truitt |first=Brian |title='Nosferatu' star Bill Skarsgård embraced opera to get his vampire voice right |url=https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/12/30/bill-skarsgard-nosferatu-vampire/77158565007/ |work=Usatoday.com |publisher=USA Today |access-date=13 January 2025 |date=30 December 2024 |archive-date=13 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250113121939/https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/12/30/bill-skarsgard-nosferatu-vampire/77158565007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Inspired by Orlok being an ancient Romanian count, Eggers decided to have him speak a reconstructed form of the [[Dacian language]] in the film.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl1UKp5K_A0 |title=Making Of NOSFERATU (2024) - Best Of Behind The Scenes, Sets & Talk With Lily-Rose Depp & N. Hoult |date=2024-12-21 |last=STREAM WARS |time=11:31 |access-date=2024-12-29 |quote="When he's doing his spells he speaks ancient Dacian, which is a dead language, and the Dacians were most likely the people who became the ethnic Romanians in Romania." |via=YouTube |archive-date=2024-12-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227152912/https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=2rlSBTlSNuW7uoii&v=xl1UKp5K_A0&feature=youtu.be |url-status=live }}</ref> In creating the interior of Orlok's castle, production designer [[Craig Lathrop]] sought to give it a haunted look by keeping furniture to a minimum. [[Corvin Castle]] was selected for exterior shots for being "in terrible shape", thus coinciding with the "diseased" aesthetic Lathrop wanted. For Orlok's sarcophagus, he incorporated Solomonic sigils and [[Dacians|Dacian]] designs.<ref>{{cite web |last=Spratley |first=Leyla |title=Blood, Sweat and Tears |url=https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/nosferatu-craig-lathrop-horror-interiors-design |work=worldofinteriors.com |publisher=The World of Interiors |access-date=30 January 2025 |date=18 January 2025 }}</ref> For his role as Orlok, Skårsgard wore a prosthetic penis, which was kept and framed by his co-star [[Nicholas Hoult]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Travis |first=Emlyn |title=Nicholas Hoult says Robert Eggers gifted him Bill Skarsgård's 'Nosferatu' prosthetic penis |url=https://ew.com/nicholas-hoult-says-robert-eggers-sent-bill-skarsgards-prosthetic-penis-nosferatu-8766051 |access-date=2025-07-06 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |language=en}}</ref>

Skarsgård's performance has been positively received by critics. [[Peter Bradshaw]] described Skarsgård's portrayal as "opaque and forbiddingly gruesome without being necessarily as scary as could be expected",<ref>{{cite web |last=Bradshaw |first=Paul |title=Nosferatu review – Robert Eggers's respectful homage to a vampire horror classic |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/dec/02/nosferatu-review-robert-eggers-lily-rose-depp-bill-skarsgard |work=[[The Guardian]] |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=2 December 2024 }}</ref> while [[Matt Zoller Seitz]] described it as Skarsgård's "best work yet" which is best thought not "as a performance, but a repugnant yet strangely mesmerizing obscenity, excavated from a tomb and placed in front of the camera".<ref>{{cite web |last=Seitz |first=Matt Zoller |title=Nosferatu |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/nosferatu |work=Rogerebert.com |publisher=Roger Ebert |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=24 December 2024 }}</ref> [[Wesley Morris]] described it as "the grossest-looking, ooziest, most cooked, most rotted, most mustached, least-living Dracula I can recall. ... This 'Nosferatu' dares you to feel seduced and sick over the seduction".<ref>{{cite web |last=Morris |first=Wesley |title='Nosferatu' Review: Drac's Back, Sucking Blood and Souls |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/25/movies/nosferatu-review.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=27 January 2025 |date=25 December 2024 }}</ref>

==Legacy==
Orlok's fascination with Hutter's picture of his wife and his emergence from his coffin onboard the ''Empusa'' in a "jack-in-the-box" fashion have been imitated in several subsequent ''Dracula'' adaptations.<ref name="joslin.14"/>

