Best Actor in a Bleeding Role: 7 Iconic Vampires from TV and Movies

I admit, I'm intrigued by Why We (heart) Vampires, what NBC is promising is a "collection of fun, comedic interviews accompanied by entertaining clips from our favorite vampire moments" to air this Friday, November 1, at 8pm EDT. This hour-long special will hold a mix of conversations with some of "Hollywood's greatest vampire experts," including author Anne Rice, True Blood's Kristin Bauer and Carrie Preston, Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), and James Marsters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I suppose if there is a time for a vampire show - even a funny one - it's one day after Halloween and one before All Soul's Day. Convenient week to celebrate the undead all around, right? So I got to thinking: Why DO we heart vampires? What's so compelling about an immortal figure that feeds on the blood of humans and maybe a rat from time to time? Let's check out the most iconic undead characters in television and film. There are a bunch, from Bram Stoker's horror stories to the camp of '60s sitcoms to today's American Gothic trend. No matter what the setting or the level of seriousness involved in a story's plot or dialogue, one thing remains the same for each and every vampire: They want to suck your blood.
-By Laurie White

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