How ‘Nosferatu’ Made Count Orlok’s Arthritic Fingers, Prosthetic Penis and ‘Red as Hell’ Blood Pools
variety.comJazz Tangcay Artisans Editor Bill Skarsgård’s transformation into the hideous-looking vampire Count Orlok for Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” was an arduous process — with the end goal of making the Swedish actor completely unrecognizable. “I was not so interested in Bill’s features, aside from his eyes,” Eggers says of Skarsgård. “The things that make [Orlock] not just an intimidating, masculine human being, is the fact that he’s also decaying and dead.
Even the design of the teeth needed to be something that could be fucked up.” Oscar nominated makeup effects designer David White created over 62 prosthetic pieces that required a team of six to apply.
Skarsgård was covered from head to toe, including elements for his tongue and eyes. Only the soles of his feet were untouched.
The film reimagines F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent classic starring Max Schreck, whom Eggers wanted to reference when it came to Orlock’s look.
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