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{{cleanup rewrite|date=July 2017}}
{{cleanup rewrite|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox character
{{Infobox character
| name = Erik
| name = Erik
| series = The Phantom of the Opera
| series = The Phantom of the Opera
| caption = [[Lon Chaney]] as Erik, The Phantom, in [[Universal Studios|Universal]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|1925 silent film version of ''The Phantom of the Opera]]''
| caption = [[Lon Chaney]] as Erik, The Phantom, in [[Universal Pictures|Universal]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|1925 silent film version of ''The Phantom of the Opera'']]
| first = ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1909)
| first = ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1909)
| creator = [[Gaston Leroux]]
| creator = [[Gaston Leroux]]
| portrayer = [[Lon Chaney]] <br>[[Claude Rains]] <br>[[Herbert Lom]]<br>[[Colm Wilkinson]]<br>[[Michael Crawford]]<br>[[Dave Willetts]]<br>[[Timothy Nolen]]<br>[[Steve Barton]]<br>[[Robert Englund]]<br>[[Julian Sands]]<br>[[Gerard Butler]]<br>[[Charles Dance]]<br> [[Robert Guillaume]]<br>[[Paul Stanley]]<br>[[Anthony Warlow]]<br>[[Ramin Karimloo]]<br>[[Ben Lewis (Australian actor)|Ben Lewis]]<br>[[John Owen-Jones]]<br>[[Earl Carpenter]]<br>[[Howard McGillin]]<br>[[Anthony Crivello]]<br>[[Brad Little (actor)|Brad Little]]<br>[[Davis Gaines]]<br>[[Norm Lewis]]<br>[[Hugh Panaro]]<br>[[Ben Crawford (singer)|Ben Crawford]]<br>[[Laird Mackintosh]]
| portrayer = [[Lon Chaney]] <br>[[Claude Rains]] <br>[[Herbert Lom]]<br>[[Colm Wilkinson]]<br>[[Michael Crawford]]<br>[[Dave Willetts]]<br>[[Timothy Nolen]]<br>[[Steve Barton]]<br>[[Robert Englund]]<br>[[Julian Sands]]<br>[[Gerard Butler]]<br>[[Charles Dance]]<br> [[Robert Guillaume]]<br>[[Paul Stanley]]<br>[[Anthony Warlow]]<br>[[Ramin Karimloo]]<br>[[Ben Lewis (Australian actor)|Ben Lewis]]<br>[[John Owen-Jones]]<br>[[Earl Carpenter]]<br>[[Howard McGillin]]<br>[[Anthony Crivello]]<br>[[Brad Little (actor)|Brad Little]]<br>[[Davis Gaines]]<br>[[Norm Lewis]]<br>[[Hugh Panaro]]<br>[[Ben Crawford (singer)|Ben Crawford]]<br>[[Aiden Grennell]]<br>[[Laird Mackintosh]]
| alias = The Phantom of the Opera<br/>Opera Ghost<br/>The Angel of Music
| alias = The Phantom of the Opera<br/>Opera Ghost<br/>The Angel of Music
| race =
| race =
| species = [[Human]]
| species = [[Human]]
| occupation =
| occupation = Musician, Composer.
| family =
| gender = Male
| gender = Male
| nationality = [[French language|French]]
| nationality = [[French language|French]]
| franchise =
| franchise =
| image = ChaneyPhantomoftheOpera.jpg
| image = ChaneyPhantomoftheOpera.jpg
| alt =
| first_major =
| alt =
| first_minor =
| first_major =
| first_issue =
| first_minor =
| first_date =
| first_issue =
| last_major =
| first_date =
| last_minor =
| last_major =
| last_issue =
| last_minor =
| last_date =
| last_issue =
| firstgame =
| last_date =
| last =
| firstgame =
| adapted_by =
| last =
| voice =
| adapted_by =
| full_name =
| voice =
| origin =
| full_name =
| home =
| origin =
| home =
}}
}}


'''Erik''' (also known as '''the Phantom of the Opera''', commonly referred to as '''the Phantom''') is the [[title character]] from [[Gaston Leroux]]'s 1910 novel ''Le Fantôme de l'Opéra'', best known to English speakers as ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. The character has been adapted to alternative media several times, including in the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|1925 film adaptation]] starring [[Lon Chaney]], the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|1943 remake]] starring [[Claude Rains]] and [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|1986 musical]].
'''Erik''' (also known as '''the Phantom of the Opera''', commonly referred to as '''the Phantom''') is the titular male [[protagonist]] of [[Gaston Leroux]]'s novel ''Le Fantôme de l'Opéra'', best known to English speakers as ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (novel)|The Phantom of the Opera]]''. The character has been adapted to alternative media several times, including in the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|1925 film adaptation]] starring [[Lon Chaney]], the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|1943 remake]] starring [[Claude Rains]], the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1962 film)|1962 remake]] starring [[Herbert Lom]] and [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|1986 musical]].


