Jonathan Rhys Meyers Thinks He Looks Like A Villain

Dracula star Jonathan Rhys Meyers thinks he looks like a villain.

The star of NBC’s new blood-sucking series recently sat down to discuss the role with the folks at The New York Post. During the conversation, Jonathan Rhys Meyers said he plays the bad guy because he looks like one.

“I suppose there’s a kind of feral element in me. It’s just part of those energies that encompass me,” he told the publication.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers said that making the character work within the confines of network television is a little difficult. However, the actor seems more than willing to make the new series shine without alienating fans of author Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror novel.

“I have to say there was a weight on my shoulder. I really loved Gary Oldman’s version and ‘Nosferatu.’ But I knew it was going to be a network show, and I was going to find a way to make it fascinating within those parameters,” he explained.

One person who thinks Jonathan Rhys Meyers is doing a bang-up job on NBC’s Dracula is co-star Victoria Smurfit. The actress told UPI that working with a fellow Irish actor made their exchanges on the show much more natural.

“I had met him at some awards ceremonies, but I had never sat down and chatted with him. [Then we started taping the show and it was like,] ‘Nice to meet you, by the way, here I am in my underpants and corset. Let’s go for it,'” she explained to the website.

Smurfit added, “You never quite know what he is going to do in a scene, which is gold for an actress to be in a room with him because it means you are always playing offense and defense at the same time. I loved it. I absolutely loved it.”

NBC Entertainment’s Robert Greenblatt told The Washington Post that Dracula won’t resemble Twilight or True Blood. Instead of taking the contemporary approach, Greenblatt said Jonathan Rhys Meyers and company will stick closer to the source material.

“It will be faithful to the period, which is 1896, but it will be sort of looking to the future and hopefully be a really cool, new version of ‘Dracula,'” he added.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers fans should seriously consider clearing their schedules for October 25. NBC’s take on Bram Stoker’s Dracula premieres this Friday on the network. Are you planning to check out the new series?

[Image via NBC Entertainment]