Who is David

In July 1987, a new breed of vampires hit the silver screen. Young, hip, and sexy, the Lost Boys paved the way for the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Underworld.

Instead of undead blood drinkers hanging out in a crumbling castle seducing damsels in distress, these were punks who ruled a small coastal town while riding their motorcycles through the night. They were also young and sexy, a different take on the vampires of lore.

The movie was a success and has grown into a cult classic, with an active fandom. The "look" of the Lost Boys paved the way for new versions of vampires (especially in Buffy the Vampire Slayer) as well as giving the vampire myth new life. Twenty years after its release the movie has spawned a sequel Lost Boys: The Tribe.

It's good to be a vampire.

David is the leader of the Lost Boys, a gang of vampires who terrorize the Boardwalk of the fictional coastal town called Santa Carla.

So very little is really known about David. Other than being the enigmatic leader of the Lost Boys, he's got a secret to hide. He works for Max, the head vampire and is charged with the task of bringing Michael Emerson into the gang.

The movie doesn't explore how David became a vampire or his past. This and similar topics have been open to much debate among fans and explored in numerous fan fiction stories.

The character of David has the least amount of dialog in the film, strange for a main character. But what attracts most people to David is the smirk on his lips. He almost dares you to follow him.

The Lost Boys changed the conventional images of vampires. One of the first movies to use contact lenses to change the actors' eyes into a more animalistic nature to show the most unhuman side of the vampires, something most horror movies take for granted now adays.

Subtle makeup and appliances changed the features of the actors, along with the placement of the fangs gave vampires a fresh new look.

Kiefer Sutherland was just starting out in Hollywood when he took on the role of David in The Lost Boys. Having just finished 1986's Stand By Me, Kiefer was just 19 when filming The Lost Boys.

Originally Billy Wirth (Dwayne) and Brooke McCarter (Paul) tried out for the roll of David. Director Joel Schumacher saw Kiefer in At Close Range and arranged to meet with him. And the rest is history, as they say.

Having gone on to do more than 70 films as well as take on the role of Jack Bauer in 24, Kiefer still enjoys being associated with The Lost Boys.

There's plenty of Lost Boys merchandise and collectibles with David's face on them. T-shirts, posters, photos (some autographed by Kiefer Sutherland) and some really strange items on eBay.

In 2007 NECA gave The Lost Boys their due with the release of figures of David and Michael. Each came with interchangeable heads (normal and vampire) as well as a base from a scene in the movie.

The visage of David was also featured on The Vampire Book by J. Gordon Melton.