How the Actors of "Van Helsing" Have Changed Over the Years (15 photos)

Van Helsing may not have been a critical hit, but it boasts a stellar cast, all of whom achieved great success.





Hugh Jackman – Gabriel Van Helsing



The role of Van Helsing in the film of the same name came at the peak of Hugh Jackman's career, having recently landed the role of Wolverine in X-Men. He subsequently starred in The Greatest Showman, Les Miserables, The Prestige, and Prisoners. Jackman also returned to the role of Logan in 2017 after a four-year hiatus following The Wolverine: Immortal. Afterward, Hugh declared he would never play Wolverine again, but he quickly regretted his words after watching Deadpool and learning that Ryan Reynolds wanted to make a film with him. Jackman enjoyed Deadpool and its sequel so much that he abandoned his previous promise and appeared in Deadpool and Wolverine.

Kate Beckinsale – Anna Valerius





Like Hugh Jackman, Kate Beckinsale experienced the greatest rise of her career in the year of Van Helsing's release and the short period before and after. This is unsurprising, given that leading roles were expected to go to big stars. Besides Van Helsing, Beckinsale also starred in Underworld and several other interesting films at the time. Remarkably, Underworld grew into a fairly extensive film series, spawning four more sequels. Although Kate's popularity has declined since Underworld ended, she continues to actively act and doesn't take long breaks.

Richard Roxburgh – Count Dracula



Richard Roxburgh landed the role of Count Dracula partly due to his previous roles as Sherlock Holmes in The Hound of the Baskervilles and Hugh Stamp in Mission: Impossible 2. His Dracula became iconic and shared the screen with Hugh Jackman's Van Helsing. However, Van Helsing didn't bring Richard much fame, as the film wasn't particularly successful at the box office and only became a cult classic in the following years thanks to its release on DVD, where it became very popular. Therefore, Roxburgh's acting career took a measured turn after that, and he has since appeared in "Rake," "S is for Happiness," "Elvis," and "Hacksaw Ridge."

David Wenham – Karl



The role of Karl was somewhat atypical for David Wenham, as two years before "Van Helsing," he played a more dramatic Faramir, completely devoid of comedy, while Karl was literally the only source of comedy in the entire film. However, three years later, Wenham did play a role more reminiscent of Faramir in "300." But he didn't settle for just one type and repeatedly surprised audiences, appearing in "Lion," "Children of Huang Shi," and "Bouncer." It's worth noting that David can be considered a TV series actor, as he is remembered by audiences for "Fake It," "Iron Fist," "Top of the Lake," and "Sea Change."

Shuler Hensley – Frankenstein's Monster



Shuler Hensley's acting career began in the 1990s, during which time he appeared in several theater productions, including "Oklahoma," for which he won a Laurence Olivier Award. The success was so great that Hensley performed in the production numerous times and also starred in the 1999 film of the same name. Interestingly, Hensley met Hugh Jackman not in Van Helsing, but in the West End, and they worked together repeatedly afterward—one of their last collaborations was The Greatest Showman.

Samuel West – Victor Frankenstein



At the beginning of Van Helsing, a short backstory is shown, showing how Count Dracula attempted to take Victor Frankenstein's creation from him, but Frankenstein didn't give in without a fight and disappeared. The role of Victor went to Samuel West, who, like many of his colleagues, made his debut in the theater. However, in 1989, he also made his big screen debut and was active in film for the next few years, but after 2010, Samuel put film on the back burner.

Robbie Coltrane – Mr. Hyde



When Van Helsing first appears before audiences, he confronts Mister Hyde, a man with multiple personalities, one of which is extremely dangerous. Robbie Coltrane's popularity came in the 1990s with the films GoldenEye and Nuns on the Run, as well as the TV series Cracker's Method, in which Robbie played the title role. However, many viewers around the world knew Coltrane from his role as Hagrid in Harry Potter. Remarkably, J.K. Rowling saw Hagrid only in Robbie and cast him without an audition—a privilege shared only with him, Richard Harris, Alan Rickman, and Maggie Smith in Philosopher's Stone. After the Harry Potter films began, Robbie rarely appeared in any other films due to his poor health. Moreover, towards the final films, he found it difficult to film even the Harry Potter films themselves, so a stunt double often stood in for him, and a chair was always kept on set for Coltrane so he wouldn't have to stand for long periods. Ultimately, Robbie's health problems prevailed in 2022.

