Renfield star Ben Schwartz says it was 'an absolute joy' to be strangled by Nicolas Cage

Clark Collis
Updated ·2 min read
4

In the new, modern-day-set horror-comedy Renfield, Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula, Nicholas Hoult is his titular assistant, and Ben Schwartz is a New Orleans gangster named Tedward 'Teddy' Lobo.

"I play the son of a very big crime syndicate [boss]," explains Schwartz, when he joined Cage, Hoult, director Chris McKay, and Walking Dead comic writer Robert Kirkman (who came up with the idea for this contemporary take on the Dracula story) for EW's latest Around the Table (above). "Basically, everything in his life he does to impress his friends, and his mommy, and that includes killing people, and doing an outrageous amount of cocaine, and then trying to take over the city, which is interrupted by Nick Hoult's Renfield. But he's not a good person."

Renfield
Renfield

Michele K. Short / Universal Pictures Ben Schwartz in 'Renfield'

When Tedward first encounters Dracula, the undead count almost strangles the mobster to death. What is it like going to work knowing you'll spend the day with Nicolas Cage's hands around your throat?

"A joy, an absolute joy!" says Schwartz. "And we can make this the headline of the article. 'An absolute joy to be strangled by Nic Cage.' It's so fun, because he's dressed as Dracula, and Nic goes 110 percent into whatever role he is, so it was so little acting and just responding to what's in front of you. We had this incredible set design, and we have Nic dressed up as Dracula, and the menace, but also in that scene we got to play with all sorts of stuff, push the comedy a little bit, push the fear a little bit. But it's so fun to be in a practical world, and play with practical things, and given the breadth to find new moments within the script. It was awesome."

Renfield is in theaters now.

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