10 Best Willem Dafoe Film Performances

What if Nosferatu actor Max Schreck was an actual vampire? That is the question that E. Elias Merhige's Shadow of the Vampire asks, with Willem Dafoe taking the role of the actor.

A lesser thespian would have been lost under the make-up Dafoe was plastered with during the shoot, but thanks to Dafoe's transformative approach to the role and the film's increasingly dark tone, Max Schreck makes for an unforgettably terrifying character.

Using his instantly recognisable voice and towering screen presence, Dafoe completely becomes the character, bringing together every aspect of the story. Schreck is at once a competent actor and a literal monster, a weirdly endearing figure and a frightening vision.

Dafoe secured a Oscar nomination for his role, and watching Shadow of the Vampire it's not hard to see why. That sinister snarl is bound to stay with you long after the credits have finished rolling.