“But I have to say, I’ve never been more terrified of a role and probably won’t be again. The whole journey was so intense. Once you start channelling something that’s not you, you feel like a vessel. And you can go entire movies where that doesn’t happen at all or it happens in moments, but that’s always what you’re striving towards. In that moment, the doors are open and it’s flowing through me. I’ve never prepared this hard for anything before either. But once we started shooting, Orlok was very formed and he started to flow. I could connect and dial up to wherever Orlok was and he would come through. It was an intense ride.” — Bill on playing in Nosferatu [x]
Director Robert Eggers and actor Bill Skarsgård discuss the creation of Count Orlok and their experience filming Nosfertu with Another Mag.
Rober Eggers: I distinctly remember that it was the second on-camera make-up test in full costume. I said to everyone nearby, “He’s Orlok now. He’s found it. It’s there.”
Bill Skarsgård: But I have to say, I’ve never been more terrified of a role and probably won’t be again. The whole journey was so intense. Once you start channelling something that’s not you, you feel like a vessel. And you can go entire movies where that doesn’t happen at all or it happens in moments, but that’s always what you’re striving towards. In that moment, the doors are open and it’s flowing through me. I’ve never prepared this hard for anything before either. But once we started shooting, Orlok was very formed and he started to flow. I could connect and dial up to wherever Orlok was and he would come through. It was an intense ride.