R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in
Bram Stoker
Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912), better known by his pen name Bram Stoker, was an Irish novelist who wrote the 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. The book is widely considered a milestone in Vampire fiction, and one of t ...
's 1897
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language
** Gothic ( ...
horror
Horror may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
Genres
*Horror fiction, a genre of fiction
**Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
**Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction
* ...
novel ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''.
[Dracula](_blank)
SparkNotes; Character list. He is
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
's deranged, fanatically devoted servant and familiar, helping him in his plan to turn
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engaged t ...
into a vampire in return for a continuous supply of insects to consume and the promise of immortality. Throughout the novel, he resides in an
asylum
Asylum may refer to:
Types of asylum
* Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome
* Benevolent asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute
* Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea
* ...
, where he is treated by
Dr. John Seward
John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, ...
.
In the various film adaptations of the novel, he has been portrayed by actors such as
Alexander Granach
Alexander Granach (April 18, 1890 – March 14, 1945) was a German-Austrian actor in the 1920s and 1930s who emigrated to the United States in 1938.
Life and career
Granach was born Schaje Granoch in Werbowitz (Wierzbowce/Werbiwci) ( Austr ...
,
Dwight Frye
Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as Re ...
,
Roland Topor
Roland Topor (7 January 1938 – 16 April 1997) was a French illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, painter, novelist, playwright, film and TV writer, filmmaker and actor, who was known for the surrealism, surreal nature of his work. He was of Po ...
,
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
,
Peter MacNicol
Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play '' Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in '' Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in '' Sophie's Choic ...
,
Simon McBurney
Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatre and opera director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Complicité, Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films ''The Manch ...
and as the titular character by
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (; born Wokingham, 7 December 1989) is an English actor. He has received several accolades, including a nomination for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe nominations, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
...
.
During the novel

A description of Renfield from the novel:
R. M. Renfield, aetat
Aetat (short for ) was a Norwegian government agency responsible for battling unemployment.
History
It had its roots in the Directorate of Labour (), which was founded in 1945. Its purpose was to "prevent and remedy" unemployment in the Norwegia ...
59. Sanguine
Sanguine () or red chalk is chalk of a reddish-brown color, so called because it resembles the color of dried blood. It has been popular for centuries for drawing. The word comes via French from the Italian ''sanguigna'' and originally from the ...
temperament, great physical strength, morbidly excitable, periods of gloom, ending in some fixed idea which I cannot make out. I presume that the sanguine temperament itself and the disturbing influence end in a mentally-accomplished finish, a possibly dangerous man, probably dangerous if unselfish. In selfish men, caution is as secure an armour for their foes as for themselves. What I think of on this point is, when self is the fixed point the centripetal force is balanced with the centrifugal. When duty, a cause, etc., is the fixed point, the latter force is paramount, and only
accident or a series of accidents can balance it. — From Dr. John Seward
John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, ...
's journal
Renfield is an inmate at the
lunatic asylum
The lunatic asylum, insane asylum or mental asylum was an institution where people with mental illness were confined. It was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital.
Modern psychiatric hospitals evolved from and eventually replace ...
overseen by Dr.
John Seward
John "Jack" Seward, M.D. is a fictional character appearing in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
Seward is the administrator of an insane asylum not far from Count Dracula's first English home, Carfax. Throughout the novel, ...
. He suffers from
delusion
A delusion is a fixed belief that is not amenable to change in light of conflicting evidence. As a pathology, it is distinct from a belief based on false or incomplete information, confabulation, dogma, illusion, hallucination, or some other m ...
s which compel him to eat living creatures in the hope of obtaining their life-force for himself. Later Renfield's own testimony reveals that Dracula would send him insects, which he begins consuming. He starts with
flies
Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...
, the
death's-head moth, then develops a scheme of feeding the flies to
spider
Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s, and the spiders to
bird
Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
s, in order to accumulate more and more life. When denied a
cat
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
to accommodate the birds, he eats the birds himself. He also changes his ideas to accommodate
Mina Harker
Wilhelmina "Mina" Harker (née Murray) is a fictional character and the main female character in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''.
