After Audible's 'Dracula,' Jonathan Bailey's Officially Ready for His Quinn Audio Story

Published Oct 1, 2026, 9:00 AM EDT

Therese Lacson is a Senior TV Editor who has been with Collider since 2021. She got started in this business over ten years ago working primarily as an interviewer and critic. At Collider, she works closely with the features team to support the writers and also ideates and develops content daily. She has covered major industry events including Cannes Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, Toronto International Film Festival, and San Diego Comic-Con. Although she reviews and covers both film and television, her focus is in television and her expertise is in fantasy and sci-fi genre shows. Her favorite shows to cover include House of the Dragon, Bridgerton, Fallout, 9-1-1, and Rivals. 

Sign in to your Collider account

It's October, which means we're officially in spooky season. With spooky season comes Audible's newest adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, complete with an all-star cast and director Mary Lambert at the helm; the latest audio drama takes a new look at a very familiar character. In the leading role is Jonathan Bailey, best known for his role as Anthony Bridgerton in Bridgerton, but Bailey gives us a totally new interpretation of the titular character. Bailey's Dracula is darker, more menacing, and a far cry from the romantic figure of Francis Ford Coppola's iconic film.

Collider spoke with Bailey about his latest role and what the actor had to do to make his version of the original vampire different from all the others. He discussed the technical side of recording an audio drama — and what it takes for him to make those disgustingly perfect squelching sounds. Although the drama sees Ella Purnell playing Mina Murray, Aimee Lou Wood as Lucy, David Jonsson as Dr. Seward, and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Van Helsing, the actors had their parts pieced together for the final product. Bailey also gives insight into what it's like when you're playing a part in a story where you haven't met any of your co-stars. Finally, Bailey gives the lovers of spicy audio stories a little hope with his thoughts on Quinn.

Jonathan Bailey on His Fascinating New Version of Dracula

"It's impossible to contend with a century of Draculas."

Image via Audible

COLLIDER: So many people have portrayed the character of Dracula in the past. What did you want to do to make your version stand out from the others?

JONATHAN BAILEY: It's impossible to contend with a century of Draculas, but there's something innately compelling that I've always found in Dracula. I think the singularity of the icon; everyone has a reference to a visceral feeling behind a simple image of what Dracula is.

But for me, going back to [Bram] Stoker's original perspective, it's fascinating to me that it was written at a time when, obviously, the attitudes towards how we interact with our bodies and our minds and what is regulated and controlled, in terms of desires, and also, I think, cultural mobility, were so rigid, and he went on a holiday in Whitby and how he thought about this bigger world. That, to me, was something that I've always found fascinating about Dracula, about how do you capture what the equivalent is now when we sort of understand multiple different cultures, and we are sort of faced with our fears daily?

But yeah, that was just something that I've always understood about, he's not necessarily someone who necessarily just seduces. It's always a dynamic, and there's always a vulnerability to the person who's willing to be compelled and to hand themselves over. I think that's something that I've always been interested in and wanted to capture with Mary Lambert.

Bailey Reveals What It Takes To Record Some of the Most Disgusting Scenes in 'Dracula'

"A whole childhood of making noises and sounds alone up in my room, and I finally found a place to put them to good use."

Image via Audible

One of the things that surprised me the most about your version of Dracula is how menacing he was. There is this interesting element whenever I listen to an audio drama where there are disgusting sound effects for things, especially for you in this when you're feeding. How do you act out the squelching, like the drinking of blood? It is very visceral.

BAILEY: [Laughs] Is it? Good! But you know what’s funny? I've not actually yet heard it, so I apologize. But no, Mary Lambert, when I saw that she was doing it, she's so brilliantly visual and willing to create as much texture as possible, and I think that maybe is reflected in the two mics that we used. One was sort of in surround, and one was very specific. It becomes a very technical exercise, and I think 100% commitment, and maybe even 150 if you can. I know it's just audio, but if you can get a sense that it's in 4D and there's a bit of splashback, then you've done something well.

I want to know the technical side of this. Are you biting into a watermelon? What's the situation here? Because it sounds like you’re devouring somebody, but I obviously know that you are not devouring someone.

