The 15 Sexiest Werewolves That Clawed Their Way On-Screen
Anthony Gramuglia
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People are constantly demonstrating their intense thirst for monsters. Creatives like Guillermo del Toro, Clive Barker, and many others built their careers creating erotic monstrosities that blur the line between nightmares and…a very different sort of dream.
But werewolves? They’re often left out of the conversation, despite being rather erotic entities. They’re representations of uncontrolled urges, broad and biting and clawing. While not as eroticized as vampires, werewolves deserve their time to be admired. There are tons of sexy werewolves out there. Here are just fifteen of them.
I tried to include something for everyone. Just one self-imposed rule, none of these werewolves are underaged, even if the actors playing them are of age. So no Ginger from Ginger Snaps or Jacob from Twilight here.
1. Larry Talbot (The Wolf Man, 1942)
When it comes to werewolves, few are as beloved as the progenitor of much of our werewolf lore: Larry Talbot in 1942’s The Wolf Man. Think silver would protect you from a werewolf? You have Talbot to thank for that.
Lon Chaney Jr. embodied that perfect tortured vibe. He’s at once vulnerable, but will the next minute choke you with his fuzzy paws in a foggy cemetery. For those who might like the sound of that so far, he’s also got a build that is tall and broad without being burly. Add all that fur, and…well, you get the drift.
Yes, using a telescope to look into women’s bedrooms is frankly creepy, but Talbot grows over the course of his films. You need to get yourself a wolf who will both fight off Frankenstein’s Monster and put a definitive end to Bela Lugosi’s Dracula.
2. Connor (Wolves, 2014)
It’s Jason Momoa as a werewolf. He’s an alpha male in a pack of wolves wandering around the Canadian countryside. Think Near Dark, but with werewolves. And pre-Aquaman Jason Momoa.
There are few reasons to really watch Wolves, unless you’re a werewolf junky like myself…or you really just want to see Momoa bursting out of his clothes as he gets broad and fuzzy. There’s a lot of werewolf-on-werewolf action in this film, with Momoa embodying all the uncontrolled wildness one loves about lycanthropy.
As a werewolf, Connor takes after Larry Talbot: more wolfman than werewolf. Which works just fine, because it doesn’t conceal any of Momoa’s physique.
3. Van Helsing (Van Helsing, 2004)
Spoilers for this campy cult classic: Hugh Jackman turns into a werewolf and fights Dracula. You’d have to be absolutely out of your mind not to include 2008’s Sexiest Man Alive award off a list of sexy werewolves. Just not happening.
Van Helsing is a pretty cool character throughout the film, more resembling monster hunters like D from Vampire Hunter D with his broad hat and jacket However, when he werewolves out, he becomes a gigantic array of computer-generated muscles. All of it is hammy and over-the-top but anchored by Jackman channeling his inner Wolverine. And it rocks.
4. Laurie (Trick’R’Treat, 2007)
A beautiful inversion of Little Red Riding Hood, Anna Paquin — as well as her entire tribe of lady werewolves — is one of the best integrations of eroticism and lycanthropy put to screen.
Her entire mission is to have “her first time,” which we are led to believe indicates a very different experience than what we end up getting. But as we learn, undressing means shedding your human suit and unleashing pure animosity.
It’s certainly a sight to see her shed any veneer of insecurity as she unleashes her inner animal in a beautiful group meal.
5. David Kessler (An American Werewolf in London, 1981)
In one of the greatest werewolf movies of all time, David, played by David Naughton, manages to lure in the beautiful Jenny Agutter’s nurse with his boyish charms and sense of humor. Even when tortured, David is a pretty funny character. And…surprisingly nude a lot.
When he’s not stealing British children’s balloons or roaming London with fangs and fur, David’s a pretty charming character, which makes his tragedy all the more impactful than, say, someone who broods and growls all the time.
6. Marsha (The Howling, 1981)
It’s one thing to be an erotic being when a werewolf. It’s another to transform in the middle of an erotic scene!
Marsha is one of the most memorable werewolves in a film filled with memorable werewolves. On top of seducing Dee Wallace’s husband into a wolf of animalistic urges, she’s constantly seen smirking and grinning with those eyes of hers.
I cannot stress enough how I made this entire list just to talk about Marsha from The Howling, but now, even writing this, I am just too struck by her beauty to even consider words. Oh yeah, and as a wolf, she will tear you to pieces.
7. Jack Russell (Werewolf By Night, 2022)
Marvel Comics is the home of plenty of monsters. Jack Russell might be one of the best. Straight from the pages of Werewolf By Night, Russell is introduced to audiences anew thanks to Disney+, and we couldn’t be happier about it.
On top of being a genuinely great little dose of Universal Monsters nostalgia, Werewolf By Night introduced a soft-spoken, heroic monster protector who is both easy to root for and easy on the eyes.
Look, it’s the charming personality and accent that really sell Jack Russell here. The fact that he managed to bring vicious animosity to the Marvel Cinematic Universe also helps. Also, Russell isn’t the only Marvel werewolf, but I doubt they have the confidence to turn John Jameson into a werewolf…
8. Randi Wallace (She-Wolf of London, 1990)
Anyone else remember She-Wolf of London? Also known as Love and Curses, this short-lived television show focused on Randi Wallace, a grad student bitten by a werewolf while studying in London. The show focuses on her search for a cure while combatting other supernatural entities. Think Supernatural, but with sexy academics.
