Being the vampire fan that I am, I couldn't help myself and made a list of my absolute favorite screen vampires from film and television. For me, this wasn't an exactly easy list to make, especially picking between my top three.
10. Stefan Salvatore (played by Paul Wesley)Other fans of "The Vampire Diaries" may hate me for putting Stefan at the bottom of my list, but he still makes it. A vampire struggling to keep the monster inside of him at bay, Stefan is the definition of a dark and mysterious brooder, trying to come to terms with his existence. The second season of this new hit series is going to be wild and unpredictable, with Stefan running this way and that trying to keep Elena safe, taming his older "bad boy" big brother, and battling against Katherine, his first love and sire.
9. Claudia (played by Kirsten Dunst)
One of the most brilliant things about "Interview with the Vampire" is the character of Claudia. A vampire that lives an abnormally long life while trapped in the body of a child. The love between Claudia and Louis is deep and endless. Yet, despite the long years they spend together, the facade of her youth will always stand between them. This character and her struggles is also played remarkably well by then child actor, Kirtsen Dunst.
8. Mick St. John (played by Alex O'Loughlin)
Although "Moonlight" was canceled before we could really get to know Mick, he was still intriguing. A vampire that has now been working as a detective for two lifetimes, must contend with the faces from his past and his love for human reporter, Beth Turner. I have yet to watch the whole series since borrowing the DVDs from Stephanie, but from what I have seen, Mick is a vampire taken from the legacy of one of my all time favorites, Angel. A vampire with a dark background, yet takes it upon himself to fight the good fight.
7. Katherine Pierce (played by Nina Dobrev)Who doesn't like a Head Bitch in Charge?? Or so what we the TVD Twitter Family have been calling Katherine all summer. She is evil, coniving, hot as hell, and ingenious. What's not the love? In fact, I love her so much, that I can't wait until the bitch is dead! In all honesty though, Katherine is one of those characters you can't wait to see on screen and can't wait to see her get what she deserves. Acted flawlessly by Nina Dobrev, who has way too much fun playing two faces on "The Vampire Diaries", I'm sure Katherine will make it onto my favorite villains list in no time!
6. Dracula (played by Gary Oldman)Yes, the Gary Oldman Dracula. The only man that could ever play Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula". Ladies, let's be honest here. No one can be better than Gary Oldman in any role he portrays. Being perhaps my favorite all time actor, there is no way that he would not make it on this list. He gives a fantastic and exquisite performance as Dracula, reminding us about the elegance and sophistication that is the Dracula Bram Stoker brought to life and started the international fascination with the vampire love story. I'm not sure anyone can ever do it better. Stoker and Oldman.
5. Louis de Pointe du Lac (played by Brad Pitt)Back in the '90s when Brad Pitt chose roles in still some of the best drama films I own like "Legends of the Fall" and "A River Runs Through It", his portrayal of vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac is timeless. About a vampire struggling to accept his existence and immortal lifestyle "Interview with a Vampire" is one of my very first favorite movies. It contained a certain acting elegance that I feel Brad needs to get back. I don't think he has been as good since his drama run in the 90's. Louis stands as my very first experience with vampires, so deserves a high place on this list. It was only shortly after seeing this movie for the first time that I started to watch the WB series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". In short, Louis is responsible for destroying my life. He was the beginning of my love affair with vampires.
4. Angelus (played by David Boreanaz)I'm not sure I know exactly how to sum up Angelus in only a few sentences. I originally didn't have him on the list, since Angel has yet to make his appearance. (scroll down a bit more...) However, seeing as he is a completely different beast compared to his soul, he needs a spot of his own. The evil doppelganger of Angel, Angelus may be the best vampire mastermind of them all. Although, he might eventually be outplayed by Katherine Pierce of "The Vampire Diaries" after this sophomore season of the series, at the moment, no one is more fun, or more of a bad boy, or more evil all at the same time than Angelus.
3. Spike (played by James Marsters)
Spike, also from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" is the other perfect half of the Angel/Spike bromance. A vampire that does not regret his existence even an ounce, also ends up being more human that he'd like. A bad ass hunter who falls in love with a slayer ends up saving the world from the Hellmouth, and haunting Wolfram & Hart as a ghost in the fifth and final season of "Angel". The perfect accent, sexy bad boy looks, and witty dialogue, thanks to Joss Whedon and company, gives Spike and James Marsters the number three spot on my list.
1. Damon Salvatore (played by Ian Somerhalder)I'm not sure that there can be any tougher choice than having to pick between Angel and "The Vampire Diaries" Damon Salvatore as the best screen vampires ever. So as far as this list is concerned, they are tied at No. 1. When I consider my long relationship with the character of Angel, perhaps only he should be put at the top. However, then I feel like I am not taking the fantastic character of Damon Salvatore into consideration. I think it's obvious to say that he just might be the sexiest vampire to date, with a tendency to take his shirt off and his witty bad boy persona. However, in the opinion of this fangirl writer, he is also one of the best written vampires to date. Played with a rough around the edges elegance by former Lostie Ian Somerhalder, he may seem like a bad boy villain, but Damon is the bad boy that is scared of being a hero. He spends so much time making people hate him so they won't bother looking for the loyal hero beneath. Katherine's betrayal woke so many human emotions in him at once, that its as if he is learning all over again what it means to be human. A question that we always have to consider with Damon is who does he do the things he does for? Himself, or someone else? And according to Julie Plec, writer and executive producer on "The Vampire Diaries", being a hero is always something that Damon will struggle with. I for one can't wait too see what happens next.
1. Angel (played by David Boreanaz)Angel holds such a close spot to my heart, being one of the greatest characters ever to grace television in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel", and played so perfectly by David Boreanaz. It's still a wonder to me that he was never nominated for an Emmy, despite his extraordinary performance. A vampire who struggles everyday with what he is and his purpose in the world, can be defined as nothing less than the hero we all want to have at our side. Loyal, smart, compassionate and capable, a man who has been destroyed by love time and time again, is willing to sacrifice his very soul (which is the highest price to be paid in Whedon's universe) for the good of humanity. For eight years, I was part of his life and death, mistakes and victories, love and loss, and have cried and laughed so much over those years, that those are some moments as an audience member that I will never forget. Angel's despair over the loss of Doyle, his weakness when Darla returned, the joys and pains of fatherhood, his love for Cordy, and the endless laughs over the Angel/Spike bromance in season five. I still, everyday, miss watching this series every week. And despite the horrid cliffhanger at the end of the series finale, there is no other way for it to end than in the middle of a storm, in the alley behind the hotel, prepared to fight Hell's best and ugliest.
Honorable Mention: all the vamps from True Blood. I'm sure some of them would make my list, but I have never watched the show, being one of the sad people that doesn't have HBO.
1 comment:
Lovin' the list Candace ... but no Twilight vamps made it ... not even Daddy C ..? C'mon girl ... U may need a re-think ...! ;o)
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