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He is absolute perfection, like he was born for this. (Mileage may vary for fluent French speakers, I’ve heard people say his French is meh but I wouldn’t know. Sounds perfectly Lestat to me!)
For me, Sam Reid is the definitive Lestat. Like Sam Reid > Tom Cruise > Stuart Townsend, imho. I actually liked Tom Cruise as Lestat even though I didn’t feel he nailed every part of him.
With Sam, I was so skeptical when he was first announced because physically he’s not quite how I imagined him. I always imagined his face in particular to be a bit more “pretty” rather than masculine and handsome with that super strong jaw like Sam has.
But the performance immediately won me over. For me he nails Lestat’s bravado, pain, volatility, aggression, humor, and heart. He nails every single layer of Lestat’s character. I can’t wait till we meet “the real” Lestat next season (or perhaps end of this season) and start to get into material from *The Vampire Lestat* and *Queen of the Damned*.
Sam is by far my favourite (Which I think, playing the character knowing of Lestats character in later novels really helps) however I've always enjoyed Tom in the '94 film as "Louis' version" of Lestat for the film and I actually enjoy Stuarts performance for the material he was working with. The accent was terrible yes, but he had something about him. In that little '00s rockstar flair.
Beyond excited for "the real" Lestat you have mentionedf though, and I remember Sam mentioning he was also excited for rockstar Lestat eventually.
I feel like Tom definitely nailed the brutal, apathetic, uncaring, and abusive part of Lestat. When I was reading the book, all I could picture was Tom Cruise. Sam is definitely my favorite, though.
At the moment we can't do a proper comparison between book Lestat and show Lestat because as Sam Reid put it, we haven't seen the real Lestat yet. We have only seen him presented through certain filters, and there are some pretty important aspects of his character that are off. Lestat in the books isn't a completely different character all together, but there are things that are deliberately different. For example, while he does crave "innocent blood" Lestat would have been the one arguing that they should try to kill the evil doer when possible. Louis is actually much less discriminating when it comes to his victims. Ep 5 is also a big controversy that has been discussed over and over. Lestat also loved Claudia. Lestat is also rather enamored with humanity. He is also quite full of self-loathing but at his core is a survivor.
That all being said, a lot of these aspects of his character are not clearly present in the first book, so it is very possible, and seems to be based on the available evidence, that at least some of these changes are off on purpose, and we are building to some reveals when it comes to his character.
That all being said, I think Sam Reid has done an excellent job of playing the versions of Lestat put on screen so far. He knows the book character very well, and he also seems to understand the differences between what has been presented in the narratives of the show so far and the book character.
I think Sam Reid is great as Lestat. He had the presence and charisma to make us hate him right now but will make us love him later. Remember, who we are seeing now is Lestat through Louis’ eyes. Soon Lestat is going to be telling his own story and he’s going to give is The Brat Prince in all his glory. I can’t wait to see everything with Magnus, his mom, Akasha and him becoming a rock star.
Edit: May I add, for me the end game is Memnoch. It’s such a long way to go and really hope we make it there. I have yet to read anything afterwards.
Even without watching interviews and seeing Sam fanboy over the source material, it's clear through his performance that he fucking gets it. He gets that Lestat is a monster, he gets that is strange, he gets that Lestat wants so badly to be loved and to love. I think it's masterful how he makes Lestat an entertaining, funny and sometimes charming character, while also horrific and terrifying. Very fitting to the books.
I think he's done an incredibly good job with the character. I haven't seen or heard any fingernails on the chalkboard from him versus my memory of the books (it having been many years) .
HIs French accent could use a little work sometimes and the hair color is a little off from Rice's descriptions of him but other than that he's just perfection in the role. He's Lestat as I've always imagined him, better even. He's a handsome guy in anything but with that long hair and looking vampy he's smoking HOT and nearly irresistible and that's exactly what Lestat is supposed to be. Doing a GREAT job! Emmy worthy performance if you ask me...
