Who plays Kurt Barlow in Salem's Lot? Everything to know about the actor behind the role

The latest film adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot premiered on Max on October 3, 2024, retelling the classic story for a new generation. Based on the 1975 novel of the same name, the movie follows a writer who returns to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot in order to find inspiration for his new book. However, he is instead met with something more sinister: a vampire.

The 2024 Salem's Lot adaptation brings back all the iconic characters from the book, like Ben Mears, Susan Norton, and Father Callahan, back to the screen. However, fans are eager to see the vampire Kurt Barlow.

Kurt Barlow is portrayed by Alexander Ward - an actor who has dipped his toes in the horror genre before.

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More about Alexander Ward, who portrays Kurt Barlow in Salem's Lot

Actor Alexander Ward plays primary antagonist and vampire Kurt Barlow in the latest film adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot.

Hailing from Sonoma, California, Ward graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, which is based in Los Angeles, in 2012.

Ward portrayed a Parisian Zombie in the 2013 zombie flick World War Z. Since then, he has been a part of many horror projects, like American Horror Story, Army of the Dead, Ghosted, Anabelle Comes Home, and more.

Ward is best known for working in films like Rebel Moon and shows like Westworld. He has also appeared as Nosferatu in a few episodes of SpongeBob.

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Who is Kurt Barlow?

Kurt Barlow is a fictional vampire who was created by writer Stephen King and is the antagonist of the Salem's Lot story.

In the plot, Kurt Barlow comes to Jerusalem's Lot in 1975 and immediately hatches a plan to form his own vampiric colony by turning the residents of the town into vampires. He eventually succeeds in doing so, with only a few residents making it out of the town and escaping his grasp.

Kurt Barlow's age is unknown, with many claiming that the vampire is older than Christianity.

Following the release of Salem's Lot, Alexander Ward became the third actor to play Kurt Barlow in an adaptation of the classic Stephen King story. Prior to this, actor Reggie Nadler portrayed the character in the 1979 mini-series, and Rutger Hauer played the role in the 2004 mini-series.

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What is the film about?

The 2024 film adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel is directed by Gary Dauberman. It follows a writer who decides to go back to his hometown of Jerusalem's Lot only to find that the place is now haunted by the presence of a vampire. Banding with a few folks from town, the writer decides to take the fight to the vampire.

The movie stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, Alfre Woodard, John Benjamin Hickey, Bill Camp, and more. It is now streaming on Max.