In the novel
She begins the story as Miss Mina Murray, a young schoolmistress who is engaged t ...
by quickly eating all flies and stating that it was an old habit. Seward diagnoses him as a "
zoophagous
This glossary of entomology describes terms used in the formal study of insect species by entomologists.
A–C
A synthetic chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticide, toxic to vertebrates. Though ...
maniac", or carnivorous madman. Later Renfield attacks Seward, acquiring a knife and cutting his arm; as Seward's blood drips from his hand, Renfield licks it off the floor.
During the course of the novel, the role of Renfield as a patient allows the reader to understand his behavior from the perspective of a psychologist. Through Renfield's demented mind, the reader learns the nature of a vampirism that is eventually revealed to be under the influence of
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
; Renfield attempts to escape from the hospital multiple times to meet him. The
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
, whose abilities include control over animals such as
rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include '' Neotoma'' (pack rats), '' Bandicota'' (bandicoo ...
s,
bat
Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...
s and
spider
Spiders (order (biology), order Araneae) are air-breathing arthropods that have eight limbs, chelicerae with fangs generally able to inject venom, and spinnerets that extrude spider silk, silk. They are the largest order of arachnids and ran ...
s, comes to Renfield with an offer: if Renfield worships him, he promises to make him
immortal
Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life.
Immortal or Immortality may also refer to:
Film
* ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film
* ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...
by providing an endless supply of insects and rats, as Renfield believes that blood is the source of life much like Dracula himself.
However, when confronted by Mina Harker, Dracula's latest victim, Renfield suffers an attack of
conscience
A conscience is a Cognition, cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's ethics, moral philosophy or value system. Conscience is not an elicited emotion or thought produced by associations based on i ...
and begs her to flee from his master's grasp. Consumed by his desire to keep Mina safe, he begs Seward and the others to allow him to leave lest he feel guilty for her fate. When Seward denies his request, Renfield tells the vampire hunters that "
ewarned them!" When Dracula returns that night, Renfield is again seized by his conscience. He remembers hearing that madmen have unnatural strength, and so attempts to fight Dracula. Renfield's strength leaves him after looking into Dracula's eyes, and Dracula throws him to the floor, severely injuring him.
The vampire hunters enter the room shortly afterward, and through an emergency surgery Van Helsing manages to prolong Renfield's life. Renfield tells how he was convinced to invite Dracula in, detailing how Dracula entered the home and went after Mina. They leave him lying on the floor to rescue her. During the party's confrontation against Dracula in Mina's room, they manage to repel him with their
crucifix
A crucifix (from the Latin meaning '(one) fixed to a cross') is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the (Latin for 'body'). The cru ...
es and wafers of
sacramental bread
Sacramental bread, also called Communion bread, Communion wafer, Sacred host, Eucharistic bread, the Lamb or simply the host (), is the bread used in the Christian ritual of the Eucharist. Along with sacramental wine, it is one of two elements ...
, forcing him to flee the room. However, Dracula flees into other rooms and destroys their records, then back into Renfield's room to break his neck. "When Dr. Van Helsing and Dr. Seward had come back from seeing poor Renfield, we went gravely into what was to be done. First, Dr. Seward told us that when he and Dr. Van Helsing had gone down to the room below they had found Renfield lying on the floor, all in a heap. His face was all bruised and crushed in, and the bones of the neck were broken."
Influence in psychology
The character Renfield has influenced the study of real-life behavior in psychiatric patients with an obsession with drinking blood. The term
Renfield syndrome
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic Novel, Gothic Horror fiction, horror novel ''Dracula''.[Richard Noll
Richard Noll (born 1959 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American clinical psychologist and historian of medicine. He has published on the history of psychiatry, including two critical volumes on the life and work of Carl Gustav Jung, books and article ...](_blank)
in 1992, originally as a joke term, to describe
clinical vampirism
Clinical vampirism, more commonly known as Renfield's syndrome, is an obsession with drinking blood. The earliest presentation of clinical vampirism in psychiatric literature was a psychoanalytic interpretation of two cases, contributed by Richa ...