==Character history==
==Character history==
In the original novel, few details are given regarding Erik's past. The novel confirms that Erik has traveled to multiple countries including France, Russia, Persia, and northern Vietnam, learning various arts and sciences from each region. Erik himself laments the fact that his mother was horrified by his birth deformity, and that his father, a master [[masonry|construction mason]], never saw him. Most of the character's history is revealed by a mysterious figure, known through most of the novel as [[The Persian]] or the Daroga, who saved Erik's life in [[Persia]], and followed Erik to [[Paris]]; other details are discussed in the novel's epilogue (e.g., his birthplace is given as a small town outside of [[Rouen]], [[France]]).{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} In the novel, Erik [[Illeism|often refers to himself in the third person]], a detail that didn't make it into any subsequent adaptations.
In the original novel, few details are given regarding Erik's past. The novel confirms that Erik has traveled to multiple countries including [[France]], [[Russia]], [[Persia]], and [[northern Vietnam]], learning various [[arts]] and [[Science|sciences]] from each region. Erik himself laments the fact that his mother was horrified by his birth [[deformity]], and that his father, a master [[masonry|construction mason]], never saw him. Most of the character's history is revealed by a mysterious figure, known through most of the novel as [[The Persian]] or the Daroga, who saved Erik's life in Persia, and followed Erik to [[Paris]]; other details are discussed in the novel's [[epilogue]] (e.g., his birthplace is given as a small town outside of [[Rouen]], [[France]]).{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} In the novel, Erik [[Illeism|often refers to himself in the third person]], a detail that didn't make it into any subsequent adaptations.


=== ''Phantom'' ===
=== Kay's ''Phantom'' ===
Many different versions of Erik's life are told through other adaptations such as films, television shows, books, and musicals. One such popular literary adaptation is the [[Susan Kay]] novel [[Phantom (Kay novel)|''Phantom'']] (1990), a fictional in-depth story of Erik from the time of his birth to the end of his life at the Paris Opera House.
Many different versions of Erik's life are told through other adaptations such as films, television shows, books, and musicals. One such popular literary adaptation is the [[Susan Kay]] novel [[Phantom (Kay novel)|''Phantom'']] (1990), a fictional in-depth story of Erik from the time of his birth to the end of his life at the Paris Opera House.


For the most part, Kay's novel stays in context with Erik's life history as laid down by Leroux. However, Kay (as explained in her Author's Note) changes and shapes the character to match her own vision, influenced by other adaptations besides the original. In addition, the ending/resolution is quite different from Leroux's. The story follows Erik through his entire life, starting with the night of his birth, and is told from different viewpoints throughout the novel (Erik's mother, Erik, Nadir/the Persian, Christine, and Raoul). Kay places the highest priority on portraying romantic aspects of Erik's life.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
For the most part, Kay's novel stays in context with Erik's life history as laid down by Leroux. However, Kay (as explained in her Author's Note) changes and shapes the character to match her own vision, influenced by other adaptations besides the original. In addition, the ending/resolution is quite different from Leroux's. The story follows Erik through his entire life, starting with the night of his birth, and is told from different [[Point of view (fiction)|viewpoints]] throughout the novel (Erik's mother, Erik, Nadir/the Persian, Christine, and Raoul). Kay places the highest priority on portraying romantic aspects of Erik's life.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


=== ''Yeston and Kopit'' ===
=== Yeston and Kopit's ''Phantom'' ===
The theatrical team of [[Maury Yeston]] (Music and Lyrics) and [[Arthur Kopit]] (Book) created a musical based on the novel, ''[[Phantom (musical)|Phantom]]'', which investors backed out of after Webber's version became a huge hit. In this version, Erik has spent his entire life living beneath the Opera. Over the years, he became possessive of the Opera, and the creative driving force for the company. No artistic decision is made without Gerard Carriere seeking his approval.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
The theatrical team of [[Maury Yeston]] (Music and Lyrics) and [[Arthur Kopit]] (Book) created a musical based on the novel, ''[[Phantom (musical)|Phantom]]'', which investors backed out of after Webber's version became a huge hit. In this version, Erik has spent his entire life living beneath the Opera. Over the years, he became possessive of the Opera, and the creative driving force for the company. No artistic decision is made without Gerard Carriere seeking his approval.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


