Renfield @ Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Renfield @ Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
portrayed by Tom Waits.
Renfield: Oh, yes. A kitten. I beg you. A little, sleek - a playful kitten. Something I can teach. Something I can feed. No one would refuse me a kitten.
Doctor Jack Seward: Wouldn't you prefer a cat?
Renfield: Oh, yes, a big cat! My salvation depends upon it!
Doctor Jack Seward: Your salvation?
Renfield: Yes! I need lives. I need lives for the master!
Doctor Jack Seward: What? What master?
Renfield: The master will come, and he has promised to make me immortal!
Doctor Jack Seward: How?
Renfield: The blood is the life! The blood is the life!

[@Yapostadodat]

Most people don't know this, but this was shot in Tom Wait's ACTUAL bedroom, he required NO makeup or costuming and his plate of bugs was his normal diet at the time.

[@robfalgiano]

lol

[@lordlightning2339]

i thought this was an insane asylum and they let him think dracula was real xD

[@JessicaDavis89]

He also improvised all of his lines.

[@lordlightning2339]

Master!!!!!*guy talks to himself* my precious!!! *oops different movie haha*

[@flyingalienqueen]

Ah yes, his conservative period.

[@slumdogjay]

Tom Waits. Not only a great musician, also a great actor.

[@Repented008]

"Oh yes! A big cat! My salvation depends upon it!" XD Yours and mine both, brother....

[@Everywhere2]

"I shall have to invent a new classification of the lunatic for you." Yes, waitsophrenia! Fearless genius and uncontrollable mirth!

[@TheCosmosAndromeda]

He is absolutely brilliant as Renfield. His interpretation from Stoker's book is the most accurate I think - compared with the 1930s it's definitely less contrived.

[@WillDockery]

Songwriter supreme, poet, and of course the splendid actor. The genius of Tom Waits.

[@kyrastube]

seeing this as a kid when the film was new, I always thought Tom was much older than he in fact was. even older than he is NOW. and now he is one of my favorite musicians. but this was my first introduction to him, so I will always hold it dear to my heart

[@thelefthandedfreak]

I was so excited when I found out tom waits played as renfield, I only found this out recently, and I am a massive fan of tom waits and have been listening to a lot lately, then I started reading the original dracula book a few weeks ago and then I find this out! :D

[@leonardpiercy9837]

Me too! I only found out today, even though I have been listening to Tom Waits and watching this film for decades. Major chuckles.

[@reysmith8905]

Omg, same🫢

[@TamaraAndTheDemon]

Tom Waits is brilliant in this as Renfield best one yet.

[@00lilyvonshtupp]

Oh !! How I LOVE Tom Waits.

[@hearmymotoredheart]

I never realised this was Tom Waits. You learn something new every day!

[@melo27]

tom waits portrait it 100% or yessssss! haha that part was crazy still the doctor shake & felt the vibe with that strenth he was a crazy charismatic & with that english british acent even better

[@AJRoman]

Congrats on the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction. Tom! :)

[@melo27]

l love the deep ingland british accent. that he was talking crazy guy with a mixs of funny dengerous & charismatic when the guy asking like what other animal that he put the chest out with the unbutton shirt & say a big cat!!! l almost die of laugh that was the funniest part hahaha!!! lol

[@JRCNYC33]

I love how renfield bites the right side of his neck and seward grabs his left

[@DaBagelSquad]

We're doing the play Dracula at our school. I got the part of Renfield. YES!

[@PaytonWestlake]

Tom Waits is incredible in this but the best Renfield is still Peter MacNicol.

[@QrtOpus1]

Tom Waits make the perfect Renfield!

[@perrionhurd7509]

Brilliant scene.

[@MorbidBliss22]

Best Actor: Gary Oldman Best Supporting Actor: Tom Waits See, Academy? I can easily do your job FOR you.

[@brucekentnyc]

Insect people Sahara Desert. Dr Fauci..

[@MorbidBliss22]

Winston Smith Some ladies don’t kiss and tell 😘

[@WmAHaynes]

The way the man says canape lives rent free in my head

[@crazyirishdan]

Little did I know that when I saw this movie opening night (Friday the 13th, was 12 and had to talk my ma into dropping me off all by my lonesome), I was not only getting a great rendition of this story, I was getting my first taste of Tom Waits as well. Renfield was always a standout character in my mind, later I found out that Tom was the actor, and it made perfect sense to me. Love the 'classic Tom growl' as he goes for the throat, too!

[@homesnake202]

Waits is a badass!

[@cr4yv3n]

"How are we feeling today?" "Normal. Perfectly normal."

[@apocalypto1]

Hahaha!!!! brilliant and exceptionally funny at same time....