. Correspondingly, there is also a "vampire personality disorder" (VPD); a diagnosis for clinical vampirism, used for the
behavioral profiling of
serial killer
A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone:
*
*
*
*
* (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
s compelled by bloodlust and for patients who act out violent vampiric fantasies; this diagnosis, however, is not recognized by the ''
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The ''Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders'' (''DSM''; latest edition: ''DSM-5-TR'', published in March 2022) is a publication by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a com ...
'' (DSM-5).
The effects of Renfield syndrome follows the pathology of the character in the novel consisting of several stages. Initially the patient exhibits zoophagia, a compulsion to eat insects, or to eat live animals or drink their blood. As the condition worsens, the behavior grows more and more deviant, culminating in a compulsion to drink another person's blood in an act described as True-Vampirism, including intentionally harming another individual for that purpose—the same behavior Renfield is seen exhibiting in the novel.
On screen
*
F. W. Murnau
Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau (born Friedrich Wilhelm Plumpe; December 28, 1888March 11, 1931) was a German film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is regarded as one of cinema's most influential filmmakers for his work in the silent era.
An e ...
's ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
: A Symphony of Horror'' (1922 silent film), loosely based on Stoker's novel, renames Renfield (
Alexander Granach
Alexander Granach (April 18, 1890 – March 14, 1945) was a German-Austrian actor in the 1920s and 1930s who emigrated to the United States in 1938.
Life and career
Granach was born Schaje Granoch in Werbowitz (Wierzbowce/Werbiwci) ( Austr ...
) as Knock, and combines him with Mr. Hawkins, the employer of the hero Harker (renamed Thomas Hutter).

* In
Tod Browning
Tod Browning (born Charles Albert Browning Jr.; July 12, 1880 – October 6, 1962) was an American film director, film actor, screenwriter, vaudeville performer, and carnival sideshow and circus entertainer. He directed a number of films of var ...
's
1931 film and
George Melford
George H. Melford (born George Henry Knauff, February 19, 1877 – April 25, 1961) was an American stage and film actor and director. Often taken for granted as a director today, the stalwart Melford's name by the 1920s was, like Cecil B. DeMil ...
's
1931 film, Renfield (played by
Dwight Frye
Dwight Iliff Frye (born Fry; February 22, 1899 – November 7, 1943) was an American character actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his portrayals of neurotic, murderous villains in several classic Universal horror films, such as Re ...
in the English version and Pablo Álvarez Rubio in the Spanish version) is the
real estate agent who is sent to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
instead of
Jonathan Harker
Jonathan Harker is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. An English solicitor, his journey to Transylvania and encounter with the vampire Count Dracula and his Brides at Ca ...
, and falls under Dracula's (
Bela Lugosi
Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...
/
Carlos Villarías
Carlos Villarías (7 July 1892 – 27 April 1976) was a Spanish actor born in Córdoba who died in California, United States. He is best known for his title role in the Dracula (1931), costarring Barry Norton and Lupita Tovar. The film was sho ...
) power. Frye's performance is the best-known and, as noted below, the most imitated, as well as the role he is best remembered for.
* In the 1970 film ''
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
'',
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality, he appeared in over 130 film roles in a ...
played Renfield as
mute
Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak.
Mute, Mutes or the Mute may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart
* ''Mute'' (2018 film), ...
. His link to the Count is explained in terms of his travel to Transylvania once and his horrible experience near Castle Dracula, when his young daughter died.
* The
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
version of ''
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...
'' (1977), starring
Louis Jourdan
Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's '' The Paradine Case'' (1947), '' Let ...
in the title role, includes
Jack Shepherd as a sympathetic Renfield in a prominent role which highlights his relationship with Mina.
* The 1979 film ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'', starring
Frank Langella
Frank A. Langella Jr. (; born January 1, 1938) is an American actor. He eschewed the career of a traditional film star by making the stage the focal point of his career, appearing frequently on Broadway. He has received four Tony Awards (out of ...
in the title role, has
Tony Haygarth
George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor.
Life and career
After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a lifeguard in Torquay, and a ...
playing Milo Renfield as an unkempt workman who is enthralled by Dracula while he is unloading the boxes at Carfax.
* Another 1979 film, ''
Nosferatu the Vampyre
''Nosferatu the Vampyre'' () is a 1979 gothic horror film directed and written by Werner Herzog. The film serves as both a remake of the 1922 film ''Nosferatu'' and an adaptation of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula''. Herzog’s film is set i ...