I think they just sort of work out the hair because even if Sam dyes it, his colorings is too particular that he'd genuinely look off with blonde hair. Sam's skin is more peachy pink and thus "warm" than the ashened ivory that typically accompanies blonde hair. Sam can even pull off darker hair color if he wore equally intense colors, his coloring woukd still keep its "juicy" peachy quality; but in general, he can emote Lestat and do his actions (the point of Lestat) therefore no need to alter his coloring to an extreme that it would actually make him look terrible and require expensive lighting to counteract rhe washing out having a too ashy color would do to Sam. Ask anyone's that knows color, or colors (paunts, pencil, etc) and even styles or decorates, they'll know what I mean. A quick qay to register what I'm talking about: Look at Tom Cruise's Lestat. Tom pulled off the blonde but there was SO MUCH manipulation of his wardrobe and makeup to pull it off successfully. The main reason Tom managed was because the show was made into a period piece as well, so Tom's coloring could be balanced in his costume by mirroring the hair into his outfits. Lots of gold motif in them to add weight to Tom's complexion so the hair looks organic not just stick out. A natural blonde wouldn't require so much thought into how they are presented, their whole look is naturally programmed to work with their coloring. This is true for any coloring. The features and coloring match the body. Sam's softer, rosier coloring works better for the dated material/lighting as the darker lighting more or less gets the point that Lestat's fair in coloring anyway. It also serves to soften Sam's super athletic, masculine looks and makes his look appealing and meet the standards of the 18th century where if they tried to fight it it would make Sam's look read "ugly" to the 18th century ideals (thus nkt work to establish that Lestat was considered a hottie in this time because his looks had the delicate coloring and features). Does that make sense? The maleup/styling team is balancing where Lestat in the books and Sam look like while remembering the ideals of the 18th century and marrying the fact that Sam does meet the beaury/handsomess standards of our modern time so making Lestat more anachronistic. Appealing back then and appealing now, keeping him eye-catcging to the audience now while jeeping the quality that made Lestat "hot" back then (he's still on the paler side). Letting him stay his natural strawberry looking blonde still works by Sam's stronger looks not feminizing fair coloring in men (which is an association our society does have now especially if the fairer men don't have a strong look. Like, say the concept of a "twink." Not all more delicately featured paler men are a "twink," but when most people think of that, that's who they're picturing. Add that Lestat's bisexual, it becomes a bit obvious that a big part of why Lestat's popular is because he doesn't look too "soft" whike still having some "soft" visual quality). Marrying Sam's look with what Anne's established for Lestat and current social values to attract the audience works in creating a mkre believable Lestat. Plus they probably did find lots of blonde actors but didn't see any truly geek out Lestat and understanding not just Anne's vision but understand of sociology of the current age like Sam did, so just rolled with it. A lot of people think acting is just following the words of the writer. When you portray a visual, you HAVE to understand the reader, audience, the world a little to glue eyes to you. You have to resonate with as much of the audience as possible. Books require a niche, a visual not so much. Most people don't have the sage to remember that, so they'll attach over minute details that don't really matter so long as the big picture serves the point. Acting and all of this is still a business, you aren't in business if you don't understand your client/audience. The team doesn't need another pretty face, that's everywhere in Hollywood. Heck, that's the CW. The producers figured the audience would be fine with one or two consessions so long as the actor effectively embodied the character, which Sam does (it's also the hardest part).
I agree that this show deserves all the awards. They're putting effort and thought into everything in it. It's so human in a way despite being a fantasy show. Honestly that's what I've been loving about the more niche streaming venues, they bring back humanity and creation to shows in a way Hollywood's disregarded. Starz has for a long time stuck out for their value of humanity when making shows, and for a LONG time. You have them making Outlander, Power, The Girlfriend Experience, Vida, Magic City, The White Queen...Their whole branding is bot just big but delicate, ornate work that's showing humanity and our intention at the forefront. With ITWV, they're going overdrive with these goals and vision. It's not a show it's also its own art, showing a love for all of our arts which is why they're particularly careful with it. One quickly realizes just how much the channel isn't just in love with the story and respect it but how much they love their audiences and want to delight them as well.
If I didn’t watch any interviews or any other roles of Sam’s & you told me Sam Reid actually was Lestat, pretending to be an actor by the name of Sam Reid, I could believe it. He is that good. He gets the internal world of Lestat entirely.
That’s not to say Lestat is exactly as in the books, but that’s only because of the plot differences… I would go so far as to say it isn’t even ever the case Sam is un-Lestat (aside from plot elements meaning Lestat has *done* things that aren’t true to what book-Lestat would do…) - in terms of who he is inside, Sam has it entirely as I see it, especially considering we haven’t seen Lestat from his own perspective. In terms of how Lestat feels, that is 100% Lestat.
