Dracula Lugosi

The Ultimate Count Dracula, from NECA, honors the legend of the most iconic Dracula ever: Bela Lugosi. It is surprising that Lugosi played the role of Dracula only twice. The first time was the 1931 classic directed by Tod Browning that launched the Universal Monsters ethos. The second time was the comedy “Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein” in 1948.

Over the next nine decades, many actors have portrayed the Vampire on TV and the movies, including Lon Chaney Jr (Son of Dracula), John Carradine (various), Christopher Lee (9 films), David Niven, Frank Langela, George Hamilton, Leslie Nielsen, Gary Oldman, Gerald Butler, and, more recently, Nicolas Cage.

Dracula has also appeared as a leading or supporting character in dozens of animated movies and cartoons. He has been pursued by Batman, Buffy, Scooby Doo, and Abraham Van Helsing, among many others.

Lugosi was the first to sexualize the vampire, which had previously been creepy and slimy, and not a gentleman.