If you like horror movies, you’ve probably seen him on screen and don’t know who he was. Behind the impressive special effects makeup, comedian Javier Bote has made monsters his specialty.
Originally from Ciudad Real in Spain, he was just five years old when he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disease that affects the connective tissues. Common symptoms include abnormally long hands and fingers, hyperlaxity (excessive flexibility) of the joints, and heart and lung problems. It is this disease that gives Javier Bote this particular silhouette: the actor is more than 2 meters tall for about fifty kilograms and has particularly long upper limbs.
He turns this singularity into a strength and finds his place in Spanish genre cinema that calls upon him to embody all manner of monsters. After her film debut in 2005, The Curse of the Depths, she lends her features to the terrifying Niña Medeiros in a found footage film by Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza, in which a journalist and his cameraman are trapped in a building full of zombies. Botetti will return to the role, one of the most defining creatures of 2000s horror cinema, in the third installment of the franchise, ³ Genesis.
In demand for both television and film, he combines appearances in short and feature films. If it is also illustrated in dramas and comedies (which remained largely unpublished in France), it is inseparable from fantastic and terrifying cinema. He toured several times under the direction of fellow countryman Alex de la Iglesia (Balada Triste, Un jour de chance, Les Sorcières de Zugarramurdi) and was finally noticed by Hollywood.
“Another memory at Crimson Peak with the boss. ✨GUILLERMO DEL TORO✨”
In 2013, she starred in Mama opposite Jessica Chastain and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Javier Botet portrays an evil spirit that is especially connected to his family. He reunited with Andy Muschietti for the diptych It , based on the Stephen King novel. A big fan of monsters, Guillermo del Toro offered him the role of a ghost in his gothic film Crimson Peak (2015) and his production Scary Stories (2019).
The Spanish actor continues his journey across the Atlantic with The Crooked Man in Conjuring 2: the Enfield case; Seth, Ahmanet’s lover in The Mummy with Tom Cruise; KeyFace in Insidious: The Last Key; and the title role of The Slender Man, based on the famous Creepypasta. You can see many pictures of his impressive transformations His Instagram account (@jbotet).
Despite his filmography, Javier Botet has never played Dracula. This is now done with Demetrius’ last journey: “I’ve been playing monsters for 15 years, and I’ve been asked several times which classic monster game I still dream about, to which I always say Dracula.”
André Ovredal’s film focuses on the transport of a vampire from his homeland, the Carpathians, to England. The Count boards the Demetrius, a ship loaded with a dozen wooden boxes filled with black soil, including one in which he is hiding. Chapter VII of Bram Stoker’s famous novel mentions the last crossing of the Demetrius in an extract from an English diary. Dailygraph Dated August 8, 1897.
For the film, Bothe shaved his head and spent 3 to 5 hours a day in the hands of special makeup manager Goran Lundström and his team. The silicone prostheses were first attached to the head, and then slipped into the latex suit.
Hard preparation that did not dampen the enthusiasm of the actor, who is very proud of this project, as he wrote Instagram : “I couldn’t be more proud and happy to have made it this far. Without a doubt, one of the highlights of my professional life. It’s an honor to bring this icon of cinema to life, an honor to Amblin. It’s an honor to work with the artists and professionals with whom I started The Last Journey of Demetrius.” Thanks to Andre Ovredal. I hope movie fans and especially horror fans will appreciate it.”
Javier Bote as Dracula in The Last Voyage of Demetrius, currently in cinemas:
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
