It is also revealed that 'Erik' was not actually his birth name, but one that was given or found 'by accident', as Erik himself says within the work. Erik himself laments the fact that his mother was horrified by his appearance and that his father, a master mason, never saw him. In the original novel, few details are given regarding Erik's past, although there is no shortage of hints and implications throughout the book.

Gerard Butler, who also portrayed Set in Gods of Egypt, Clyde Shelton in Law Abiding Citizen, Count Dracula in Dracula 2000, and Attila in the 2001 miniseries of the same name, in the 2004 film.

Julian Sands, who also portrayed Warlock in the Warlock film series, Vladimir Bierko in 24, DeFalco in Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Steve Essex in A Nasty Piece of Work, Warlock in the Warlock film series, Valmont in Jackie Chan Adventures, Yulish Rabitov in Banshee, Gerald Crane in Gotham, and Jor-El in Smallville, in the 1998 film.

The late William Finley in the 1974 film.The late Herbert Lom, who also portrayed Charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther franchise, in the 1962 film.The late Claude Rains, who also portrayed Griffin in The Invisible Man and Jacob Marley in Scrooge in the 1943 film.Erik has been portrayed by several actors over the years, including:

2004 phantom of the opera movie