“The Kiss of A Vampire” starring role shows meteoric rise of British actor Philip Hulford

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES, January 28, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — British actor Philip Hulford’s set to play a seductive, brutal vampire in “The Kiss of A Vampire,” which begins filming in the United States in April. Hulford’s casting in the lead role in this American giallo horror thriller is proof of his meteoric rise as a film actor.

After appearing in minor roles in two Tom Cruise films shot in England – “The Mummy” and “Mission Impossible 7 – Dead Reckoning,” Hulford had starring roles in “The Food Taster,” directed by Alexander Emborg and “I Am Super,” directed by Rupert Charmak, which premiered this week in London.

Hulford’s reaction to his sudden rush of stardom is as genuine as they come. When told he was cast as the vampire, his response was, “Um (giggle), wow! Thank you!”

It’s typical of Hulford’s well-known humility. He’s already a celebrated dancer – he danced for over a decade with the world-renown Hofesh Schechter Dance Company, touring the globe with performances the world over. “I had this odd “pull” to pursue dance and I wholeheartedly poured myself into that art form. I trained really hard and basically wanted to be as good as I possibly could,” Hulford said. Much of his dance career was, for him, an exploration of the power of the human body in motion.

When the company was asked to give a performance for the cast of “The Hobbit” in New Zealand, the acting bug sunk its teeth vampire-style into Hulford. “After the show we were invited to spend time with Andy Serkis (who played the “gollum”) and stunt coordinator Terry Notary. This meeting was actually what began my journey into the film industry,” Hulford said.

When Hulford was cast in Tom Cruise’s “The Mummy,” he became fascinated at how closely Cruise worked with stunt-coordinator Wade Eastwood on the fight scenes. As a dancer, he realized how important movement was not just to dance, but to acting as well.

After bit roles in “The Mummy” and “Mission Impossible 7: Dead Reckoning,” Hulford was in demand with UK film makers.

Stellar turns as a mentally ill man in “I Am Super” and as a terrifying Irish psychopath in the upcoming “The Law of Obsession” brought Hulford to the attention of Richard Douglas Jensen and Chér Xavier, the creative team at Poverty Row Pictures.

When Hulford auditioned along with 1,000 other actors from all over the world, he won the part.

“We just sat there in front of our 10′ digital editing theater screen and when Philip was done, we all were slack-jawed,” Jensen said.

“He’s got the raw, sensual magnetism of young Sean Connery,” Xavier said. “He’s just dangerously sexy.”

When asked what about his audition won him the part, Hulford was typically humble. “I honestly didn’t know – with every audition I simply aim to find the truth of my character’s desires and intentions. I did what I always do, which is to obsess over the character’s world for a while and then, once the tape is sent off, throw away the sides and leave it to the gods to decide,” he said.

Hulford said he is excited to play the sensual, demonic vampire. “I’m into the character’s combination of malevolent power and seductiveness. I like to expand and grow in this craft all the time, and actually, the dark and sexual nature of this film seemed incredibly challenging and one I felt compelled to overcome. I’m still working on the fear I feel over crafting him, but I am excited.”

“The Kiss of A Vampire” is scheduled for release fall 2024.

Richard Jensen
Poverty Row Pictures
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