'' by
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog (; né Stipetić; born 5 September 1942) is a German filmmaker, actor, opera director, and author. Regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema, his films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with unusu ...
, with
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski (, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski 18 October 1926 – 23 November 1991) was a German actor. Equally renowned for his intense performance style and notorious for his volatile personality, he appeared in over 130 film roles in a ...
in the main role, features giggling Renfield, the former boss of Jonathan Harker (similarly to the character's background in the 1922 silent film), now a mental asylum patient and a plague spreader, played by
Roland Topor
Roland Topor (7 January 1938 – 16 April 1997) was a French illustrator, cartoonist, comics artist, painter, novelist, playwright, film and TV writer, filmmaker and actor, who was known for the surrealism, surreal nature of his work. He was of Po ...
.
*
Arte Johnson
Arthur Stanton Eric Johnson (January 20, 1929 – July 3, 2019) was an American actor and comedian who was best known for his work as a regular on television's ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In''.
Biography Early life
Johnson was born January 20, 19 ...
plays Renfield in ''
Love at First Bite
''Love at First Bite'' is a 1979 American comedy horror film directed by Stan Dragoti and written by Robert Kaufman, using characters originally created by Bram Stoker. It stars George Hamilton, Susan Saint James, Richard Benjamin, and Art ...
'' (1979), where he is seen being a loyal servant to Dracula in the 1970s as he and his master move to New York. Johnson imitates the Dwight Frye laugh.
*
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
portrays R. M. Renfield in
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola ( ; born April 7, 1939) is an American filmmaker. He is considered one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood and one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. List of awards and nominations received by Francis Ford Coppo ...
's 1992 film adaptation ''
Bram Stoker's Dracula''. The film suggests that Renfield was Jonathan Harker's predecessor as Count Dracula's agent in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
; it is implied that this is the reason for his madness. He tries to persuade Mina to stay out of Dracula's grasp out of jealousy, angry that Dracula plans to give her immortality instead of him.
*
Peter MacNicol
Peter MacNicol (born April 10, 1954) is an American actor. He received a Theatre World Award for his 1981 Broadway debut in the play '' Crimes of the Heart''. His film roles include Galen in '' Dragonslayer'' (1981), Stingo in '' Sophie's Choic ...
plays the comedic, simple-minded Thomas Renfield in
Mel Brooks
Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...
' 1995 film ''
Dracula: Dead and Loving It''. The role is a parody of Dwight Frye's Renfield from the 1931 film.
*Brett Forest plays Renfield in
''Dracula'' (2002), where events of the novel were updated to the modern time period.
*Manoj portrayed Renfield in the 2005 Indian
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
-language television series, ''Dracula'', which aired on
Asianet Asianet may refer to:
JioStar channels
* JioStar, is an Indian media conglomerate wholly owned by Disney India.
** Asianet, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel
** Asianet Plus, a Malayalam language general entertainment channel
** As ...
.
* Simon Ludders portrays Percival Renfield in ''
Young Dracula
''Young Dracula'' is a British children's horror drama comedy television series which aired on CBBC, loosely based on '' Young Dracula'', a 2002 children's book by Michael Lawrence. It is also based on the epistolary novel ''Dracula'', writ ...
'' (2006–2014), in which the manservant is depicted as an unwashed dimwit with repulsive taste in food (though this aids him in preparing meals for vampires) and prodigious knowledge of science. Renfield is unquestioningly loyal to Dracula in the hope of one day being turned into a vampire, and seems to partly enjoy the abuse Dracula inflicts upon him when he makes mistakes. Renfield ultimately becomes a vampire in the series' concluding episodes, though he proves inept at using his new powers. Ludders also portrays Renfield's father, a cruel man who is resurrected and promptly enacts a plan to destroy the Draculas, but the younger Renfield ultimately undoes his resurrection.
* Ian Pfister plays Renfield in ''
Dracula Reborn'' (2012). The events take place in modern Los Angeles. Renfield is an associate of Dracula, who moved to California.
