The Vampire Lestat Turns It All the Way Up

Key Points:

• Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson, stars of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire (retitled The Vampire Lestat for season three), share a close off-screen friendship marked by a natural rapport and mutual support developed over five years of working together.
• The upcoming third season, premiering June 7, shifts focus from Anderson’s character Louis to Reid’s Lestat, portraying him as a flamboyant, 265-year-old rock star in a campy, darker, and more comedic tone, diverging from the gothic romance style of previous seasons.
• Reid undertook extensive preparation for his role, including learning violin, guitar, and recording an album of original songs, while Anderson’s portrayal of Louis marks the first time the character is played by a Black actor, adding new depth by exploring race and sexuality in the story.
• The season tackles challenging themes such as grooming, incest, and sexual assault, particularly in relation to Lestat’s mother Gabriella, aiming to present a raw and complex narrative that contrasts with the show’s moments of humor and camp.
• Both actors express hope for the show’s renewal beyond season three and hint at a possible future season centered on a female vampire perspective, specifically the character Akasha from Anne Rice’s The Queen of the Damned, signaling a potential thematic expansion.