In 1976, Anne Rice released Interview With The Vampire. The novel was a smash hit, launching her Vampire Chronicles series and placing Lestat firmly in the lexicon of great vampires like Dracula and Count Orlok. While the movie adaptation was inevitable, it still took nearly twenty years to get film version in theaters. The film went through several iterations during that time, one idea bandied around was actually a gender-flip featuring Cher and Angelica Huston.
Directed by Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), the movie starred Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as Lestat and Louise. Rounding out the cast was Kristen Dunst in her first big starring role, Stephen Rea, Thandie Newton, Antonio Banderas, and Christian Slater; taking over for his recently departed friend, River Phoenix. The movie became a smash hit and has been an influence on the genre ever since. It further cemented Brad Pitt’s ever-growing stardom; introduced Newton to Cruise, setting the stage for Mission Impossible II. Here are 10 Things You’ve Never Noticed From Interview With The Vampire.
Oak Alley Plantation Is Haunted
Named for its walkway made up of dozens of oak trees forming a canopy walkway, Oak Alley Plantation is Louis’ home and sets fire to it proclaiming the house is cursed and their master is the devil. Long before the movie filmed at the sugar cane plantation, reports of it being haunted grew all over Louisiana. Mrs. Stewart, the last owner of the plantation turns up every now and again as a shadowy figure. Reports also have claimed lights going back on in rooms that they were previously shut and rocking chairs moving without provocation.
The Actors Hung Upside Down
In Anne Rice’s story, the vampires have almost translucent, see through skin. It’s a cool effect and helps the “pale look” of plenty of vampires from this point forward. However, special effects weren’t what they needed to be yet to achieve this look, so the actors had to suffer a little bit for their art.
The vampire actors hung upside down for approximately thirty minutes at a clip to have the veins on their face show better for the makeup team to paint over them and give all of the vampires their unique look.
Brad Pitt’s Not A Fan
As if hanging upside down every day so artists can get your makeup on wasn’t bad enough, how about having to pretty much live like a vampire and sleep all day, while filming all night. Brad Pitt was not a fan of filming Interview With The Vampire. So much so that he phoned up David Geffen, a producer on the film to find out how much it would cost to get him out of his contract. Since 40 million is a little pricey, Pitt soldiered on and gave a great performance.
Anne Rice’s Not A Fan (Of Tom Cruise)
When it was announced that Tom Cruise was cast to play Lestat, the character’s creator Anne Rice was vehemently disappointed. She has a vision for the character in her mind, and Tom Cruise wasn’t it. She once told Movieline, “the Tom Cruise casting so bizarre, it’s almost impossible to imagine how it’s going to work.” But once she saw the finished product, she changed her tune - “From the moment he appeared, Tom was Lestat for me.” She even took out a film large ad proclaiming her love of the movie.
Real-Life Horror Tragedy
Over the years there have been reports of a lot of people that actually do live as vampires and head to bars and clubs and other places to hang out with other vampires, not for cosplay purposes, but for lifestyle choices. But things went slightly too far for Lisa Stellwagen and her boyfriend, Dan Sterling shortly after seeing the movie in 1994. Sterling was mesmerized by it and thought it would be a good idea to stab his girlfriend 17 times and drink her blood.
Lestat = Rutger Hauer
Tom Cruise was able to show versatility when he took on the role of Lestat. When the story was first written, Anne Rice had envisioned her husband as the vampire. But she eventually started to think of Rutger Hauer for the role. By the time the adaptation was set to film, Hauer was a little too old to play young looking, yet centuries old vampire. Hauer would go to play Lothos in the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Lions Attacking Zebras
Actors do all kinds of things to prepare for the roles they take on. They often times study people and places to get in the right frame of mind for their performance.
For Interview, Tom Cruise knew that Lestat needed to be the apex predator and killer. He reportedly watched a lot of nature documentaries to get down Lestat’s animalistic tendencies. Reportedly, he settled on lions stalking down zebras to get in the right headspace to play Lestat.
Lestat Stands On Milk Crates
While Tom Cruise is one of Hollywood’s biggest and best action stars and leading men, he’s just not one of Hollywood’s tallest. Not that Brad Pitt is super tall, but at 5’11” he does tower over the 5’7” Cruise on film. During the making of the movie, Cruise would either stand on platforms or Pitt would walk through ditches to make up for the size gap.
Armand And Lestat Never Meet
The movie takes an even darker turn once Claudia decides to slit Lestat’s throat. She and Louis flea for Paris where they eventually meet Armand and his coven of vampires.
It is more than heavily implied that Armand and Lestat had some sort of relationship. Despite this, Antonio Banderas and Tom Cruise don’t have a single line or moment together for the film.
Oprah Walked Out
Despite the movie and the book’s popularity, it is not a pretty sugar-coated story. Both Louis and Lestat commit all sorts of atrocities and leave a trail of blood and bodies wherever they go. While it’s unclear at what point in the film she did, Oprah Winfrey walked out of the screening, not wanting to contribute to the forces of evil. She did still however conduct her interview with Tom Cruise as the movie came out, perhaps if she refused, he wouldn’t have jumped on couches years later?