* Giovanni Franzoni portrays Renfield in the 2012 film ''
Dracula 3D
''Dracula 3D'' (also known as ''Argento's Dracula'') is a 2012 vampire horror film directed by Dario Argento from a screenplay he wrote with Enrique Cerezo, Stefano Piani, and Stefano Piani. It stars Thomas Kretschmann as Count Dracula, along ...
''. Here, he attacks the men attempting to stake
Tania Tania is usually a given name. It may refer to:
Given name
* Tânia Alves, Brazilian actress and singer
* Tania Brishty, Bangladesh actress and model
* Tania Bambaci (born 1990), Italian actress
* Tania Belvederesi (born 1978), Italian cyclist
* ...
(who'd been attacked by Dracula), killing her ex-lover and berating him for leaving her alone the night she was attacked. Later, he comforts Tania (now a vampire) when Dracula is showing interest in Mina. After Van Helsing kills her, Renfield attacks him, referring to Tania as an "angel," before Van Helsing kills him.
* In
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
and
Sky Living
Sky Living was a British pay television television channel, channel owned and operated by Sky Limited, Sky. The channel's programming was aimed mainly at women and young adults. It originally launched as UK Living yet became Sky Living by 2011.
H ...
's 2013
television series
A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...
, Renfield is portrayed by
Nonso Anozie
Nonso Anozie (; born 17 November 1978) is a British actor. On television, he is known for his roles as Xaro Xhoan Daxos in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2012), R.M. Renfield on the Sky series ''Dracula'' (2013), Abraham Kenyatta on the C ...
. In contrast to other Renfields, this version is well-educated and fully sane, having been recruited by Dracula to act as his lawyer after Dracula met him on a train, serving as Dracula's confidant and with Dracula expressing complete faith in his loyalty. He is killed by Professor Van Helsing in the final episode when Renfield finds Van Helsing destroying the serum that allows the vampire to walk in the sunlight.
*
Samuel Barnett portrays Renfield in the third and final season of the
Showtime
Showtime or Show Time may refer to:
Film
* ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film
* ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur
Television Networks and channels
* Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
drama ''
Penny Dreadful
Penny dreadfuls were cheap popular Serial (literature), serial literature produced during the 19th century in the United Kingdom. The pejorative term is roughly interchangeable with penny horrible, penny awful, and penny blood. The term typical ...
'' (2014–2016).
* Ewan Bailey voices Renfield in the 2017 animated horror comedy ''
Monster Family
''Monster Family'' (also known as ''Happy Family'') is a 2017 animated monster comedy film directed and produced by Holger Tappe, and co-written by David Safier. It is based on David Safier's 2011 novel ''Happy Family''. The film stars Emily Wat ...
'', where he is Dracula's butler, who ultimately sides with protagonists against his master.
* In the 2020 miniseries ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'', the character, now named Frank Renfield, is depicted as Count Dracula's lawyer in 21st-century Britain. He is portrayed by
Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss (; born 17 October 1966) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, director, producer and novelist. Best known for his acting work on stage and screen as well as for co-creating television shows with Steven Moffat, he has received ...
, who co-wrote the series with
Steven Moffat
Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as the second showrunner and head writer of the 2005 revival of the BBC sci-fi television ser ...
.
* Stuart Packer portrays Renfield in 2022 film titled ''Dracula: The Original Living Vampire.'' Here, he is detective Amelia Van Helsing's boss and idol, and he helps her investigate a string of abnormal murders. It is later revealed that Renfield was in fact making a hit list for the killer, who later turns out to be Dracula, who is a powerful vampire. Renfield is shot and killed by Van Helsing, but only to be awakened as a vampire by Dracula, only before he is killed for good.
*
Nicholas Hoult
Nicholas Caradoc Hoult (; born Wokingham, 7 December 1989) is an English actor. He has received several accolades, including a nomination for a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe nominations, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.
...
portrays Robert Montague Renfield in the 2023 movie ''
Renfield
R. M. Renfield is a fictional character who appears in Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. '', taking place in present day New Orleans, where he has been Dracula's familiar for 90 years and searches for victims to feed him. Renfield joins a self-help group for people in codependent relationships and finds the confidence to leave Dracula's servitude. He and traffic cop Rebecca Quincy ultimately kill Dracula. The movie was based on a pitch from
Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for co-creat ...
