A real-life vampire who slept in a coffin for more than a decade has opened up about what the movies get wrong when it comes to his kind.
Vlad Dracula-Lowe, who goes by Drak, has identified as a vampire since he was just a kid and in his adult years has gone through some pretty extreme body-modifications to look the part, including having a set of horn implanted under his skin and getting his own sharp fangs fitted.
The dad-of-three, from Reefton in New Zealand, said as a child he grew up attending church every Sunday but when he heard the priest talking about a man with horns wanting to take over the world he decided he wanted his own set of horns.
As well as his horns and fangs, Drak, 51, has plenty of tattoos and piercings but insists that his unusual looks don’t define him and urges people not to judge a book by its cover, explaining that when it comes down to it, he’s not very different from anyone else.
Drak Lowe said you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover (Supplied/Drak Lowe)
Speaking to LADbible, he said: “I’m just a normal everyday sort of person, but yeah, I’m born a vampire and I’ve always lived that kind of lifestyle.”
‘That lifestyle’ included Drak sleeping in a coffin for around 13-years, until it was damaged in a flood and he decided to upgrade himself to a bed.
Drak also revealed that he has drank blood but adds that it’s not part of his regular diet, and, much like any other vampire, he avoids the sunshine opting to wear a hoodie even in scorching New Zealand sunshine – although he admits it gets some funny looks.
“I’ve always burnt really easily, so I’d rather avoid it, if I can, but there are some things you just have to do,” he said.
He went on to explain that most people’s knowledge of the vampire lifestyle comes from books and movies, but Drak says this isn’t really how things work in real life.
“People are starting to understand that vampires aren’t exactly what has been portrayed in movies,” he said.
Drak says the way vampires appear on screen is different to how he lives his life (Getty stock image)
“This is real life, I can’t turn into a bat or disappear.”
He is also fine to walk into a church, be around holy water or hold a crucifix and says that he’s attended weddings of pals from multiple faiths without it being an issue.
As you might have guessed, Drak garners a lot of attention while he’s out and about and says it’s something he’s grown used to, but he does have one request for members of the public.
“I’d much prefer for people to come up and ask a question,” he said.
“Or you know just say, ‘hey, what’s up with this? Why have you got this?’ Or whatever. To me, it’s a lot nicer and it’s nicer for my family.
“I do get some silly questions, where people will ask me if I want to drink their blood and that’s a flat out no, I’m not just going to go out and bite someone.”
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