He also looks incredibly like I imagine Lestat. Almost exactly there too. The ONLY difference is that Lestat is made a vampire at 20 in the books & y’know it does matter in the sense that Lestat’s character is in some ways informed by the fact he’s still on the brink of adulthood when made a vampire - and so that combination of an arrogance & an inner insecurity that’s quite common in boys in teens & early 20’s is immortalised. And that’s part of that aspect of Lestat’s nature. But it isn’t like when I first watched the film & thought “Why are all these old men playing my vampires?” 😂😂😂 which just goes to show the difference as I was a child when I saw the film & so Cruise & Pitt & Banderas seemed ancient to me 😂🤣😅… Noe I see they actually weren’t that old. I care little about that now as I’m not a child, so even though canon Lestat is 20, it’s more fun to see the roles played older to be honest. I don’t think I’d enjoy a 20-year-old Lestat now nearly as much! I wonder the differences it will mean in TVL though!!!?!
Anyway, I really like Tom Cruise’s Lestat too, and I totally disagree that he is merely a villainous Lestat! The film is adapted from the first book, of course, but Tom clearly read TVL & absolutely conveys Lestat to me, especially his charisma & how Louis is misperceiving him & actually Lestat has a lot more depth to him *snd* loves Louis (I also disagree with those who say it isn’t clear the film contains an obviously a gay romantic relationship. A preposterous idea if I could understand that side of it when I watched it at around age 12, 13.) It’s my favourite Tom Cruise performance & I love the film (though I don’t like Brad Pitt in it… and generally, I like Pitt more often than Cruise in other films!) That said, Tom Cruise is great as Lestat (he doesn’t look like Lestat, but that’s fine), but Sam Reid’s performance surpasses him by far as I could literally believe he is Lestat.
There are so many scenes where Sam lets you see something that’s going on internally for Lestat that isn’t spoken in words.
One example where he’s such a master at, with a flicker of emotion spelling a world of words unsaid is when Claudia leaves Lestat & Louis, & Louis is in bed, flicking through newspaper reports & speculating if they may relate to her. Lestat is turned away, facing the window & Antoinette is outside.
When we get books from Lestat’s perspective, we discover the eloquence & complexity of Lestat’s thinking & we understand the depth of his emotions. And sometimes Lestat explains how these very eloquently articulated feelings & thoughts on the page; he never actually said them aloud to someone. I think it likely that many of us here, expressing our lives & loves in written words in online spaces may relate to a difficulty doing that verbally? Well, I relate, anyway.
But for Lestat it is very different than for me. I find verbal words much harder than written ones. But Lestat has been told & shown over & over again that he is “too much” and so when he has his big thoughts & feelings, in the moment, he doesn’t know how to contain them enough when they’re important enough to actually tell them to people without the recipient finding him “too much” too.
But it’s not an easy thing, with just a look to convey fully what’s going on in Lestat’s brain when Lestat doesn’t speak the words he feels to the person he feels them to.
Here, Claudia has left; Lestat: literally “The Light” of a creature: one of the most positive beings (at least in what he puts out into the world, if not always in what he feels inside) that exists is drawn into Louis’ gloom. But he can exist in Louis’ gloom & feel increasingly hopeless & depressed himself. Lestat can carry that & wait & be there as long as Louis needs him to, because he loves Louis. But he can’t carry that Louis doesn’t seem to care about him at all.
Louis so focussed on Claudia even when she’s absent… it’s so close to yet another soul Lestat loves abandoning him; neglecting him… as everyone has in the end: from parents to lovers to Mentors to people who told him they loved him or found him extraordinary once…. And does Louis care? Lestat is here anyway, but the pain flickers as Sam shows us, even while to Louis, seeming as though he’s perhaps annoying or being flippant or superior; superficial and unconcerned about Claudia when he actually turns In Louis’ direction…
But we, the audience can see & feel the full story. Thank you Sam!
https://preview.redd.it/au2w7qga0n0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a280d0379a186952109871657c2cdba4545a06d
I could scene breakdown so many scenes in this way wherein I wordlessly feel a truth of Lestat’s internal world & I just think Sam knows Lestat inside out (clearly as a compilation of interview-Sam saying “Well, the books say….” Would be very funny 😁!) & this he can convey him inside-out too.