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* Holmes then theorizes that the Phantom was Edouard LaFosse, Garnier's (fictional) assistant, who designed much of the Opera's interior and who allegedly died after a building collapse. Holmes theorizes that he did not die, but was merely disfigured and therefore took to hiding in the Opera.
* Holmes then theorizes that the Phantom was Edouard LaFosse, Garnier's (fictional) assistant, who designed much of the Opera's interior and who allegedly died after a building collapse. Holmes theorizes that he did not die, but was merely disfigured and therefore took to hiding in the Opera.
* When Holmes finally confronts the Phantom, however, he denies that he is Edouard LaFosse.
* When Holmes finally confronts the Phantom, however, he denies that he is Edouard LaFosse.
Holmes therefore admits that he is not sure how true any of the theories or claims of the Phantom's identity are. The Phantom never provides a given name in the novel; he only tells Christine that his name is "Nobody".
Holmes therefore admits that he is not sure how true any of the theories or claims of the Phantom's identity are. The Phantom never provides a [[given name]] in the novel; he only tells Christine that his name is "Nobody".


Regardless of his identity, the Phantom in ''The Canary Trainer'' is much more unhinged and bloodthirsty than in the original novel or play: For example, when killing Madame Giry's replacement with the chandelier, he kills "almost thirty men and women in the twinkling of an eye", just to ensure that he kills his main target.<ref name=Meyer-1993/>
Regardless of his identity, the Phantom in ''The Canary Trainer'' is much more unhinged and bloodthirsty than in the original novel or play: for example, when killing Madame Giry's replacement with the [[chandelier]], he kills "almost thirty men and women in the twinkling of an eye", just to ensure that he kills his main target.<ref name=Meyer-1993/>


The Phantom is also more psychologically disturbed, to the extent that he tells Holmes that he has been 'taught' not to speak without his mask, as his mother forced him to wear it whenever he wished to speak as a child. When Holmes knocks the mask off in their final confrontation he then only communicates in snarls and other animalistic sounds.<ref name=Meyer-1993>{{cite book |last=Meyer |first=N. |author-link=Nicholas Meyer |orig-year=1993 |year=1995 |title=The Canary Trainer |quote=From the memoirs of John H. Watson as edited by Nicholas Meyer |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co. |place=New York, NY |isbn=0-393-31241-0 |page=158 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqBjvfe7wA4C |access-date=7 June 2016}}</ref>
The Phantom is also more psychologically disturbed, to the extent that he tells Holmes that he has been "taught" not to speak without his [[mask]], as his mother forced him to wear it whenever he wished to speak as a child. When Holmes knocks the mask off in their final confrontation he then only communicates in snarls and other animalistic sounds.<ref name=Meyer-1993>{{cite book |last=Meyer |first=N. |author-link=Nicholas Meyer |orig-year=1993 |year=1995 |title=The Canary Trainer |quote=From the memoirs of John H. Watson as edited by Nicholas Meyer |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co. |place=New York, NY |isbn=0-393-31241-0 |page=158 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UqBjvfe7wA4C |access-date=7 June 2016}}</ref>


===''The Angel of the Opera''===
===''The Angel of the Opera''===
In Sam Siciliano's novel ''The Angel of the Opera'', Sherlock Holmes is brought in to solve the case of the Opera Ghost, and both Erik's and Holmes's stories unfold through the eyes of Holmes's assistant, Henri Vernier. Siciliano places Holmes and Vernier at several of the crucial scenes in Erik and Christine's relationship, and draws parallels between Erik and Holmes. Holmes sympathizes with Erik so much that after Christine leaves him, Holmes brings him back to England. One of the first people that Erik meets on his arrival is a blind girl with a fondness for music.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
In Sam Siciliano's novel ''The Angel of the Opera'', Sherlock Holmes is brought in to solve the case of the Opera Ghost, and both Erik's and Holmes's stories unfold through the eyes of Holmes's assistant, Henri Vernier. Siciliano places Holmes and Vernier at several of the crucial scenes in Erik and Christine's relationship, and draws parallels between Erik and Holmes. Holmes sympathizes with Erik so much that after Christine leaves him, Holmes brings him back to England. One of the first people that Erik meets on his arrival is a [[Blindness|blind]] girl with a fondness for music.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


==Erik's deformity==
==Erik's deformity==
In the original novel, Erik is described as corpse-like and is referred to as having a "death's-head" (human skull) throughout the story. He has no nose, and his eyes are sunken so deep in his skull that all that is seen are two eye sockets, except when his yellow eyes glow in the dark. His skin is yellowed and tightly stretched across his bones, and only a few wisps of dark brown hair are behind his ears and on his forehead.
In the original novel, Erik is described as corpse-like and is referred to as having a "death's-head" throughout the story. He has no nose, and his eyes are sunken so deep in his skull that all that is seen are two eye sockets, except when his yellow eyes glow in the dark. His skin is yellowed and tightly stretched across his bones, and only a few wisps of dark brown hair are behind his ears and on his forehead.