Orlok's design influenced that of [[Kurt Barlow]] in the 1979 miniseries ''[[Salem's Lot (1979 miniseries)|Salem's Lot]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Kelley |first=Bill |title=Salem's Lot |url=https://archive.org/details/salems-lot-cinefantastique-magazine/mode/2up |date=1 January 1979 |journal=[[Cinefantastique]] |volume=9 |issue=2 |quote=We went back to the old German ''Nosferatu'' concept where he is the essence of evil, and not anything romantic or smarmy, or, you know, the rouge-cheeked, widow-peaked Dracula. I wanted nothing suave or sexual, because I just didn't think it'd work; we've seen too much of it.}}</ref> Orlok-like vampires have also appeared alongside their more conventional counterparts in ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' and the ''[[Blade (franchise)|Blade]]'' film franchise, where they are, according to Simon Bacon, "utilised in order to convey a formidable antagonist in contrast to the increasingly humanised vampires that surround both Buffy and Blade; a return to the monstrosity that underpins the mythology".<ref>{{Harvnb|Bacon|2022|p=84}}</ref> Orlok's design was also the inspiration behind some non-vampiric creatures, including the [[List of Star Trek aliens#Reman|Reman]]s from ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]''<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Spelling|first=Ian|date=October 2003|title=Westmore the Merrier|magazine=[[Star Trek Monthly]]|issue= 109|page=32|quote=Stuart [Baird] handed me a picture of Nosferatu and said that was exactly what he wanted. He said, 'I need an alien [species] that looks like this.' And that's exactly what we did. I did some sketches for him and then we went to town on it. We designed the head and ears.}}</ref> and the [[Indoraptor]] from ''[[Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bui |first=Hoai-Tran |title=Exclusive: 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' Blu-ray Clip Shows How the VFX Team Built the Indoraptor |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-blu-ray-clip/ |website=/Film |access-date=September 21, 2019 |date=September 13, 2018 |archive-date=September 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921214118/https://www.slashfilm.com/jurassic-world-fallen-kingdom-blu-ray-clip/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Orlok appeared in the four-part ''[[Nosferatu: Plague of Terror]]'' comic book series by [[Mark Ellis (American author)|Mark Ellis]], which fleshes out his backstory and places him in the modern era. In this series, he is portrayed as a Carpathian nobleman from the 11th century who was killed after becoming a vampire and sealed in his castle, only to be unwittingly resurrected by a [[Crusades|crusader]] whom he vampirises. Orlok then causes havoc throughout history, only to be stopped in contemporary [[Brooklyn]].<ref name="melton.510">{{Harvnb|Melton|1999|p=510}}</ref>

