We love Frankenstein’s monster so much, we eat him for breakfast. (As FrankenBerry cereal, of course.) Never mind that our image of him owes more to James Whale’s classic 1931 horror film than it does to Mary Shelley’s original 1818 novel — we just can’t get enough of the undead guy with the patchwork face.
Stage adaptations of Frankenstein began popping up within Mary Shelley’s lifetime — the first film version appeared in 1910. But after Boris Karloff stiff-armed his way into the popular imagination in Whale’s movie, filmmakers couldn’t stop retelling the story. Scarcely a year has gone by in the 80 years since that hasn’t seen at least one new film, TV, stage, or cartoon take on the reanimated creature. Aaron Eckhart’s portrayal of the creature in the new film I, Frankenstein is only the latest, but there are still others in the works, due for release over the next couple of years.
It’s no wonder that we identify with the monster — he’s not necessarily evil, just lonely and misunderstood. Who hasn’t felt like that at some point?
It’s also no wonder that actors want to play him. Here are 10 of the most unforgettable performers to clamp on the neck bolts.