His mouth is never described in as much detail, but is referred to as a “dead mouth” by Christine, and Erik acknowledges that his mouth is abnormal when lifting up his mask to display ventriloquism. He is described as extremely thin, so much so that he resembles a skeleton. Christine graphically describes his cold, bony hands, which also either feel or smell like death. There is debate among both English and French speakers as to whether the original French word used here, ''sentir'', was intended by Leroux to mean "smells like" or "feels like,” as the French word is used for both feel and smell depending on the context.
His mouth is never described in as much detail, but is referred to as a "dead mouth" by Christine, and Erik acknowledges that his mouth is abnormal when lifting up his mask to display [[ventriloquism]]. He is described as extremely thin, so much so that he resembles a skeleton. Christine graphically describes his cold, bony hands, which also either feel or smell like death. There is debate among both English and French speakers as to whether the original French word used here, ''sentir'', was intended by Leroux to mean "smells like" or "feels like", as the French word is used for both feel and smell depending on the context.


Erik woefully describes himself to Christine as a corpse who is "built up with death from head to foot." According to the Persian, Erik was born with this deformity and was exhibited as ''le mort vivant'' in freak shows earlier in his life. Erik sometimes plays up his macabre appearance, such as sleeping in a coffin as if he is a vampire, he also costumes as the titular character from [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s [[The Masque of the Red Death]] for the masked ball.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
Erik woefully describes himself to Christine as a corpse who is "built up with death from head to foot". According to the Persian, Erik was born with this deformity and was exhibited as ''le mort vivant'' in [[Freak show|freak shows]] earlier in his life. Erik sometimes plays up his macabre appearance, such as sleeping in a coffin as if he was a [[vampire]]; he also costumes as the titular character from [[Edgar Allan Poe]]'s "[[The Masque of the Red Death]]" for the masked ball.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


[[Lon Chaney]]'s characterization of Erik in the silent film ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1925) remains closest to the book in content, in that Erik's face resembles a skull with an elongated nose slit and protruding, crooked teeth. In this version, Erik is said to have been deformed at birth. Chaney was a masterful make-up artist and was considered avant-garde for creating and applying Erik's facial make-up design himself. It is said that he kept it secret until the first day of filming. The result was allegedly so frightening to the women of the time that theaters showing the movie were cautioned to keep [[smelling salts]] on hand to revive those who fainted.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
[[Lon Chaney]]'s characterization of Erik in the silent film ''[[The Phantom of the Opera (1925 film)|The Phantom of the Opera]]'' (1925) remains closest to the book in content, in that Erik's face resembles a skull with an elongated nose slit and protruding, crooked teeth. In this version, Erik is said to have been deformed at birth. Chaney was a masterful make-up artist and was considered avant-garde for creating and applying Erik's facial make-up design himself. It is said that he kept it secret until the first day of filming. The result was allegedly so frightening to the women of the time that theaters showing the movie were cautioned to keep smelling salts on hand to revive those who fainted.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


Several movies based on the novel vary the deformities. In [[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Universal's 1943 adaptation]], he is disfigured when the publisher's assistant throws [[etching]] [[acid]] in his face. In the musical horror film ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]'' (1974), Winslow (the Phantom character) gets his head caught in a record-press, while the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film)|horror version]] (1989) starring [[Robert Englund]] has him selling his soul to [[Satan]] and having his face mutilated as a result. This version also has a gruesome variation on the mask, in which Erik is sewing flesh to his face.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
Several movies based on the novel vary the deformities. In [[Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)|Universal's 1943 adaptation]], he is disfigured when the publisher's assistant throws etching acid in his face. In the musical horror film ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]'' (1974), Winslow (the Phantom character) gets his head caught in a [[record press]], while the [[The Phantom of the Opera (1989 film)|horror version]] (1989) starring [[Robert Englund]] has him [[Deal with the Devil|selling his soul to Satan]] and having his face mutilated as a result. This version also has a gruesome variation on the mask, in which Erik is sewing flesh to his face.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


