It would be impossible for you to recognize Javier Botet if you saw him in the street. And yet, you have probably already seen in the cinema the actor who embodies Dracula in The Last Voyage of Demeter by André Øvredal. He is unrecognizable in this horrific journey, a prelude to the adventures of the mythical vampire created by Bram Stoker. His bloodthirsty character decimates the crew of the boat that transports him from his native Transylvania to London.
“It’s not frustrating for me not to show my true face, explains Javier Botet has 20 minutes. This forces me to consider my acting in a different way, to convey the feelings of the beings I embody through my body language. Before sinking his teeth into the role of a legendary blood-drinker, the Spanish actor lent his slender figure to all sorts of creatures for horror specialists. Paco Plaza and Jaume Baleguero ([REC]), Alex de la Iglesia (The Witches of Zugarramurdi)Guillermo Del Toro (Crimson Peak), James Wan (Conjuring: The Enfield Case) and Andy Muschietti (That) have used his services.
A more beastly Dracula) have enlisted his services.
“To be entrusted with the role of Dracula is a consecration for an actor specializing in this type of performance, insists Javier Botet. There have been so many great incarnations already that it’s hard to break new ground without feeling intimidated, but it’s also very exciting. His version of the vampire is closer to that of the Nosferatu by Murnau than those of the Dracula portrayed by Gary Oldman for Francis Ford Coppola or by Christopher Lee in the films of Terence Fisher.
“I insist more on the bestial and wild side of the vampire than on its potential for seduction, specifies the actor in his forties. I wish it was really scary. It is certain that this giant bat with sharp teeth does not make him want to cuddle at all. L’hyperplaxity of the comedian allows him to twist his body almost two meters to adopt very disturbing positions.
Give monsters humanity
“I am lucky to have been able to embody icons of modern mythology like Slender Man, killer revealed on the Internet, but also a classic figure like Dracula, says Javier Botet. I tried to bring out their humanity even if they commit terrible acts. The actor, who claims to be masters of monster characters like the actors Lon Chaney or Doug Jones, would happily consider starring in a face-to-face comedy. In the meantime, it makes shiver well as it should in The Last Voyage of Demeter.