The reason cameos are so fun is because it's typically always a genuine surprise to the audience when an unexpected actor pops into a movie for a couple minutes, and Renfield is the latest film to capitalize on this concept. Director Chris McKay’s 2023 movie schedule entry was able to deliver on this delightful concept, because it landed two actors from prime ‘80s horror movies. And of course, one of them was total vampire movie royalty, as McKay drafted an O.G. Fright Night star for a hysterically appropriate appearance.
It’s not exactly a spoiler to say that William Ragsdale, the original Charley Brewster himself, gets to fight Nicolas Cage’s razor fanged Count Dracula in Renfield. One need not look further than the Renfield trailer, which actually includes a version of his appearance in the Universal movie, to see that Ragsdale plays a character credited as “Older Priest.” That's right '80s kids, Charley has faith in that cross this time out...and it still doesn't save him.
That said, it was upon closer inspection, and some references on social media, which helped that realization dawn on me. Heading into the press day for Renfield with this knowledge, I wondered what inspired Chris McKay to cast this particular cameo as he did. Upon asking about his thought process, the director told CinemaBlend this William Ragsdale casting story:
He’s actually an actor in the area, and I’d seen him on Justified. Obviously I love Fright Night, I think Fright Night’s amazing, and he was a great actor. So it seemed like a lot of fun to cast him. We also cast Caroline Williams from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 as the lawyer for the Lobos, so there was a few people that were shout outs to movie past.
While we can sit here and engage in the age-old Fright Night vs. The Lost Boys debate, it’s still pretty fitting to see William Ragsdale playing a sort of Peter Vincent-style figure, even if it’s only for a moment. It’s kind of like that scene in 2011’s 3D enhanced Fright Night remake where Chris Sarandon, the original Jerry Dandridge, became a victim for Colin Farrell’s updated version of the character. In both cases, it's a fun role reversal that calls back to the past in a violently modern fashion.
Reversal of roles could also apply to Caroline Williams’ Renfield cameo, as the women who played Vanita "Stretch" Brock in the sequel to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is another example of Chris McKay having fun with his Renfield casting. Bringing a former final girl in to play an ally to the villainous Lobo family, it’s another example of subverting expectations. It also helps that Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, much like Renfield, is a film that knew how to honor a horror classic with an irreverent streak of dark comedy.
William Ragsdale’s presence in Renfield goes pretty dark, but is still a colorful note in Nicholas Hoult's journey to break his codependent relationship. This time around, Ragsdale does have faith in the Catholic prayer symbol he wields, and for a moment it seems to work. And yet, as you’ll see in the final trailer for movie, this “Older Priest” character meets an explosively bloody end, after spouting a gag that's not in the final film.
Maybe The Dark Knight was right: "You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself [exploded by Nicolas Cage as a vampire]." That may not be the exact adage expressed in Christopher Nolan’s movie, but it applies to both William Ragsdale and his Renfield experience. Though it has to be said that the consequences of this heel turn isn’t so dire, unless you were really rooting for the Older Priest to defeat Dracula in Act I. In which case, '80s horror fans may want to see another movie.
For those of you open to seeing the gleefully dark side of the Dracula mythos, Renfield is in theaters now. And for those of you wondering if you can stream the original Fright Night, arguably one of the best horror movies in existence, at the time of this writing it’s available on Pluto TV. Fright Night Part 2 is sadly not as available, but definitely worth tracking down, especially if you’re a fan of William Ragsdale’s Charley Brewster.