In [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|1986 musical adaptation]], only half of Erik's face is deformed (thus the famous half-mask often associated with Erik's appearance.) His show was originally planned to have a full mask and full facial disfigurement, but when the director, [[Harold Prince]], realized that it would make expression onstage very difficult, they halved the mask. The logo featuring a full mask was publicized before the change. The deformity in the musical includes a gash on the right side of his partially balding head with exposed skull tissue, an elongated right nostril, a missing right eyebrow, swollen lips, different colored eyes, and a wrinkled, warped right cheek. It is covered by a white half-mask and wig.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
In [[Andrew Lloyd Webber]]'s [[The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)|1986 musical adaptation]], only half of Erik's face is deformed (thus the famous half-mask often associated with Erik's appearance). His show was originally planned to have a full mask and full facial disfigurement, but when the director, [[Harold Prince]], realized that it would make expression onstage very difficult, they halved the mask. The logo featuring a full mask was publicized before the change. The deformity in the musical includes a gash on the right side of his partially balding head with exposed skull tissue, an elongated right nostril, a missing right eyebrow, swollen lips, different colored eyes, and a wrinkled, warped right cheek. It is covered by a white half-mask and wig.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}


In the [[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|2004 film adaptation]] of the musical, Erik's makeup was made to look much less gruesome than previous adaptations of the story. Instead of a skull-like face, his disfigurement resembles that of a face mildly malformed by a [[Port-wine stain|birthmark]], which he covers with the mask. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] noted that [[Gerard Butler|Butler]] was more "conventionally handsome" than his predecessors "in a ''GQ'' kind of way".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/andrew-lloyd-webbers-phantom-of-the-opera-2004 | title=Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera | publisher=Roger Ebert | date=December 21, 2004 | access-date=2014-08-12 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813192502/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/andrew-lloyd-webbers-phantom-of-the-opera-2004 | archive-date=August 13, 2014 }}</ref>
In the [[The Phantom of the Opera (2004 film)|2004 film adaptation]] of the musical, Erik's makeup was made to look much less gruesome than previous adaptations of the story. Instead of a skull-like face, his disfigurement resembles that of a face mildly malformed by a [[Port-wine stain|birthmark]], which he covers with the mask. Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] noted that [[Gerard Butler|Butler]] was more "conventionally handsome" than his predecessors "in a ''GQ'' kind of way".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/andrew-lloyd-webbers-phantom-of-the-opera-2004 | title=Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera | publisher=Roger Ebert | date=December 21, 2004 | access-date=2014-08-12 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813192502/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/andrew-lloyd-webbers-phantom-of-the-opera-2004 | archive-date=August 13, 2014 }}</ref>
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===Television===
===Television===
* [[Maximilian Schell]] in the 1983 television film ''{{Interlanguage link|The Phantom of the Opera (1983 TV movie)|de|3=Das Phantom von Budapest|lt=The Phantom of the Opera}}''.
* [[Maximilian Schell]] as Sándor Korvin/The Phantom of the Opera in the 1983 television film ''{{Interlanguage link|The Phantom of the Opera (1983 film)|de|3=Das Phantom von Budapest|lt=The Phantom of the Opera}}''.
* [[Charles Dance]] in the 1990 [[NBC]] [[The Phantom of the Opera (1990 miniseries)|two-part television miniseries]].
* [[Aiden Grennell]] as voice of The Phantom of the Opera in the 1988 Animated TV movie of the same name.
* [[Charles Dance]] as Erik/The Phantom of the Opera in the 1990 [[NBC]] [[The Phantom of the Opera (miniseries)|two-part television miniseries]].


