Richard E. Grant explains the brilliance of Tom Waits in ‘Dracula’
When Francis Ford Coppola directed his take on the age-old tale of Count Dracula, he delivered one of the best casts ever to grace the screen. Alongside the big names of Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, even Richard E. Grant and Tom Waits made appearances.
Grant was particularly taken by Waits’ performance as R.M. Renfield, Count Dracula’s devoted servant. “He was extraordinary,” he recently told Adam Buxton. “I was looking after him in the asylum, so I had a scene where I was inside his cell in which he then tried to attack me. He was the most inventive improviser that I’ve ever come across.”
The Withnail and I actor portrayed Dr. Jack Seward, a drug addict doctor, in the film, and he was certainly glad to have performed alongside Waits. “I’ve never seen him since, but we got on so well doing that,” he added. “I love his music. He was extraordinarily inventive and open about anything. Because he was a musician, his approach wasn’t like any other actor that I’ve met before.”
Of course, Waits is no stranger to acting, having performed in the likes of Rumble Fish alongside Mickey Rourke, Seven Psychopaths with Colin Farrell and Down by Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch. Jarmusch joins Grant in praising Waits’ acting ability. He said: “Tom is not only someone whose work has always, for me, been a source of inspiration but a man for whom I have a very deep, personal respect. I admire him because he remains true to himself in both his work and his life”.
Grant also noted the family atmosphere that Coppola insisted on generating during the production of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He said: “We rehearsed for three weeks at his Napa Valley Estate that had a big warehouse that had the Godfather desk in one corner, the boat from Apocalypse Now in another corner, and props from all his movies. He cooked for all of us every single night.”
He added: “He put Keanu Reeves, Cary Elwes and I in a hot air balloon as a male bonding experience because of our characters. He operates in trying to create a real extended Italian family atmosphere by cooking for everybody, and I’ve never known so many visitors come to stay with their pets and friends and family and everything.”
What made Bram Stoker’s Dracula such a success was the authenticity of the set design and costume. In fact, Coppola had invested much of the film’s budget into the costume department in order to bring about a higher sense of believability. Although the film had its flaws, it’s an interesting addition to the filmmaker’s illustrious body of work.
Check out the film’s trailer below.
