Nicholas Hoult now has a small piece of Bill Skarsgard’s “Nosferatu” prosthetic limb at home, thanks to a gift from writer and director Robert Eggers.
Holt told Elle that he owns the prosthetic penis that Skarsgård used for the character Court Orlok. In fact, Holt frames the props.
“I have Cort Orlok’s prosthetic penis framed and in my house,” Holt said. “There’s a scene where Bill Skarsgård sips my blood, and then Robert Eggers asks, ‘How was it? I felt you touching me.” Rob then framed it and sent it to my house as a wrapped gift. ”
However, the frame broke during shipping, so Holt had to take the penis to a local frame store to have it repaired.
“(The owner) didn’t seem to even blink at first,” Holt said. “Then when I went back to get it, I think he was watching me like how weird is it that I could be framing this vampire penis. And he said, “Is this some kind of collector’s item?” And I thought, “Well, you could say that.”
Read IndieWire’s interview with Holt here.
Holt’s co-star Skarsgård previously told Deadline that he was “uncomfortable” with the numerous prosthetics required to play the title character.
“It took forever to put on the prosthetic leg. Everything was so uncomfortable. You were so hot, so itchy and sticky,” Skarsgård said.
Eggers added that Skarsgård was worried about the character looking “goblin-like.”
“He’s putting on makeup and I’m like, ‘Hmm, I look like a goblin.’ This is terrible.” After that, I saw the first moment where he thought, “Okay, this is cool.” This is a human being,” Eggers said. “I started seeing him in the mirror, goofing around and trying to do things. It was a great way to enjoy who that character is and who he could be.” It was a step.”
And the prosthetic penis wasn’t the only gift Eggers handed out to the cast. “Nosferatu” star Lily-Rose Depp told IndieWire that Eggers gave her a copy of French author Remy de Gourmont’s short story “Peor” in preparation for the role. Ellen Hitter, a woman who summons Count Orlok of Skarsgård as her companion.
“Péhor” is part of “Histoires magiques,” a collection of short stories centered around a troubled girl named Douserine who becomes sensually devoted to a religious figure. Ducelin begins a sexual relationship with the undead creature Pehor, who awakens her to the pleasures of sin, echoing the plot of Eggers’ Nosferatu.
“Rob is known for being incredibly well-researched, so he sent me a lot of references and a lot of movies that inspired this role. He also… He read me this text called Peor (by Remy de Gourmont), which is kind of a story about a religious young girl who has a sexually awakened love story with the devil.” Depp said. “So, of course, it was very appropriate for me. I had it like a bible and I read it over and over again while filming.”