===Theatre===
===Theatre===
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* [[Marcus Lovett]] played the Phantom on Broadway from 1993 to 1994 and in the West End from 2012 to 2013.
* [[Marcus Lovett]] played the Phantom on Broadway from 1993 to 1994 and in the West End from 2012 to 2013.
* [[Brad Little (actor)|Brad Little]] played the role over 2,000 times on the US national and world tour, as well as on Broadway as a temporary replacement in 2002. Also played Raoul.
* [[Brad Little (actor)|Brad Little]] played the role over 2,000 times on the US national and world tour, as well as on Broadway as a temporary replacement in 2002. Also played Raoul.
* [[Ted Keegan]] played the role from 1999 to 2002 on the US tour and was a temporary replacement for the role on Broadway in 1999. He understudied the role on Broadway from 1995 to 1998 and later came back as an understudy for the role on Broadway from 2018 to 2023. He also understudied the role in ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular''. He has played the role on and off for over 25 years.
* [[Ted Keegan]] played the role from 1999 to 2002 on the US tour and was a temporary replacement for the role on Broadway in 1999. He understudied the role on Broadway from 1995 to 1998 and later came back as an understudy for the role on Broadway from 2018 to 2023. He also understudied the role in ''Phantom: The Las Vegas Spectacular''. Keegan, Mackintosh and Stolle alternated as the Phantom on Broadway for the final two weeks of the production after Ben Crawford left. Keegan has played the role on and off for over 25 years.
⚫
* [[Paul Stanley]] on stage in Toronto (1999)
{{col-break}}
{{col-break}}
* [[Martin Smith (entertainer)|Martin Smith]] replaced Willets in London for two months.
* [[Martin Smith (entertainer)|Martin Smith]] replaced Willetts in London for two months.
* [[Gary Mauer]] played the role on the third US tour. He also played the role as a temporary replacement on Broadway in 2007. Also played Raoul.
* [[Gary Mauer]] played the role on the third US tour. He also played the role as a temporary replacement on Broadway in 2007. Also played Raoul.
* [[Jeff Keller]] understudied the role in the original Broadway cast and was a temporary replacement for the role in 1990 and 1994.
* [[Jeff Keller]] understudied the role in the original Broadway cast and was a temporary replacement for the role in 1990 and 1994.
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* [[Glyn Kerslake]] played the role in the West End in 1998.
* [[Glyn Kerslake]] played the role in the West End in 1998.
* [[Mark Jacoby]] played the role on Broadway and tour in the early 1990s
* [[Mark Jacoby]] played the role on Broadway and tour in the early 1990s
⚫
* [[Paul Stanley]] on stage in Toronto (1999)
* [[Peter Polycarpou]] was the fifth actor to portray the Phantom in the West End
* [[Peter Polycarpou]] was the fifth actor to portray the Phantom in the West End
* [[Ciarán Sheehan (actor)|Ciarán Sheehan]] played the Phantom in Toronto. He also played Raoul and understudied the Phantom on Broadway and on tour.
* [[Ciarán Sheehan (actor)|Ciarán Sheehan]] played the Phantom in Toronto. He also played Raoul and understudied the Phantom on Broadway and on tour.
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* [[Thomas James O'Leary]] played the Phantom from 1996 to 1999 on Broadway. Also played the role on tour in 1995.
* [[Thomas James O'Leary]] played the Phantom from 1996 to 1999 on Broadway. Also played the role on tour in 1995.
* [[Ron Bohmer]] played the Phantom on the second US national tour.
* [[Ron Bohmer]] played the Phantom on the second US national tour.
* [[John Cudia]] – Previous Phantom had portrayed both Raoul and the Phantom
* [[John Cudia]] – Played the Phantom on Broadway and on tour. Also played Raoul.
* [[Thomas Borchert]] played the role in Germany
* [[Thomas Borchert]] played the role in Germany
* [[Jeff Hyslop]] played the role in Canada in 1999
* [[Jeff Hyslop]] played the role in Canada in 1999
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* Josh Piterman played the Phantom in London's West End from September 2019 to March 2020 when the show was closed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. He later reprised his role in Australia in 2022 and 2023.
* Josh Piterman played the Phantom in London's West End from September 2019 to March 2020 when the show was closed due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. He later reprised his role in Australia in 2022 and 2023.
* [[Killian Donnelly]] played the Phantom in London's West End from 2021 to 2023 and in the 2020 UK tour
* [[Killian Donnelly]] played the Phantom in London's West End from 2021 to 2023 and in the 2020 UK tour
* Jeremy Stolle understudied the Phantom, Raoul, and Piangi on Broadway from 2008 to the show’s closing. He played the Phantom in the majority of the performances during the last 2 weeks on Broadway doing 8 shows and Keegan doing 4 of the shows before Mackintosh took over for the final 3.
* [[Laird Mackintosh]] played André in the Broadway production and understudied the Phantom from 2013 to 2019, he was a temporary replacement for the Phantom in 2014, 2017, and 2018. He also played the role for the final 3 performances on Broadway in April 2023.
* [[Laird Mackintosh]] played André in the Broadway production and understudied the Phantom from 2013 to 2019, he was a temporary replacement for the Phantom in 2014, 2017, and 2018. He also played the role for the final 3 performances on Broadway in April 2023.
* [[Jon Robyns]] is playing The Phantom in the West End since April 2023
* [[Jon Robyns]] is playing The Phantom in the West End since April 2023
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{{Phantom of the Opera}}
{{Phantom of the Opera}}
{{Gaston Leroux}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