[@randalisimo]

spasticus artisticus

[@kyrastube]

when I saw this movie in the 90s it was the first time I ever saw tom. now he is one of my favourite musicians. and I adore him in this movie, poor man! somehow I also feel that maybe, just maybe the real tom should be locked up as well, but I for one is happy that he isent and can spread his delightful madness as a free man.

[@Armentitron]

Did anyone else think Tom Wait's performance was the best thing about this flick? Don't get me wrong I love FFC though

[@wickedfeylady]

He's stunning in this role.

[@RJBurle]

It's the one scene that I remember the most from this movie.

[@blackspring3207]

No dude. Oldman.

[@bloodanddajugs]

Enjoying this movie is always a conundrum of mathematics for me...but Reeves and Ryder always seem to swallow up all I love about this movie and change my mind about watching it.

[@Trybrow]

great performance

[@BXVAce]

"Wouldn't you prefer a cat?" "*GASP*...No, I want a kitten!"

[@3daysago266]

Renfield tries to bite Seaward on the right side of his neck and yet Seaward is holding his left. The Dracula effect.

[@BexSpencer]

"Wouldn't you prefer...a cat?" "Oooooh yes...a big...cat!" Cracks me the fuck up. :')

[@Ultrajamz]

I think aside from some weak keanu performance this movie ties things together better than the original book

[@couvegalega]

I agree, but I think even Keanu's weak performance somehow fits the character! :)

[@Ultrajamz]

couvegalega yeah I see what you mean

[@LuisEnriqueQuispePerez]

MASTER OH MASTER OOOOHHHH

[@allaboutdmagic]

Best. Renfield. Ever.

[@minespatch]

I loved how Mike Mignola captured Tom Waits in the comic version. As to say who is better... Both. They both make me laugh and it's just so hard when you see Frye and Waits act over the top. XD

[@balrog13571]

@phantompersian Yep. After Mina gives him a letter saying they must never see each other again he's crying purple tears and sobbing like a high school student after a break up. I get that in some versions like this they try to show a more tragic side to him, but while the 1973 and 1979 ones had him as a lover, he was still a dark menacing monster 24/7. Once he first meets Mina it starts to feel like watching a soap opera half the time. It's still a good movie, but the tears are a step down.

[@wearedoctor]

HOLY HELL YES.

[@gabe3464]

That was actually pretty good.

[@mikemanners1069]

Renfied looks like Thomas Dolby with a severe hangover.....

[@zachmasterzach]

The moment you realize Tom Waits is a better actor than Keanu Reeves...

[@melo27]

a kitten someone that l can teach someone that l can feed!

[@weirdsearchhistory5876]

This was probably a scene from Tom Waits actual life. lol

[@mykmcgrane]

lol true

[@leonardpiercy9837]

LMFAO Go on Renfield son!

[@realityisdigital]

Newsflash: Wolverhampton scooter Renfield just spotted on Bruford Rd

[@danielbaugher826]

" far better than you my lovesick Doctor , .......... A kitten ..........I beg of thee ............. A cat A BIG CAT " LOL

[@Wh3nYour3Strang3]

Renfield's been watching too much Doctor Who. He's just lucky Dracula fits the Master's description.

[@kokolee1846]

Yes please master

[@ryanbrailey-tucker4935]

He's like me atm! A fucking delight!

[@katieburak93]

1:57 Awww.....someone needs a hug.

[@PugLover20]

All Santa Monica Students! This guy totally looks like Lawrence Driscoll! How funny!

[@mildredfranklin6358]

I need lives I need lives for the master 😂

[@velvet_victor]

This guy’s portrayal of Renfield is spot on. Can’t say the same about Seward tho, is he trying to sound angry, inquisitive, disgusted? I don’t get it. He is a psychiatrist trying to understand his patient, but doesn’t act like one. Here he looks more like an interrogator trying to squeeze information out of a suspect, or more like a madman himself. 1:54 this “how” here was so uncalled for.

[@edgbarrowwight]

Tom Waits FTW

[@sergiogarciac.6640]

the story of dracula is actually based on real events , the secret of immortality is in the blood

[@unseenforce10]

renfield is a legend. funny character

[@roybatty2503]

Incredible bit of casting here

[@DaBagelSquad]

BFF'S!!! Why do you guys perform so much? We only have two performances, but three months of rehersals. :((( And lol I believe you! :P

[@unseenforce10]

haha renfield ftw. im changing my xbox gamertag to him :D

[@TheCosmosAndromeda]

He is absolutely brilliant as Renfield. His interpretation from Stoker's book is the most accurate I think - compared with the 1930s it's definitely less contrived, it's more natural and fluid.

[@LordVader89]

@searskyl I think it's to prevent him from eating his hands off.

[@kayleighbrown459]

You DID ask, doc.

