Jonathan Rhys Meyers discussed his preparation and the role ahead of his new show Dracula's premiere.
The Tudors actor said that he is fine with playing bad guys when talking to New York Post. "I play the bad guy because I look like one," Meyers said. "I suppose there's a kind of feral element in me. It's just part of those energies that encompass me."
Meyers commented that he's a fan of older portrayals of Dracula and adapted his to fit network TV. "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 discussed that the show doesn't follow the book and altered real organizations to fit the show. "There's an element of Dan Brown to it."
In an interview with the Irish Times, Meyers talked about how he prepared to play Dracula.
He got into the spirit of the character but not enough to be considered method. "I didn't lock myself in a casket or anything," Meyers said. "But I chose an apartment [in Budapest where they were shooting] that was very, very Gothic and sometimes I would go out and walk the streets, and look at people and just try to unnerve them."
The Irish actor added, "I'd be in Budapest in a cafe and just stare at someone until they wanted to call the police, thinking I was a lunatic."
Dracula premiers Friday on NBC
image: NBC