Titus Welliver on Redefining Van Helsing in Natasha Kermani's ABRAHAM'S BOYS
- creepykingdom
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
By Shannon McGrew
In Natasha Kermani's (Lucky, Imitation Girl) latest film, ABRAHAM'S BOYS, based on the short story by Joe Hill, we meet Max (Brady Hepner) and Rudy Van Helsing (Judah Mackey), who have spent their lives under the strict and overprotective rule of their father, Abraham (Titus Welliver).
Unaware of his dark past, they struggle to understand his paranoia and increasingly erratic behavior. But when they begin to uncover the violent truths behind their father's history with Dracula, their world unravels, forcing them to confront the terrifying legacy they were never meant to inherit.
For the release of ABRAHAM'S BOYS, Creepy Kingdom's Shannon McGrew spoke with actor Titus Welliver. During the chat, they discussed everything from embodying a haunted Van Helsing to exploring the darkness that hides in plain sight.
Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Titus! Abraham walks a fine line between being a protective father and a terrifying one. What was it like navigating that tension?
Titus Welliver: I'm a horror fan, and when I read this script, to me, it was not the sort of standard fare of horror. It doesn't run at a breakneck pace. There's not a lot of gore or jump scares. I've seen many iterations of Van Helsing over the years, all of which are unique and valid individual interpretations. But I found that Abraham, in Joe Hill's story, is a very different Van Helsing than he is in Dracula, and Natasha did an amazing job with that.
When you have a short story, you need to open it up and expand it both visually and story-wise. I said to Natasha, I want him to be a practitioner of stoicism, and that's displayed there. We also see moments of tenderness and expressions of love, as fleeting as they may be; yet, there is an undercurrent that flies in direct contradiction to the fact that he smacks his son and then says, 'Look what you made me do.' He's not the poster child for new age parenting. Yet, there is a quality in him that is trying to prepare his kids to be survivors. It leans more towards a different dynamic, being character-driven, because Dracula is not present. We're not seeing Van Helsing doing his usual things. He's not running around killing vampires. There's a stillness and subtlety to this version of the story, so I'll be interested to see how horror fans receive it.
As you mentioned, this isn't the typical depiction of Van Helsing, we're used to seeing him as a heroic vampire hunter. When preparing for the role, did you revisit past portrayals, or did you approach it with your own interpretation from the start?
Titus Welliver: I've watched every iteration because I love horror. I purposely did not revisit the previous films or anything specifically related to Van Helsing, nor did I go back and reread the book. My research focused more on refamiliarizing myself with the practice of Stoicism and the medical practices of that time. None of that stuff is necessarily actionable.
When you're shooting a film like this, you're on the fast track, which I almost prefer. Aside from meeting Natasha, I had not met any of the actors. We never had a table read. We didn't rehearse. We all met on set and had to jump in, so my relationship with Judah Mackey and Brady Hepner was immediate. They're both great actors and rose to the occasion despite their age. They were both very professional, attentive, and good listeners. And, of course, Jocelin is marvelous, and it was all under the umbrella of great leadership by Natasha. She's an extremely intelligent person and also has a tremendous generosity of spirit. A great leader with whom you want to go into battle. I'm looking forward to working with her again. Her previous work has a massive cult following, and with this film, she's turned the genre on its head, demonstrating her gift as a director and writer, as well as the talent she assembles.
It's a visually stunning film to watch. In these pieces, so much of what is lurking is in the dark, and yet the irony of the whole thing is that the malevolence exists within the house, which is supposed to be a safe haven.
When I spoke with Natasha, I mentioned that one of my favorite aspects of the film is how much of it takes place in broad daylight, something we don't often see in vampire movies.
Titus Welliver: Some moments aren't jump scares but are executed very smartly. The first appearance of the woman, just the appearance of that hand, which is so very subtle, it's deeply unnerving. I love the Freddy Krueger films, and I like Friday the 13th. I like the chase. However, this is a very interesting take on something that could, in the wrong hands, have been a somewhat pro forma, schlocky revisitation of this iconic character and the Dracula canon.
Since you're a horror fan, what aspect of the film are you most excited for other horror fans to experience?
Titus Welliver: The story is interesting. The story is very original. There's nothing tropey or cliché in it. People always think that when you put art into a sentence, it becomes a dirty word, but I think this is an art film that exists within the genre structure of horror. I'll be interested to see how people respond to it. I'm sure there will be people who'll go 'What, no fangs, just people talking about stuff that we're not seeing, when is he going to shut up about evil' and blah blah blah blah. It's a slow burn, and as the onion's layers are peeled back, it becomes, at its own pace, consistently more and more unnerving. I'm just excited for the film to get out there because it was truly a labor of love with a marvelous crew that busted their asses.
ABRAHAM'S BOYS is now in theaters.