BAILEY: It's just me and, like, 38 years... Well, maybe not. I don't do it as much now, but a whole childhood of making noises and sounds alone up in my room, and I finally found a place to put them to good use. Also, you go into some sort of trance. It's like when you sort of dull any of the senses, and that's why audio narration and audio plays are so satisfying to me, and also just music generally. It's like having a shower in the dark. It’s like suddenly you're just heightened, and I think the same when you're performing, because it's like a concave lens and you're going straight into the microphone, and so you sort of come out of it, and you're like, “What the hell have I just done?” But Therese, you’ve just told me, so now I know!

It was successful and successfully disgusting. I was listening to it when I was doing other stuff, and I was like, “Oh my God!” It’s very realistic.

BAILEY: [Laughs] As long as it works! Okay, great!

Bailey Decides Which He Prefers Playing: Villain or Hero?

"You play it for the clearest of intentions."

Image via Audible

This is the first time that I think I've actually seen you take on a more villainous role. Granted, it is over audio, but especially in this version of Dracula — which, in a lot of other versions, we see him sort of romantically involved with Mina, whereas this is not really the case here. He's sort of puppeting everybody. Now that you're on the other side of it, do you think you prefer playing villains like Dracula or more of romantic heroes like Anthony Bridgerton?

BAILEY: Oh, God, it's funny. I mean, everyone's a hero in their own story, which I think is true, but it's funny because I think Bram Stoker also allowed Dracula to be something that's... It's what we project onto Dracula which defines how we sort of perceive him. I think he is very active in this, but I love the fact that it's more through Mina's lens, this adaptation. But, yeah, I think either side of it, you play it for the clearest of intentions. I think that's why eroticism and horror and desire — there's a very sort of thin, permeable membrane between the three of them because it's so visceral and it's very animal, and it's very instinctive. So, I enjoy it all.

I think you should play more villains. I think you really grasped it in this because he's got a very dark, menacing tone. I've seen Coppola's Dracula so many times, and this is definitely a different vision. I've never seen this vision really taken in this direction, and I quite enjoyed it.

BAILEY: Great! Well, that's good. Yeah, I think we've all got darkness and shadows and villainy in us somewhere. So, luckily for me, it goes in the audio booth and then it's sealed off.

Bailey Reveals the Difficult Process Behind Audio Dramas

"I was schooled, and I love learning as we go."

When it comes to this world of doing Audible dramas, for you as an actor, because it is just a vocal element and physically you're not being seen, what do you think is your biggest challenge going through it and preparing yourself for this type of role?

BAILEY: Similarly to everything, but I think even more so in this because it's so isolated, because you're not working as a cast…

Are you recording with anybody else?

BAILEY: No. Well, we have an amazing group of producers, as well as Mary in the booth on the other side. And yeah, you'll have two fantastic actors that read with you. They play multiple characters within, but they'll also double up for the characters and the actors that aren't there with you on the day, and they are incredible. I mean, talk about real craft. If anything, that's the hardest thing is to try and match them because they're kind of virtuosic.

But no, it's about tone, I think. Obviously, Mary Lambert, it's like Pet Sematary, and her ability to communicate vision and music and combined storytelling is evident in all her work. So, it's always about trusting that you're being guided in tone, and especially even more so when you're then siloed in this way.

It’s funny, I've actually not ever met Aimee Lou Wood or David Jonsson or Ella Purnell. I'm massive fans of them, and obviously Lesley Manville. Johnny [Flynn], I met very briefly on the day, and then I ended up on a plane with him, and I sat behind him, so we had a brilliant Dracula debrief. He's such a lovely guy. So, yeah, you just want to make sure that you're matching and existing in the world, especially when it's so specific and elevated and inner ear like this one.

I think you guys really accomplished it. It’s always surprising to me when I hear the final version, and I'm like, “Oh, they're not in the same room together?” But I guess that's just the magic of audio dramas.

BAILEY: Yeah! Well, it's mastery and understanding just even the difference between two microphones and the relationship between it. It's incredible. I was schooled, and I love learning as we go.

Audio dramas are huge right now. After doing something like Dracula, would you ever consider doing a Quinn audio story? I'm curious about that, because that is the next frontier for a lot of actors, and I'm wondering if that’s in the realm.

BAILEY: Well, nothing's not on the table — and maybe when I do a Quinn story, it might be called On the Table, or Under the Table. [Laughs] But no, yeah, I think Quinn is fantastic. Who knows? I'd have to take my Dracula fangs out for that one, maybe.

Jonathan Bailey