Kevin J. O'Connor – Igor



Back in 1999, Kevin O'Connor first worked with director Stephen Sommers on The Mummy. Stephen was so impressed by Kevin's dedication to his craft that he cast him first in Van Helsing and then in G.I. They might have continued their collaboration in the future, but Sommers's last film, Odd Thomas with Anton Yelchin, was released in 2013. O'Connor also worked with Paul Thomas Anderson twice: in 2007, he played the false brother of Daniel Day-Lewis's title character, and five years later, they reunited on The Master, in which Kevin played Bill William.

Tom Fisher – The Undertaker



One of the minor characters in Van Helsing was the undertaker, whose mere appearance inspired mistrust that ultimately proved justified. Although Tom Fisher isn't particularly well-known internationally, he has several notable credits on both the big screen and the small screen. His credits include films and series such as The Illusionist, The Mummy Returns, Shadowkeep, Shanghai Knights, and Bonebreaker. However, since 2019, he has starred in only one series, which failed to resonate with mainstream audiences.

Silvia Colloca – Verona



On the set of Van Helsing, Silvia Colloca met Richard Roxburgh. Despite having three on-screen fiancées, only one truly captivated him. A few weeks after the film's premiere, Sylvia and Richard married, but went their separate ways professionally. While Roxburgh continued acting, Sylvia only completed a few roles and began appearing in various shows. Since 2016, for example, she has hosted a cooking show called "Sylvia's Italian Table," which has featured several famous guests.

Elena Anaya – Alira



After completing her acting training, Elena Anaya made her debut in the films "Africa" ​​and "The Family," but only received recognition several years later. Three years later, she played Alira in "Van Helsing." In 2006, Anaya played Angélica de Alquézar in Captain Alatriste with Viggo Mortensen, and in 2010 and 2011, she reached the pinnacle of her fame with leading roles in cult films such as Room in Rome and The Skin I Live In. Although Elena later appeared in several more Spanish films, for which she was nominated for several prestigious awards, she was virtually forgotten by mainstream audiences.

Josie Maran – Mariska



Josie Maran didn't stay in the big screen for long. Despite the fact that Mariska made her famous worldwide, she appeared in three more films and then retired from acting, after which she pursued a career in business. Interestingly, besides Van Helsing, Maran is even better known for a completely different role: in the 2005 video game Need for Speed: Most Wanted. After another race, the protagonist lost his favorite car but found an assistant in Mia Townsend, played by Josie.

Will Kemp – Velkan Valerius



The first half of the film revolves around Anna Valerius's brother, Velkan, who had an unfortunate encounter with a werewolf and became one himself. Long before Van Helsing, Kemp was a model, but ultimately decided to become an actor, even turning down a lucrative contract with Giorgio Armani to avoid mixing the two. However, this probably wasn't the best decision, as his film career didn't take off very well, and in television series, he only landed bit parts and supporting roles.

Alun Armstrong – Cardinal Jeanette



Alun Armstrong's first film appearance was in 1971. His debut could have come later, but he took matters into his own hands and, when he learned that Get Carter was being filmed in his city, wrote a letter to the studio offering his candidacy. Interestingly, Armstrong also made his stage and screen debuts around the same time. Since then, his filmography has expanded to include 135 roles, and Armstrong's most popular films, in addition to Van Helsing, include Braveheart, Sleepy Hollow, The Mummy Returns, and Eragon, as well as the TV series Downton Abbey, Penny Dreadful, and Parents of the Year.