Vampire film Byzantium was my chance to be eaten by Gemma Arterton — how much fun was that?, says Tom Hollander

Rev star Tom Hollander appeared in the new vampire film Byzantium for the chance to be bitten by former Bond girl Gemma Arterton.

The movie, which opens in cinemas tomorrow, sees Arterton’s character Clara, an 18th century whore, now a 21st century prostitute, kill teacher Tom with a classic vampire bite to the neck after he proves rather too nosy.

Hollander said: “There was a proliferation of vampire films but I’ve never done one before. This was my chance to be eaten by Gemma, how much fun was that?”

The film, directed by Neil Jordan — who had previous gory success with Interview With A Vampire, sees Clara avenge herself on men after being forced into prostitution by the powerful Ruthven, played by Jonny Lee Miller.

Hollander said: “The whore who revenges herself on men is a clever and poetically satisfying idea. There was a feminist bent. Clearly the whole vampire thing is about sex at some level but in this instance it actually empowers lady vampires. It’s a revenge fantasy for victimised or exploited women.”

Arterton, who at 27 plays the mother of 19-year-old Saoirse Ronan — as vampire Eleanor, said she was rather young to play a parent. She added: “But I’m also very maternal. My relationship with my sister — who’s 24 — is quite like a mother-daughter relationship and my relationship with my mum is sometimes sister-sister.”

She loved the modern take on the genre, she added, as women rarely got to play vampires. “There’s a heart to it which is very humane.”

Producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen thanked the youth theatre of Bristol Old Vic where they first saw Moira Buffini’s vampire play that inspired the film. A Vampire Story was commissioned by the National Theatre before the explosion of interest provoked by Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight stories. “It was before the Twilight thing had happened,” Woolley said. “It’s an antidote to Twilight,” added Daniel Mays, who plays another victim.

Hollander also revealed he is preparing to eat rather than be eaten to play Dylan Thomas in a BBC drama marking the 50th anniversary of the poet’s death. “I’ve got to put on a lot of weight,” he said.