There’s something really beautiful about smart academics who go from pacifist researchers by day, and transform into uncontrollable monsters every full moon. Yes, the effects aren’t all that great, but Kate Hodge is really pretty in this show and I think more people should talk about it.
There’s also some steamy nerdy romance between the main characters, which…c’mon, that’s a plus right there. And some cheesy end-of-80s music that just hits me with the right vibe.
9. Striba (The Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf, 1985)
Many people remember this as the movie so bad Christopher Lee felt the need to apologize to original The Howling director Joe Dante for starring in it. Many others remember it for Striba, the central antagonist of The Howling II who, very famously, wears skimpy outfits and growls a lot in massive piles of werewolves.
The movie is centered on Striba’s allure. The credits replay multiple erotic scenes of her, as if to leave audiences with the memory of what the film was really about: a really alluring, seductive werewolf. Striba also oozes that sort of authority and power that you typically only see in vampire villains: a gothic decadence.
Then again, considering this film features Christopher Lee trying to drive silver steaks through werewolves’ hearts, maybe the creatives behind this film forgot they were filming a werewolf movie somewhere during production.
10. Jon Talbain (Darkstalkers, 1994)
Kung-Fu fighting werewolf. Do I need to say more?
Talbain was born a Darkstalker, and learned when he came of age that he’d transform into a werewolf. Rather than give into grief, this son of a hunter decided to control his animal urges by training in martial arts.
Part of the appeal of werewolves, aside from the fur and claws, is their immense strength. Sure, you could settle for a werewolf who just can tear you apart. Why not go for a half-man, half-wolf with incredible emotional control systems and a snarky personality who can throw hands with anyone who comes your way? Also, he’s just plain cool.
11. Joanie (Cursed, 2005)
Undeniably, Cursed is one of the more regrettable entries in Wes Craven’s filmography, considering how butchered it was behind the scenes. However, it’s hard to deny how entertaining Joanie is.
I mean, look, for one, it’s Judy Greer. Who is awesome. For another, she plays a very fashionable human who is secretly devouring everyone in sight. Werewolves in Cursed radiate pheromones, so that’s always a plus: them seducing you uncontrollably before they devour you.
But I also can’t get over that scene where she flips the bird. It’s just so great that I have to include this here.
12. The Huntsman (The Company of Wolves, 1984)
The Company of Wolves remains one of the best gothic werewolf films in the history of the genre, and Micha Bergese’s haunting Huntsman remains a captivating allure of both adulthood sensuality and ferocity. And he does this with both very little screentime and a comically intense unibrow.
The Huntsman here is a pastiche of both the huntsman and wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood story. That knowledge adds a mythical weight to his actions. He is immensely violent and brutal, yet there’s a tenderness present in his brief but impactful relationship with Rosaleen.
They don’t have a healthy relationship—what with Grandma Mrs. Potts seeing up close how big his teeth are. But it is one tinged with understated acceptance of the unknown, as well as coming-of-age eroticism. That becomes immensely uncomfortable when you remember that actress Sarah Patterson was fairly young at the time. It’s reminiscent in that sense of David Bowie’s relationship with Jennifer Connelly in Labyrinth. Depending on how well you vibe with the dreamlike atmosphere of The Company of Wolves will impact how this resonates with you.
13. Every Single One (Underworld Series)
Yes. All of them. I can’t chose one. So I just won’t. Every werewolf in Underworld is designed to be incredibly appealing, cool, and alluring.
For that matter, every single vampire? Also alluring. Everyone in these highly-polished, beautiful films is among the most alluring people ever assembled into a singular film. The Underworld series is very pretty to look at.
…there’s little to it other than that, but it’s very pretty.
14. Holo (Spice & Wolf, 2008)
Holo absolutely counts as a werewolf. She’s a wolf harvest deity who can transform freely from a human to a wolf, though often remains in a half-human form in order to avoid being seen as some monstrous force of nature. She isn’t from any horror story as Spice & Wolf is more historical fantasy. But…so what?
Beyond being intelligent and witty, Holo is a lovely entity that represents both fertility and business savviness. She’s the whole package: smart and seductive. She also can drive you into utter madness with the sheer size of her werewolf form. Genuinely, there is no werewolf on this list as immensely large as Holo. For many, though, that’s part of the appeal.
15. Larry Talbot (The Wolf Man, 2010)
We end this list of erotic lycanthropy where it began. While Lon Chaney Jr.’s Larry Talbot is the more fondly remembered, Benicio del Toro’s portrayal from the 2010 The Wolf Man is unfairly overlooked.
Benicio del Toro’s Talbot is more tortured, even before being bitten by his dad and turning into a bloodthirsty monster. He growls and stalks and lumbers, and that’s before the curse. Thankfully, he doesn’t spy on women with a telescope, so that’s one thing he has over the original.
This Wolf Man is far more vicious than his predecessor, tearing through London and an insane asylum. While Chaney’s Talbot was restrained by the Hayes Code, you get no sanctuary from this behemoth of fur and fangs. He will rip you apart with his claws.
Unless he pauses in the sight of his true love. Which, really, who doesn’t love a good story of Beauty and the Beast? Though if you read this far into this absurdity, I need to ask: who is the Beauty here?
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