Before he became indelibly inked with the image of Dracula, Bela Lugosi worked as a theater actor in Hungary. He performed with various repertory companies from 1902 until 1913, when he was accepted into the National Theater in Budapest. He stayed with the company until 1919.
According to Lugosi, one of his most memorable and important roles was portraying Jesus Christ in the 1916 production of The Passion Play in Debrecen, Hungary. He was so taken with his resemblance to the traditional image of Christ that he had several photographs taken which still survive today.
In 1927, Lugosi appeared as Count Dracula in the Broadway production of Dracula. His performance and interpretation of the character were so captivating that he was hired to reprise the role in the 1931 Universal movie a few years later. The movie made him a star, and he was forever typecast as a horror icon, even though he would have preferred to move on to other roles.
Bela Lugosi died of a heart attack on August 16, 1956 in Los Angeles, California and was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. His iconic portrayal of Count Dracula lives on in the minds and hearts of all of his fans. Visit his official website: http://www.belalugosi.com.
Dawn Pisturino
April 11, 2022
Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.
Wow, I had no clue. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yeah, l also knew of only Dracula.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome!
LikeLike
[…] Bela Lugosi: From Jesus Christ to Dracula […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for sharing!
LikeLike
Interesting. I looked him up and was rather fascinated. Wounded 3 times in WW I. One site said he was ‘blacklisted’ by Hollywood studios, but all I could find was that he was ‘typecast’ by studios in the horror genre.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s my understanding that he was forced to leave Hungary for his radical political activities and views. But yes, he had an interesting history – much more than just a Hollywood vampire! He was also an alcoholic and morphine addict, which ultimately killed him.
LikeLike
Wow. This is a fabulous tribute to a great actor. Very interesting and very well written. Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, I’m glad you found it interesting!
LikeLike
Who knew????
LikeLiked by 1 person
If things had gone differently we might always think of Bela Lugosi as Jesus 🤭🤭
LikeLiked by 1 person
His role in The Passion of Christ movie is well done and I love it. He was such a great actor the world was blessed to have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
keep blood between brothers then. and hit the high life in sedona
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Amazing tribute! Thank’s for share, dear Dawn.
Have a lovely week!
Elvira
LikeLiked by 1 person
An unforgettable performance! 🧛🏻♂️
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a great salute to Bela Lugosi! I only knew about Count Dracula, 🧛🏼♂️ but I honestly don’t recall seeing his portrayal of Jesus Christ. What a talented actor. Thanks so much for sharing Dawn!!! 😍💖🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! Just a bit of trivia that I thought was interesting. Have a great day!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well girlfriend, I appreciate the research and enlightenment. Great job with your delivery my friend. You too have a FANtabulous day as always! 😉🥂🥰🌺✨
LikeLiked by 1 person
Legend.
LikeLiked by 1 person