.
Chris McKay
Christopher McKay (born November 11, 1973) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is best known for directing and editing three seasons of ''Robot Chicken'' and two seasons of '' Moral Orel''. He made his feature directorial debut with '' T ...
came on board in April 2021 to direct. The script was written by Ryan Ridley.
*
Simon McBurney
Simon Montagu McBurney (born 25 August 1957) is an English actor, playwright, and theatre and opera director. He is the founder and artistic director of the Complicité, Théâtre de Complicité, London. He has had roles in the films ''The Manch ...
plays Herr Knock, the renamed Renfield, in the 2024 remake of ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' () is a 1922 silent film, silent German Expressionism (cinema), German Expressionist vampire film directed by F. W. Murnau from a screenplay by Henrik Galeen. It stars Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who ...
''. Once again Thomas Hutter's employer and secretly Orlok's servant, this version is particularly violent and fanatical. He ritually kills and devours the flesh of birds and sheep, and moves on to homicide after escaping custody.
On stage
*Renfield appears in 1924 stage play ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
''by
Hamilton Deane
Hamilton Deane (2 December 1879 – 25 October 1958) was an Irish actor, playwright and director. He played a key role in popularising Bram Stoker's 1897 novel ''Dracula'' as a 1924 stage play and a 1931 film.
Biography
Deane was born in Ne ...
. In the play he is killed by Dracula for betraying him. He was played by G. Malcolm Russell and Bernard Jukes in English productions. The play was revised by
John. L. Balderston for American audiences in 1927. In the revised version Renfield survives. Bernard Jukes reprised the role on Broadway.
*Renfield appears in ''
Dracula, The Musical
''Dracula, the Musical'' is a musical based on the original 1897 Victorian novel by Bram Stoker. The score is by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics and book by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.
The show had its regional premiere at the La Jolla ...
'' by
Frank Wildhorn
Frank Wildhorn (born November 29, 1958) is an American composer of both musicals and popular songs. His musical ''Jekyll & Hyde (musical), Jekyll & Hyde'' ran for four years on Broadway. He also wrote the hit song "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" for ...
. He has his own song "The Master's Song". He was played by
Don Stephenson
Donald Ragan Stephenson IV (born September 10, 1964), known as Don Stephenson, is an American actor and stage director. He has numerous credits on both television and in the theatre.
Biography Early and personal life
Don Stephenson was born in ...
in Broadway production of the musical.
*Renfield was played by
Daniel Boucher in Franco-Canadian 2006 musical ''
Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort
''Dracula – Entre l'amour et la mort'' ('Dracula: Between Love and Death') is a French-speaking Quebecer, Québécois Musical theatre, musical created by Canadian songwriter, actor, and recording artist Bruno Pelletier. Lyrics are written by Rog ...
''.
*Renfield was portrayed by Kevin Poeung in 2019
Northern Ballet
Northern Ballet, formerly Northern Ballet Theatre, is a dance company based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, with a strong repertoire in theatrical dance productions where the emphasis is on story telling as well as classical ballet. The compa ...
's production of ''Dracula'' by
David Nixon. The production was recorded and showed in UK cinemas on Halloween and then broadcast on BBC4 in 2020.
In other media
In literature
* In the
Jim Butcher
Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary Fantasy literature, fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', ''Codex Alera'', and ''Cinder Spires'' book series.
Personal life
Butcher was born in Independence, M ...
novel ''
Blood Rites'', "Renfield" is used as a term for people forcibly turned into mindless henchmen by vampires.
* In the novel ''A Betrayal in Blood'' by Mark A. Lathan, it is revealed that Renfield was the solicitor who traveled to Transylvania to meet with Dracula rather than Jonathan. As part of a complex conspiracy against Count Dracula (who is only human in this version of events), Van Helsing manipulated events to drive Renfield mad, and then helped the Harkers kill the head of Harker and Renfield's firm so that they could claim that Renfield's experiences were Jonathan's to further justify the Harkers' 'vendetta' against Dracula.
* In the novel ''The Book of Renfield: A Gospel of Dracula'' by Tim Lucas, Renfield is buried under the name Rhys Malvern Renfield, although this is not his real full name, which remained unknown at the time of his death.
