# Javier Botet
**Javier Botet** is a Spanish actor, director, and illustrator (born 1977 in [Ciudad Real](https://www.edgepedia.org/ciudad-real-district), Spain) who has built an international career playing monsters, ghosts, and other creatures in horror and fantasy films. His height, extreme thinness, and unusual flexibility, the result of [Marfan syndrome](https://www.edgepedia.org/marfan-syndrome), a genetic disorder of connective tissue, made him physically suited to creature roles, and he became one of the most in-demand creature performers in contemporary genre cinema.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701) • [2](https://cineconn.es/filmografia-curiosidades-actor-espanol-javier-botet/) He is best known as the Niña Medeiros in the *REC* series, the title creature of *Mama* (2013), the Crooked Man in *The Conjuring 2* (2016), [Slender Man](https://www.edgepedia.org/slender-man) (2018), the Hobo in both *It* films, and Dracula in *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701) • [3](https://lanocheamericana.net/entrevistas/javier-botet-el-ultimo-viaje-del-demeter-lo-mas-efectivo-en-el-terror-no-es-ensenar-sino-sugerir.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977, Ciudad Real, Spain[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701) |
| Physical profile | Marfan syndrome diagnosed at age 5; about two meters tall, 56 kg, with long thin fingers, pectus excavatum, and unusual flexibility[2](https://cineconn.es/filmografia-curiosidades-actor-espanol-javier-botet/) |
| Signature roles | Niña Medeiros (*REC*, 2007, and sequels), Mama (2013), Crooked Man (*The Conjuring 2*, 2016), Slender Man (2018), Hobo (*It*, 2017 and *It: Chapter Two*, 2019)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701) • [4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/) |
| Dracula | Played Dracula in *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023) and again in *La muerte de Drácula*, premiered at the Sitges festival in October 2026[3](https://lanocheamericana.net/entrevistas/javier-botet-el-ultimo-viaje-del-demeter-lo-mas-efectivo-en-el-terror-no-es-ensenar-sino-sugerir.html) • [5](https://efe.com/cataluna/2026-10-09/javier-botet-ultimo-dracula-en-sitges/) |
| Other work | Actor, writer, director, and illustrator; directed *Al final todos mueren* (2012) and co-wrote *Amigo* (2019)[6](https://cineuropa.org/es/newsdetail/395515/es/news/cat/52438/) • [7](https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20170713/424062685311/javier-botet-entrevista.html) |
| Screen credits | 136 acting credits listed on IMDb, with 12 award wins and 1 nomination[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701) |
## Early life and physique
Botet was diagnosed at the age of five with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. The condition gave him a distinctive body: a sunken chest (pectus excavatum), extremely long and thin fingers caused by laxity in the body's tissues, a height of two meters, and a weight of 56 kilograms, along with surprising flexibility.[2](https://cineconn.es/filmografia-curiosidades-actor-espanol-javier-botet/) In an interview he described spending long periods in hospitals as a child and said that the experience taught him how strong he could be.[8](https://thedodgy.com/2013/11/22/holy-mama-an-interview-with-javier-botet/)
**Childhood influences.** He grew up in several cities in [La Mancha](https://www.edgepedia.org/la-mancha) and [Andalusia](https://www.edgepedia.org/andalusia), including Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Almería, and Granada.[9](https://miradasdecine.es/2019/05/entrevista-javier-botet.html) His first movie seen in a cinema was *Return of the Jedi* (1983), whose tangible creatures impressed him so deeply that he began drawing monsters rather than anything real, and he admired the creature work of [Jim Henson](https://www.edgepedia.org/jim-henson).[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/)
## Training and break
After finishing a degree in Fine Arts in Granada, Botet moved alone to Madrid, where a little more of the film industry existed. He worked as an illustrator for internationally known animation series and drew for the publisher Anaya.[7](https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20170713/424062685311/javier-botet-entrevista.html) Looking for a way into filmmaking, he joined a special effects course taught by the makeup effects expert Pedro Rodríguez, a three-time Goya winner. Through that contact, photographs of him reached the director Brian Yuzna, who hired him for 2005's *Bajo aguas tranquilas* (*Beneath Still Waters*), his first professional film work.[7](https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20170713/424062685311/javier-botet-entrevista.html)
Two years later came the role that defined his screen identity: the Niña Medeiros, the infected girl at the center of *[REC]* (2007), the found-footage horror film by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza that became an international success.[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/) He later reprised versions of the character in *[REC] 2* (2009, as Tristana Medeiros), *[REC] 3: Genesis* (2012), and *[REC] 4: Apocalypse* (2014).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701)
## Hollywood creature roles
The turning point for his international career was *Mama* (2013), the debut feature of the Argentine director [Andy Muschietti](https://www.edgepedia.org/andy-muschietti), produced by [Guillermo del Toro](https://www.edgepedia.org/guillermo-del-toro). Botet had met Muschietti at the [Fantastic Fest](https://www.edgepedia.org/fantastic-fest) in Austin, Texas, discussed the project with him, and years later was offered the role of the spectral mother; he flew to Canada within weeks to shoot alongside Jessica Chastain.[7](https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20170713/424062685311/javier-botet-entrevista.html) His movement test for the film circulated among producers and brought him further work, including *The Other Side of the Door* (2016).[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/javier-botet-could-the-6-7-120-pounds-actor-be-horror-s-saviour-a6905586.html)