[@catmint4mrkitty]

Poor guy!

[@ohstate411]

I was Harker in the play Dracula: The Death of Nosferatu. I was praised for my role as Harker. So maybe I should've been Harker instead of Reeves!

[@michaelcadile746]

I am The Master

[@annabellelecter1926]

My salvation depends on cats too Reinfield. Dont worry.

[@statuabianca4502]

OH.. si un bel gatto... la mia salvezza dipende da questo......

[@balrog13571]

@couvegalega Well to each his own but I don't see how. In the book Harker REACTS to the crazy things he sees in the castle. Now ignoring the fact that in the movie he never reacts to Dracula going at him with a sword and seeing his shadow remaining in place for a second after Dracula moves or how the doors just open on their own, you'd think he'd react to seeing him crawling down the castle like a lizard and seeing perfume drops going UP! His face never changes though until the baby scene.

[@balrog13571]

To me Gary Oldman and Tom Waits were the best actors in the movie. That storm scene of Dracula turning into a wolf, landing in Whitby, and attacking Lucy all while Renfield is in one of his mad rants is a REALLY epic scene. The only flaw was Waits wasn't in it long enough and I think Dracula's numerous romantic moments made him less sinister than he originally was (he cried purple tears). Most of the other actors were so so except for Reeves who was just awful. But Waits and Oldman saved it.

[@jenniferb1793]

a big cat...

[@melo27]

yea spider eat them!

[@moviebuff1941]

Why does this guy remind me of Ron Pearlman...?

[@republicempire446]

Must be the look

[@lilchidasnake4469]

Lol

[@DaBagelSquad]

YES! YOU'RE MY BFF FROM NOW ON! lmao I go to a ghetto little school in Texas. :) When do you guys perform? We just had our performances on the 23rd. Break a leg!

[@lobermeyer12]

so let me get this straight... Renfield is the prisoner in the asylum... but the guards need the caged heads?

[@geradobocanegra6156]

'una lección de Economía'

[@mikekroll5165]

A baby 🐦

[@coyotefever105]

Notice how Dr. Seward is holding the wrong side of his neck at the end. Another error of the movie besides the hat scene at the party.

[@FATE522]

I'm doing the play of Dracula as well! What school are you from? I got Renfield as well!

[@Gunnar-Peterson]

What does Tom Waits ask for? It sounds like king.

[@trewball1]

he bites him on the right side but hes grabs the left

[@mattbrood1]

I notice that Renfield bites him on the left side, but the doctor grabs the right side of his neck..fail!

[@Danthepest1]

@troublesaway I like the way Tom Waits portrayed the character, but Renfield's scenes and conversations had a different context than it has in the film. I dunno, Renfield was one of my favourite characters and it just seems he's either the butt monkey in every film or they never get him right. I'm not looking for a perfect adaptation, but just have Renfield genuinely scary and mysterious as in the book.

[@Labyrinthix]

kitten

[@FATE522]

That's frustrating. :( I'm so sorry. Well the play is double casted. But I've done a show where it was 3 months and we still had alot of performances. I'm also doing the High School Musical which is The Wedding Singer musical. In the Dracula play its a small play for a certain time. Weird huh? Maybe you had so many months to get to know the cast and get to really feel for the character and be the character. I'm sure your a better Renfield than me. :)

[@SwampDaddy7]

@FuckWorkdays You don't need to. He's that awesome.

[@davidmc107]

+donna mizanin he is the best for that part IMO

[@JERI0K]

THIS FILM FAILS BECAUSE THEY FORGOT TO INCLUDE SOME CAR CHASE SCENES...

[@MikadoOkami]

this seen is better in the book

[@WraythSkitzofrenik]

@ZannyRamone Dwight Frye's Renfield was too changed for me to enjoy. Giving him Harker's role at Castle Dracula was a mistake in my book. But he did a fair job. Waits portrayed him much more faithfully.

[@TaskMaster619]

@fugnut that's pretty much a given

[@hullhouse4703]

58 dry scoket dried bread 68 drip

[@PrincessBambiflower]

Seriously Richard, you got bitten on the right side of your neck haha

[@danpaval]

personajul seamana perfect cu "evreul" khazar Daniel Barbu; adicatelea Itzic!

[@kokolee1846]

A spider?

[@phantompersian]

@balrog13571 Wait...he cries purple tears?

[@couvegalega]

@balrog13571 Reeves is always awful :P. But he kind of fits this character

[@SekhmetsSecretWeapon]

omg, 'Bugger' is Renfield!!!or just 'R'.... ;)

[@phantompersian]

@balrog13571 Wait...what? He cries pourple tears?

[@simonmerckx2313]

Herken je Tom Waits ?! ;-)