Latest revision as of 21:12, 22 December 2024

Erik
The Phantom of the Opera character
Lon Chaney as Erik, The Phantom, in Universal's 1925 silent film version of The Phantom of the Opera
First appearanceThe Phantom of the Opera (1909)
Created byGaston Leroux
Portrayed byLon Chaney
Claude Rains
Herbert Lom
Colm Wilkinson
Michael Crawford
Dave Willetts
Timothy Nolen
Steve Barton
Robert Englund
Julian Sands
Gerard Butler
Charles Dance
Robert Guillaume
Paul Stanley
Anthony Warlow
Ramin Karimloo
Ben Lewis
John Owen-Jones
Earl Carpenter
Howard McGillin
Anthony Crivello
Brad Little
Davis Gaines
Norm Lewis
Hugh Panaro
Ben Crawford
Aiden Grennell
Laird Mackintosh
In-universe information
AliasThe Phantom of the Opera
Opera Ghost
The Angel of Music
SpeciesHuman
GenderMale
OccupationMusician, Composer.
NationalityFrench

Erik (also known as the Phantom of the Opera, commonly referred to as the Phantom) is the titular male protagonist of Gaston Leroux's novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra, best known to English speakers as The Phantom of the Opera. The character has been adapted to alternative media several times, including in the 1925 film adaptation starring Lon Chaney, the 1943 remake starring Claude Rains, the 1962 remake starring Herbert Lom and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical.

Character history

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In the original novel, few details are given regarding Erik's past. The novel confirms that Erik has traveled to multiple countries including France, Russia, Persia, and northern Vietnam, learning various arts and sciences from each region. Erik himself laments the fact that his mother was horrified by his birth deformity, and that his father, a master construction mason, never saw him. Most of the character's history is revealed by a mysterious figure, known through most of the novel as The Persian or the Daroga, who saved Erik's life in Persia, and followed Erik to Paris; other details are discussed in the novel's epilogue (e.g., his birthplace is given as a small town outside of Rouen, France).[citation needed] In the novel, Erik often refers to himself in the third person, a detail that didn't make it into any subsequent adaptations.

Kay's Phantom

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Many different versions of Erik's life are told through other adaptations such as films, television shows, books, and musicals. One such popular literary adaptation is the Susan Kay novel Phantom (1990), a fictional in-depth story of Erik from the time of his birth to the end of his life at the Paris Opera House.

For the most part, Kay's novel stays in context with Erik's life history as laid down by Leroux. However, Kay (as explained in her Author's Note) changes and shapes the character to match her own vision, influenced by other adaptations besides the original. In addition, the ending/resolution is quite different from Leroux's. The story follows Erik through his entire life, starting with the night of his birth, and is told from different viewpoints throughout the novel (Erik's mother, Erik, Nadir/the Persian, Christine, and Raoul). Kay places the highest priority on portraying romantic aspects of Erik's life.[citation needed]

Yeston and Kopit's Phantom

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The theatrical team of Maury Yeston (Music and Lyrics) and Arthur Kopit (Book) created a musical based on the novel, Phantom, which investors backed out of after Webber's version became a huge hit. In this version, Erik has spent his entire life living beneath the Opera. Over the years, he became possessive of the Opera, and the creative driving force for the company. No artistic decision is made without Gerard Carriere seeking his approval.[citation needed]

He offers to teach Christine Daaé to sing after hearing her working in the costume shop, and falls in love with her.[citation needed]

This storyline was also the basis for the 1990 miniseries starring Charles Dance, Teri Polo, and Burt Lancaster as Carriere.[citation needed] and the show has received over 1000 theatrical productions worldwide.

The Canary Trainer

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In Nicholas Meyer's 1993 novel The Canary Trainer, Sherlock Holmes develops several theories as to the Phantom's identity:[1]

  • Holmes first idea is that the Phantom is an employee of the Opera; however, when the Phantom's knowledge of the Opera becomes evident, Holmes then believes that he is Charles Garnier, having faked his own death. However, Garnier's corpse is conclusively identified.
  • Holmes then theorizes that the Phantom was Edouard LaFosse, Garnier's (fictional) assistant, who designed much of the Opera's interior and who allegedly died after a building collapse. Holmes theorizes that he did not die, but was merely disfigured and therefore took to hiding in the Opera.
  • When Holmes finally confronts the Phantom, however, he denies that he is Edouard LaFosse.

Holmes therefore admits that he is not sure how true any of the theories or claims of the Phantom's identity are. The Phantom never provides a given name in the novel; he only tells Christine that his name is "Nobody".

