mimsey borogrove
Well-known member
Tom Cruise's Previous Work Made Him an Unlikely Choice for the Role
Given Cruise's output before being cast in Interview with the Vampire, it's understandable why there was some resistance when he pursued the part. Rice had an actor in mind when casting entered its beginning phases as she fought hard for the late British actor Julian Sands to get the part, something fans of the novel also wanted. Warner Bros., who was distributing the film, wanted a bigger name for the part and pushed back against Sands. Rice even thought Rutger Hauer was a viable option, but the studio clearly wanted to go in other directions.
Day-Lewis' name was so in the mix that Jordan believes Pitt accepted the role of Louis, thinking he'd be acting alongside him, but that wouldn't be the case. In Jordan's memoir, he spoke about having meetings with Cruise about the part and realized he would be perfect because the actor had a lot in common with Lestat due to Cruise's controversial ties with Scientology. Playing Lestat, a vampire who has to hide from the light and live in the cover of darkness, seemed like something Cruise could relate to.
The actor also stands out more when compared to Louis, who is more sullen and wallowing in melancholy. In the film, it's the perfect marriage of two actors playing to the strengths of the roles they were given. Cruise gets to be the bigger personality of the two, exhibiting a more cruel persona that ranges from outright rage to a campy form of flamboyancy that the actor can make work without turning the role into a caricature or a joke. It's a fine line that Cruise walks, but he never goes over the top.
There is also a sense of macabre joy in watching Cruise relish and have so much fun in the role. The infamous "blood bath scene" showcases an actor unbothered by his Hollywood status as a leading man. As Lestat indulges in feasting on blood and all its pleasures, this is someone who fully embraces the part and is cutting ties, at least during this film, with the conventions that have gone a long way to making him a star up to that point. Given the period-piece nature of the film, Cruise also looks completely unlike himself, disappearing into the role both physically and mentally.
Given Cruise's output before being cast in Interview with the Vampire, it's understandable why there was some resistance when he pursued the part. Rice had an actor in mind when casting entered its beginning phases as she fought hard for the late British actor Julian Sands to get the part, something fans of the novel also wanted. Warner Bros., who was distributing the film, wanted a bigger name for the part and pushed back against Sands. Rice even thought Rutger Hauer was a viable option, but the studio clearly wanted to go in other directions.
Day-Lewis' name was so in the mix that Jordan believes Pitt accepted the role of Louis, thinking he'd be acting alongside him, but that wouldn't be the case. In Jordan's memoir, he spoke about having meetings with Cruise about the part and realized he would be perfect because the actor had a lot in common with Lestat due to Cruise's controversial ties with Scientology. Playing Lestat, a vampire who has to hide from the light and live in the cover of darkness, seemed like something Cruise could relate to.
What makes Cruise so good as Lestat in the film is the element of surprise. Based on his prior work, there was nothing to showcase that the actor had this regal villainy in him, but it isn't long before the viewer accepts Cruise in the role as he inhabits it fully. Much of his appeal as the character takes place early on in his seduction of Louis as he turns him into a vampire. Cruise exhibits an effortless charisma mixed with a real sense of danger. Like most vampires, Lestat is a predator but one with considerable appeal, something that makes the character equally intriguing and formidable.
The actor also stands out more when compared to Louis, who is more sullen and wallowing in melancholy. In the film, it's the perfect marriage of two actors playing to the strengths of the roles they were given. Cruise gets to be the bigger personality of the two, exhibiting a more cruel persona that ranges from outright rage to a campy form of flamboyancy that the actor can make work without turning the role into a caricature or a joke. It's a fine line that Cruise walks, but he never goes over the top.
There is also a sense of macabre joy in watching Cruise relish and have so much fun in the role. The infamous "blood bath scene" showcases an actor unbothered by his Hollywood status as a leading man. As Lestat indulges in feasting on blood and all its pleasures, this is someone who fully embraces the part and is cutting ties, at least during this film, with the conventions that have gone a long way to making him a star up to that point. Given the period-piece nature of the film, Cruise also looks completely unlike himself, disappearing into the role both physically and mentally.
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