Orlok, referred to as "[[List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters#Nosferatu|Nosferatu]]", was included in the 2002 ''[[SpongeBob SquarePants]]'' episode "[[Graveyard Shift (SpongeBob SquarePants)|Graveyard Shift]]". Writer and storyboard director [[Jay Lender]] had initially wanted to create an original character called "Floorboard Harry", but replaced him with Orlok as a tribute to the magazine series ''[[Famous Monsters of Filmland]]'', which he had enjoyed as a child and where he had first seen images of Orlok. According to ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' writer James Grebey, "it's entirely possible that more people have seen Count Orlok in that episode of ''SpongeBob'' than have seen ''Nosferatu''". The character would appear in some subsequent episodes of ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', and a child version of the character named "Kidferatu" features in ''[[Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years]]'' with his vocal effects provided by [[Dee Bradley Baker]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Grebey |first=James |title=How 'Nosferatu' turned up in SpongeBob SquarePants |url=https://www.polygon.com/22963826/spongebob-squarepants-nosferatu-episode-making-of |work=Polygon.com |publisher=Polygon |access-date=22 January 2025 |date=6 March 2022}}</ref> [[Robert Eggers]], the director of the 2024 ''Nosferatu'' remake, credited ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' with introducing Count Orlok to younger audiences.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chuba |first=Kirsten |date=2024-12-13 |title='Nosferatu' Director Robert Eggers Thanks 'SpongeBob' for Introducing Young Audiences to Iconic Vampire |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/nosferatu-vampire-spongebob-robert-eggers-1236086471/ |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Count Dracula]]
* [[Nosferatu (word)]]
* [[Kurt Barlow]]
* [[Master (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)|The Master (''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'')]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{Cite book |last=Annwn Jones |first=David |author-link=David Annwn Jones |chapter=F.W. Murnau's ''Nosferatu'' |pages=167–201 |editor=Annwn Jones, D |year=2023|title=Vampires on the Silent Screen: Cinema's First Age of Vampires 1897–1922 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |location=Wakefield |isbn=978-3031386428}}
* {{Cite book|last=Bacon|first=Simon|title=Nosferatu in the 21st Century: A Critical Study|publisher=Liverpool University Press|year=2022|isbn=9781800855175}}
* {{Cite book|last=Cazacu|first=Matei|title=Dracula|publisher=Brill|year=2017|isbn=978-90-04-34725-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQEtDwAAQBAJ&dq=matei+cazacu+orlok+varcolac&pg=PA390}}
* {{cite book | last= Churton | first= Tobias |author-link=Tobias Churton | title= The Beast in Berlin: Art, Sex and Magick in the Weimar Republic |publisher= Inner Traditions |year= 2014 |isbn= }}
* {{cite book | last= Curti | first= Roberto | title= Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1980-1989 |publisher= [[McFarland & Company]] |year= 2019 |isbn= 978-1476672434}}
* {{cite book|last=Edwards|first=Matthew|title=Klaus Kinski, Beast of Cinema: Critical Essays and Fellow Filmmaker Interviews|publisher=McFarland & Company|year=2016|isbn=978-0786498970}}
* {{cite book|last=Eisner|first=Lotte H.|title=Murnau|publisher=University of California Press|year=1973|isbn=978-0520022850}}
* {{cite book |last=Giesen |first=Rolf |year=2019 |title=The Nosferatu Story: The Seminal Horror Film, Its Predecessors and Its Enduring Legacy |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-7298-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Giovannini |first=Fabio |year=1997 |title=Il libro dei vampiri. Dal mito di Dracula alla presenza quotidiana |language=it |publisher=Edizioni Dedalo |isbn=9788822045386 }}
* {{cite book |last=Jackson |first=Kevin |author-link=Kevin Jackson (writer) |year=2013 |title=Nosferatu eine Symphonie des Grauens |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |isbn=978-1844576500 }}
* {{cite book |last=Joslin |first=Lyndon W. |year=2017 |title=Count Dracula Goes to the Movies: Stoker's Novel Adapted |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |isbn=978-1-4766-6987-8 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kaes |first=Anton |year=2009 |title=Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War |publisher=Princeton University Press |isbn=9780691008509 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kinnard|first=Roy |year=1995 |title=Horror in Silent Films: A Filmography, 1896-1929 |publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc. |isbn=978-0-7864-0751-4 }}
* {{cite book |last=Kracauer |first=Siegfried |author-link=Siegfried Kracauer |year=1966 |title=[[From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film]] |publisher=Princeton University Press }}
* {{cite book |last=Magistrale |first=Tony |author-link=Tony Magistrale |year=2005 |title=Abject Terrors: Surveying the Modern and Postmodern Horror Film |publisher=[[Peter Lang (publisher)|Peter Lang]] |isbn=978-0820470566 }}
* {{cite book |last=Melton|first=J. Gordon |author-link=J. Gordon Melton |year=1999 |title=The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. |publisher=Visible Ink Press |isbn=978-1-57859-071-1 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Prager|first=Brad|title=A Companion to Werner Herzog|publisher=Wiley|year=2012|isbn=9781444361407}}
* {{cite book |last=Scivally |first=Bruce |title=Dracula FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the Count from Transylvania |year=2015 |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |isbn=978-1-61713-636-8}}

==External links==
* {{commons category-inline}}
{{Nosferatu}}
{{Dracula}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orlok, Count}}
[[Category:Nosferatu| Orlok]]
[[Category:Alternative versions of Dracula]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1922]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from the 11th century]]
[[Category:Fictional characters from the 19th century]]
[[Category:Fictional characters who can control animals]]<!--Swarm of plague rats following him-->
[[Category:Fictional characters who use magic]]
[[Category:Fictional counts and countesses]]
[[Category:Fictional demons]]
[[Category:Fictional hypnotists]]
[[Category:Fictional mass murderers]]
[[Category:Fictional Romanian people]]
[[Category:Fictional therianthropes]]<!--He can shapeshift into animals: bat and wolf-->
[[Category:Fictional vampires]]
[[Category:Male horror film villains]]
[[Category:Vampire supervillains]]