Regardless of his identity, the Phantom in The Canary Trainer is much more unhinged and bloodthirsty than in the original novel or play: for example, when killing Madame Giry's replacement with the chandelier, he kills "almost thirty men and women in the twinkling of an eye", just to ensure that he kills his main target.[1]

The Phantom is also more psychologically disturbed, to the extent that he tells Holmes that he has been "taught" not to speak without his mask, as his mother forced him to wear it whenever he wished to speak as a child. When Holmes knocks the mask off in their final confrontation he then only communicates in snarls and other animalistic sounds.[1]

The Angel of the Opera

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In Sam Siciliano's novel The Angel of the Opera, Sherlock Holmes is brought in to solve the case of the Opera Ghost, and both Erik's and Holmes's stories unfold through the eyes of Holmes's assistant, Henri Vernier. Siciliano places Holmes and Vernier at several of the crucial scenes in Erik and Christine's relationship, and draws parallels between Erik and Holmes. Holmes sympathizes with Erik so much that after Christine leaves him, Holmes brings him back to England. One of the first people that Erik meets on his arrival is a blind girl with a fondness for music.[citation needed]

Erik's deformity

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In the original novel, Erik is described as corpse-like and is referred to as having a "death's-head" throughout the story. He has no nose, and his eyes are sunken so deep in his skull that all that is seen are two eye sockets, except when his yellow eyes glow in the dark. His skin is yellowed and tightly stretched across his bones, and only a few wisps of dark brown hair are behind his ears and on his forehead.

His mouth is never described in as much detail, but is referred to as a "dead mouth" by Christine, and Erik acknowledges that his mouth is abnormal when lifting up his mask to display ventriloquism. He is described as extremely thin, so much so that he resembles a skeleton. Christine graphically describes his cold, bony hands, which also either feel or smell like death. There is debate among both English and French speakers as to whether the original French word used here, sentir, was intended by Leroux to mean "smells like" or "feels like", as the French word is used for both feel and smell depending on the context.

Erik woefully describes himself to Christine as a corpse who is "built up with death from head to foot". According to the Persian, Erik was born with this deformity and was exhibited as le mort vivant in freak shows earlier in his life. Erik sometimes plays up his macabre appearance, such as sleeping in a coffin as if he was a vampire; he also costumes as the titular character from Edgar Allan Poe's "The Masque of the Red Death" for the masked ball.[citation needed]

Lon Chaney's characterization of Erik in the silent film The Phantom of the Opera (1925) remains closest to the book in content, in that Erik's face resembles a skull with an elongated nose slit and protruding, crooked teeth. In this version, Erik is said to have been deformed at birth. Chaney was a masterful make-up artist and was considered avant-garde for creating and applying Erik's facial make-up design himself. It is said that he kept it secret until the first day of filming. The result was allegedly so frightening to the women of the time that theaters showing the movie were cautioned to keep smelling salts on hand to revive those who fainted.[citation needed]

Several movies based on the novel vary the deformities. In Universal's 1943 adaptation, he is disfigured when the publisher's assistant throws etching acid in his face. In the musical horror film Phantom of the Paradise (1974), Winslow (the Phantom character) gets his head caught in a record press, while the horror version (1989) starring Robert Englund has him selling his soul to Satan and having his face mutilated as a result. This version also has a gruesome variation on the mask, in which Erik is sewing flesh to his face.[citation needed]

In Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical adaptation, only half of Erik's face is deformed (thus the famous half-mask often associated with Erik's appearance). His show was originally planned to have a full mask and full facial disfigurement, but when the director, Harold Prince, realized that it would make expression onstage very difficult, they halved the mask. The logo featuring a full mask was publicized before the change. The deformity in the musical includes a gash on the right side of his partially balding head with exposed skull tissue, an elongated right nostril, a missing right eyebrow, swollen lips, different colored eyes, and a wrinkled, warped right cheek. It is covered by a white half-mask and wig.[citation needed]

In the 2004 film adaptation of the musical, Erik's makeup was made to look much less gruesome than previous adaptations of the story. Instead of a skull-like face, his disfigurement resembles that of a face mildly malformed by a birthmark, which he covers with the mask. Film critic Roger Ebert noted that Butler was more "conventionally handsome" than his predecessors "in a GQ kind of way".[2]

The 1998 film adaptation starring Julian Sands as Erik is notable in that the character is not deformed and has instead a classically handsome face.

Performers

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Film

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Onscreen, Erik has often been cast as a tragic hero but also a tragic villain, depending on the film's point of view.

Television

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Theatre

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Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals

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See main list: The Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies

References

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  1. ^ a b c Meyer, N. (1995) [1993]. The Canary Trainer. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co. p. 158. ISBN 0-393-31241-0. Retrieved 7 June 2016. From the memoirs of John H. Watson as edited by Nicholas Meyer
  2. ^ "Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera". Roger Ebert. December 21, 2004. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-12.
  3. ^ "The World Today - Stage star stopped by stroke". www.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
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