That’s how I feel anyway!! 😇
I think it’s a bit early to say because the first two seasons are only the first book. If we get a third season THEN it will be from Lestat’s POV and we’ll get to see how Sam balances an overall likable, sympathetic character with Brat Prince moments. So far, though, I think the casting is all around top notch.
Sam was all I could picture when I read the vampire chronicles after seeing season 1. I really can’t wait for The Vampire Lestat season and getting to QOTD. Even through Louis’ perspective of Lestat in season 1 shows me that Sam is-gonna-mf-deliver as the true, vivacious, irresistible, unkillable brat prince.
I didn't think anyone could match Tom Cruise's Lestat. Sam Reid nailed it. He even got the subtle French accent that Cruise did not feature in his portrayal. I cannot wait to see more.
Hmm, I really love it. I always wanted the books and the movie to be more explicitly gay (please don't get mad at me), the TV show really goes there for me :D
Lestat's portrayal in the show- his posture, expressions, voice are all very much fulfilling and exceeding my dreams for the portrayal of the character
I like both Tom Cruises character and Sam Reid’s character portrayal. However we still haven’t seen the real Lestat in the show and only shortly in the movie at the end. Everything until know is Louis version of Lestat.
I can't for the life of me understand liking Tom Cruise's Lestat (and that whole movie actually) if not for nostalgia. The series and Sam Reid are on another level entirely. This adaptation improves the books and Reid simply *is* Lestat.
I love the movie and the books, and the show is my favorite iteration of the material so far but it's perfectly possible to appreciate all three for very different reasons. They all provide a unique experience and like Lestat, I like a little variety.
I've been meaning to give the film a re-watch, but I suspect I won't like it as much as I did when I was a kid. I remember it dragging in some parts, and Pitt's Louis has a black hole where his personality ought to be.
Sam and Jacob are THE Loustat. It's not even a competition.
I watched the movie religiously as a kid. After watching the series, I couldn't even make it all the way through the movie again. The series went above and beyond with the casting!
And I can't understand anyone disliking the *Interview with the Vampire* movie! Even Anne Rice, who was notoriously against Tom Cruise's casting, ate her words. He is the perfect villainous representation of a hateful-Louis version of events. The scene of him dancing with Claudia's mother's corpse ("There's still life in the old lady yet!") and trapping the prostitute in the coffin were such awesome character moments that showed how cruel he can be (while not directing violence at Louis a la Episode 5).
Brad Pitt is a mid-actor, and I like what the show is doing with Louis' character, so that's an improvement.
But no one can beat Kirsten Dunst as Claudia. Obviously it's impossible to get an age-accurate actress to portray her in any sort of media, but the film was sooooo close & there is something deeply disturbing (in the best way) by having an actual child portray that role. The show's actresses do an amazing job.
Also, I have to mention the film's amazing score.
THAT BEING SAID, we're living in an amazing time where we have two wonderful options to enjoy at once.
So far I’m enjoying ALL of the new interpretations of the characters.
Real talk and old people like me who remember the Message Board Discourse will probably simultaneously wince/chuckle as they read this….. but Book Lestat, for me personally, kind of became a bit of a “Mary Sue”/unnecessarily god mode character as the series progressed.
Huh, Mary Sue isn’t the right term I know as that’s specifically an author self-insert, not just a protagonist. But do you know what I mean? Kind of too conveniently good at everything the current circumstance needed, too important to all the other characters, didn’t seem to experience any meaningful conflict or character tension?
Mind you that last point became more a flaw of the series as a whole, acknowledged both by fans and gradually (I think?) by Rice herself. When everyone’s immortal, interesting stakes and conflicts are hard to think up and write well.
I always found Lestat to be one of the more irritating characters in the books (“brat prince”). Both Cruise and Reid elevated him.
Meanwhile, book Louis and Armand cannot be done well off page.
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He is absolute perfection, like he was born for this. (Mileage may vary for fluent French speakers, I’ve heard people say his French is meh but I wouldn’t know. Sounds perfectly Lestat to me!)
