British actor Nonso Anozie makes his TV debut in the U.S. as R.M. Renfield in NBC’s upcoming “Dracula” series, which premieres Friday, Oct. 25.
In the show Renfield is Dracula’s loyal confidante, who knows all of Dracula’s most precious secrets–including his identity. Here’s an official breakdown of Anozi’s character:
“Sanguine 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.
“He suffers from delusions which compel him to eat living creatures in the hope of obtaining their life-force for himself. He starts by consuming flies, then develops a scheme of feeding the flies to spiders, and the spiders to birds, in order to accumulate more and more life… Doctor John Seward diagnoses him as a “zoophagous maniac”, or carnivorous mad man. During the course of the novel, he is revealed to be under the influence of Count Dracula. The vampire, whose abilities include control over animals such as rats, bats and spiders, comes to Renfield with an offer: if Renfield worships him, he will provide Renfield with an endless supply of food.”
Dracula will be played by Alan Graysonset and will follow his double life set in 1890s London. He poses as an American businessman interested in bringing modern science to Victorian society. But his true plan is to exact revenge on those who burdened him centuries ago. But when he falls in love with Mina, who seems to be a reincarnation of his dead wife, his plan suffers some major setbacks.
“Dracula” debuts Friday, October 25, at 10 ET on NBC.
Check out NBC’s official trailer for the show below and a clip of Anozi’s take on his character.
