Sam Reid Discusses Louis and Lestat’s Romance in ‘Interview with the Vampire’

Australian actor Sam Reid carries a considerable responsibility while portraying the beloved vampire Lestat de Lioncourt in AMC’s TV adaptation of Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire.” Not only does he need to accurately depict the complex romance between his character and Jacob Anderson’s Louis de Pointe du Lac, but Reid is also tasked with expressing how his character is perceived by his lover after their breakup. In Season 2, visions of Lestat torment Louis as he tries to forge a new relationship with Armand (Assad Zaman), an ancient vampire who had concealed his true identity as Louis’ servant for years.

In a recent interview with Collider, Reid discussed the challenges of taking on a vampiric role and how its intricacies have added depth to the relationships portrayed in the series.

When asked about the most challenging element of filming Season 2, Reid revealed, “Dream Lestat — the dream ghost version that we had. I wasn’t totally sold on his presence. [Laughs] I worried he would come off as annoying. But as the filming progressed, I grew quite fond of that dreamy, almost childlike, innocent version of Lestat. In the end, I really enjoyed him.”

Despite eventually finding aspects of his character enjoyable, Reid admits that playing an immortal vampire isn’t all that simple. He shared, “Gosh, being a vampire is hard. Selecting someone who you feel will withstand the test of time and be a competent vampire, especially someone capable of killing daily without self-destructing — Lestat saw that in Louis initially. Louis is a fighter, and Lestat saw immense potential in him. He’s also deeply in love with Louis, with his humanity and his struggles.”

Lestat eventually realizes that Louis never wanted to be the relentless fighter he had to become. This realization permits Louis to embrace his darker, vampiric nature. Reid explained, “It took them nearly a century for Louis to discover his true vampiric self and for Lestat to recognize there’s more humanity in him than he knew. That’s why they’re a good match. They’re sort of soul mates because they have so much to learn from each other and can evolve into better monsters.”

Source: Collider