A run of Hollywood genre roles followed. He played the Crooked Man in *The Conjuring 2* (2016), the Egyptian god Set opposite [Tom Cruise](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-cruise) in *The Mummy* (2017), three ghosts in Guillermo del Toro's *Crimson Peak* (2015), KeyFace in *Insidious: The Last Key* (2018), the title creature in *Slender Man* (2018), the Big Toe Corpse in *Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark* (2019), and the leprosy-scarred Hobo in both *It* (2017) and *It: Chapter Two* (2019).[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/) • [11](https://www.metacritic.com/person/javier-botet/) In *Alien: Covenant* (2017) he contributed motion-capture work for the [Xenomorph](https://www.edgepedia.org/xenomorph); he performed his movements in a separate session and never met his castmate [Michael Fassbender](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-fassbender) in person during production.[12](https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-creature-performer-javier-botet-talks-mara-his-own-sleep-paralysis-rec-and-more/) He also appeared as a white walker in the third episode of *Game of Thrones*' eighth season and in *Star Trek: Discovery*.[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/)
His screen face is largely unknown to audiences. He has said he considers this an advantage, describing it as enjoying the good side of the profession without the bad.[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/)
## Beyond the mask
Botet has repeatedly worked without creature makeup. In Óscar Martín's low-budget black comedy *Amigo* (2019), whose script he co-wrote with Martín and David Pareja, he plays Javi, a nearly silent, scarred accident survivor, in a role that uses his gaunt physical presence in a realistic register.[6](https://cineuropa.org/es/newsdetail/395515/es/news/cat/52438/) • [13](https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/amigo) In *Ventajas de viajar en tren* (2019) he appeared on screen unmasked, one of the few chances for audiences to see his face.[4](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/)
He is also a director and writer: he directed *Al final todos mueren* (2012) and has written several screenplays.[6](https://cineuropa.org/es/newsdetail/395515/es/news/cat/52438/) He performed on stage in a theatrical *Frankenstein* at the Teatros del Canal in Madrid in 2010, and has spoken about typecasting in fantastic cinema as a trade-off he accepts, saying that genre work was the door that let him into the profession.[14](https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/02/01/actualidad/1485953356_608060.html)
## Recent work
In *The Last Voyage of the Demeter* (2023), André Øvredal's adaptation of the *Dracula* chapter of the Demeter's ill-fated voyage, Botet played the vampire himself. He told an interviewer that in horror "the most effective thing is not to show, but to suggest."[3](https://lanocheamericana.net/entrevistas/javier-botet-el-ultimo-viaje-del-demeter-lo-mas-efectivo-en-el-terror-no-es-ensenar-sino-sugerir.html)
At the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival in October 2026, where he was guest of honor, three of his projects were presented: *La muerte de Drácula*, a black-and-white film by the Spanish filmmaking duo Burnin' Percebes (Fernando Martínez and Juan González) in which he again plays Dracula; *Gummy*, presented as his first fiction feature directed by Javi Prada; and other festival appearances.[5](https://efe.com/cataluna/2026-10-09/javier-botet-ultimo-dracula-en-sitges/) • [15](https://matasfilms.com/magazine/javier-botet-explica-las-ventajas-del-encasillamiento-en-el-cine-fantastico/) Upcoming credits listed on IMDb include *Gummy*, *[Day Drinker](https://www.edgepedia.org/day-drinker)* (2027), and *La muerte de Drácula*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701)
## References
1. [Javier Botet, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2306701)
2. [Repaso a la filmografía del actor español Javier Botet, CineConn](https://cineconn.es/filmografia-curiosidades-actor-espanol-javier-botet/)
3. [Javier Botet ('El último viaje del Demeter'): «Lo más efectivo en el terror no es enseñar, sino sugerir», La Noche Americana](https://lanocheamericana.net/entrevistas/javier-botet-el-ultimo-viaje-del-demeter-lo-mas-efectivo-en-el-terror-no-es-ensenar-sino-sugerir.html)
4. [Javier Botet: "Mi mundo siempre ha sido crear criaturas extrañas", Cinemanía / 20minutos](https://www.20minutos.es/cinemania/noticias/javier-botet-mi-mundo-siempre-ha-sido-crear-criaturas-extranas-137692/)
5. [Javier Botet, el último Drácula del festival de Sitges, EFE](https://efe.com/cataluna/2026-10-09/javier-botet-ultimo-dracula-en-sitges/)
6. [Crítica: Amigo, Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/es/newsdetail/395515/es/news/cat/52438/)
7. [Javier Botet, el 'monstruo' español más solicitado del cine, La Vanguardia](https://www.lavanguardia.com/cultura/20170713/424062685311/javier-botet-entrevista.html)
8. [Holy "Mama" – An Interview with Javier Botet, The Dodgy](https://thedodgy.com/2013/11/22/holy-mama-an-interview-with-javier-botet/)
9. [Entrevista Javier Botet, Miradas de Cine](https://miradasdecine.es/2019/05/entrevista-javier-botet.html)
10. [Javier Botet: could the 6'7", 120 pounds actor be horror's saviour?, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/javier-botet-could-the-6-7-120-pounds-actor-be-horror-s-saviour-a6905586.html)
11. [Javier Botet, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/javier-botet/)
12. [Exclusive Interview: Creature performer Javier Botet talks "MARA," his own sleep paralysis, "[REC]" and more, Rue Morgue](https://rue-morgue.com/exclusive-interview-creature-performer-javier-botet-talks-mara-his-own-sleep-paralysis-rec-and-more/)
13. [Amigo Review, UK Film Review](https://www.ukfilmreview.co.uk/reviews/amigo)
14. [Goya 2017: Ellos, los actores más vistos que no estarán en los Goya, El País](https://elpais.com/cultura/2017/02/01/actualidad/1485953356_608060.html)
15. [Javier Botet explica las ventajas del encasillamiento en el cine fantástico, Matas Magazine](https://matasfilms.com/magazine/javier-botet-explica-las-ventajas-del-encasillamiento-en-el-cine-fantastico/)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Character actors, B-movie and genre-circuit performers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license