Renfield: The Vampire’s Undying Assistant

Abstract

Introduced in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), R. M. Renfield would go on to become the most famous of all “familiars” – the human assistants of vampires. Renfield, usually with many of the same characteristics (such as eating insects and being entirely insane), has appeared in a large number of subsequent Dracula narratives, especially in film, where his extreme antics have often played well. These appearances ultimately led to the 2023 film Renfield, in which the familiar (played by Nicholas Hoult) finally takes central stage, relegating Dracula himself to a supporting role. Along the way, Renfield’s over-the-top characteristics have lent themselves to outstanding performances on the part of the actors who have played him, with the most notable perhaps being Dwight Frye in Dracula (1931), Klaus Kinski in Count Dracula (1970), Roland Topor in Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979), and Tom Waits in Dracula (1992). The typically exaggerated nature of Renfield’s behavior has also made him a key character in several vampire comedies, a category (among others) in which the 2023 Renfield itself belongs.