Nicolas Cage has denied that he went full method on the set of Renfield, in which he plays Dracula.
In the new movie, Cage, 59, plays the vampire, while Nicholas Hoult, 33, portrays the title character, Dracula’s long-suffering assistant and henchman.
Renfield director Chris McKay recently claimed in an interview that “whatever scene we did he [Cage] would still be 100 per cent living in that attitude after we stopped shooting”.
The director added: “So if he’s a little frosty in the scene he’s going to have a little bit of that between takes. But still up for whatever we were doing.”
At the New York City premiere on Tuesday (28 March), Cage told The Hollywood Reporter that he remembers things differently. “I just don’t have that recollection, I don’t know why Chris said that,” he said.
“I had a lot of laughs in between takes with both Chris McKay and Nick Hoult, so maybe that was his experience, maybe because I still had the fangs in my mouth that made me speak a certain way, but that wasn’t my experience.”
The film marks the first time Cage and Hoult have worked together since 2005’s The Weather Man, which Hoult starred in when he was just 14 years old.
“I think getting to work with him again as an adult gave me a true appreciation of what a master he is of the craft, how much he’s given to the cinematic world over the years, all of the iconic performances he’s given, and I think this is another one,” Hoult said.
McKay said he knew Cage was perfect to play the vampire, who according to Cage is both “creepy and funny” in this movie. “He’s supposed to be the rock ‘n’ roll Dracula,” said McKay, “so what better person to embody rock ‘n’ roll Dracula than Nicolas Cage? He can wear rings, he can wear the outfits, he looks amazing, and he’s got the right attitude.”
Renfield is not the first time Cage has worn fangs on screen. In the outlandish Eighties comedy horror, Vampire’s Kiss, Cage played a literary agent who falls in love with a bloodsucker.
While he wore joke shop quality fangs, Cage was very committed to the role, even eating live cockroaches.
Renfield arrives in UK cinemas on 14 April.
