 Dracula 's Daughter was Gloria Holden 's first starring role and reportedly she was extremely displeased at having been assigned it . Like many actors , Holden looked down on horror films . She had also seen Bela Lugosi struggle over the years since Dracula was made to free himself from typecasting and feared that the role would lead to the same fate for her . Critic Mark Clark believes that ironically it may have been Holden 's disgust for the role that led to the quality of her performance . " Her disdain for the part translates into a kind of self @-@ loathing that perfectly suits her troubled character . " 