* According to the novel ''Renfield: Slave of Dracula'' by Barbara Hambly, Renfield's first name is Ryland.
Characters based on Renfield
* In ''
Drakula İstanbul'da
''Drakula İstanbul'da'' (''Dracula in Istanbul'') is a Turkish 1953 film version of Bram Stoker's original novel ''Dracula''.
The screenplay was based on a 1928 novel by Ali Riza Seyfi called ''Kazıklı Voyvoda'' (''Impaler Voivode''), and is ...
'' (1953) the character of Renfield does not exist. Instead, Dracula has a servant in his castle, who obeys him. When this servant tries to help Azmi (Jonathan Harker), Dracula kills him.
* In the TV adaptation ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'' (1968) the character of Renfield does not exist. Instead, Jonathan Harker takes up many of his functions: he goes mad after visiting Dracula's castle, ends up in Dr. Seward's asylum and does Dracula's bidding.
* In ''
Vampire in Brooklyn
''Vampire in Brooklyn'' is a 1995 American vampire comedy horror film directed by Wes Craven. It stars Eddie Murphy, who produced and wrote with his brothers Vernon Lynch and Charles Q. Murphy. The film co-stars Angela Bassett, Allen Payne, K ...
'', which loosely follows the plot of the 1924 stage play ''
Dracula
''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...
'', Julius Jones (
Kadeem Hardison
Kadeem Hardison (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. The son of fashion model Bethann Hardison, he rose to prominence after landing the role of Dwayne Wayne on the television series ''A Different World'', a spin-off of the NBC sitcom ''T ...
) is placed under vampire Maximillian's (
Eddie Murphy
Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...
) spell and becomes a zombie-like servant.
* In the ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'' episode "
Buffy vs. Dracula
"Buffy vs. Dracula" is the season 5 premiere of the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. The episode aired on September 26, 2000 on The WB.
Buffy faces the infamous Count Dracula, who has come to Sunnydale to make her one of his br ...
" (2000),
Xander Harris
Alexander Lavelle Harris is a fictional character created for the action-horror/fantasy television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1997–2003). He was developed by Joss Whedon and portrayed throughout the television series by Nicholas Brend ...
falls under the spell of Dracula, begins devouring insects and spiders for much of the episode, calls Dracula "Master" and obeys his orders.
*Although he is not present in ''
Van Helsing
Professor Abraham Van Helsing () is a fictional character from the 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula'' written by Bram Stoker. Van Helsing is a Dutch polymath doctor with a wide range of interests and accomplishments, partly attested by the P ...
'' (2004),
Igor takes up the mantle of Dracula's servant, ready to do his bidding.
*While not in the 2014 film ''
Dracula Untold
''Dracula Untold'' is a 2014 American action horror film directed by Gary Shore in his feature film debut and written by Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless. The plot creates an origin story for the title character, rather than using the storylin ...
'', a
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
man portrayed by
Zach McGowan
Zach McGowan is an American film, television and voice actor. He is known for his roles in television series '' Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' as Anton Ivanov / The Superior, '' Shameless'',
'' Black Sails'', and '' The 100''. Other highlights include ...
does refer to the titular character as "Master", much like Renfield addresses Count Dracula. If a sequel had happened, McGowan would have returned, portraying Renfield.
*In the 2016 short film ''
The Phantom Hour
''The Phantom Hour'' is a 2016 comedy horror short film written and directed by Brian Patrick Butler. The film stars Luke Pensabene, Raye Richards and Connor Sullivan and premiered September 8, 2016 at Horrible Imaginings Film Festival.
Plot ...
'', the character Bryce, portrayed by
Brian Patrick Butler
Brian Patrick Butler is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He is known for writing and directing the film ''Friend of the World'' (2020), writing and performing in the film ''Hemet, or the Landlady Don't Drink Tea ...
, is a vampire's right-hand man who was compared to Renfield.
References
{{Dracula
Literary characters introduced in 1897
Dracula characters
Fictional henchmen
Fictional British lawyers
Fictional characters with mental disorders
Fictional people from London
Male characters in literature
Sidekicks in literature
Male literary villains
Male horror film villains
Fictional slaves