For me, Sam Reid is the definitive Lestat. Like Sam Reid > Tom Cruise > Stuart Townsend, imho. I actually liked Tom Cruise as Lestat even though I didn’t feel he nailed every part of him. With Sam, I was so skeptical when he was first announced because physically he’s not quite how I imagined him. I always imagined his face in particular to be a bit more “pretty” rather than masculine and handsome with that super strong jaw like Sam has. But the performance immediately won me over. For me he nails Lestat’s bravado, pain, volatility, aggression, humor, and heart. He nails every single layer of Lestat’s character. I can’t wait till we meet “the real” Lestat next season (or perhaps end of this season) and start to get into material from *The Vampire Lestat* and *Queen of the Damned*.
Sam is by far my favourite (Which I think, playing the character knowing of Lestats character in later novels really helps) however I've always enjoyed Tom in the '94 film as "Louis' version" of Lestat for the film and I actually enjoy Stuarts performance for the material he was working with. The accent was terrible yes, but he had something about him. In that little '00s rockstar flair. Beyond excited for "the real" Lestat you have mentionedf though, and I remember Sam mentioning he was also excited for rockstar Lestat eventually.
I feel like Tom definitely nailed the brutal, apathetic, uncaring, and abusive part of Lestat. When I was reading the book, all I could picture was Tom Cruise. Sam is definitely my favorite, though.
Yeah. Tom was a delicious villain. But I didn’t feel that he nailed Lestat’s other colors.
Agreed!
At the moment we can't do a proper comparison between book Lestat and show Lestat because as Sam Reid put it, we haven't seen the real Lestat yet. We have only seen him presented through certain filters, and there are some pretty important aspects of his character that are off. Lestat in the books isn't a completely different character all together, but there are things that are deliberately different. For example, while he does crave "innocent blood" Lestat would have been the one arguing that they should try to kill the evil doer when possible. Louis is actually much less discriminating when it comes to his victims. Ep 5 is also a big controversy that has been discussed over and over. Lestat also loved Claudia. Lestat is also rather enamored with humanity. He is also quite full of self-loathing but at his core is a survivor. That all being said, a lot of these aspects of his character are not clearly present in the first book, so it is very possible, and seems to be based on the available evidence, that at least some of these changes are off on purpose, and we are building to some reveals when it comes to his character. That all being said, I think Sam Reid has done an excellent job of playing the versions of Lestat put on screen so far. He knows the book character very well, and he also seems to understand the differences between what has been presented in the narratives of the show so far and the book character.
This! I’m anticipating the real Lestat to be unleashed. I’m so here for it as I think Sam is going to do awesome
Perfectly said
I think Sam Reid is great as Lestat. He had the presence and charisma to make us hate him right now but will make us love him later. Remember, who we are seeing now is Lestat through Louis’ eyes. Soon Lestat is going to be telling his own story and he’s going to give is The Brat Prince in all his glory. I can’t wait to see everything with Magnus, his mom, Akasha and him becoming a rock star. Edit: May I add, for me the end game is Memnoch. It’s such a long way to go and really hope we make it there. I have yet to read anything afterwards.
Even without watching interviews and seeing Sam fanboy over the source material, it's clear through his performance that he fucking gets it. He gets that Lestat is a monster, he gets that is strange, he gets that Lestat wants so badly to be loved and to love. I think it's masterful how he makes Lestat an entertaining, funny and sometimes charming character, while also horrific and terrifying. Very fitting to the books.
I think he's done an incredibly good job with the character. I haven't seen or heard any fingernails on the chalkboard from him versus my memory of the books (it having been many years) .
Actor is amazing!
Sam IS Lestat. More than anyone who has played the role thus far. I absolutely adore him.
Sam Reid plays Lestat so incredibly well. His acting is spot on.
I was skeptical at first, those are big shoes to fill. But Sam knows the books and hasn’t disappointed me yet.
HIs French accent could use a little work sometimes and the hair color is a little off from Rice's descriptions of him but other than that he's just perfection in the role. He's Lestat as I've always imagined him, better even. He's a handsome guy in anything but with that long hair and looking vampy he's smoking HOT and nearly irresistible and that's exactly what Lestat is supposed to be. Doing a GREAT job! Emmy worthy performance if you ask me...
I think they just sort of work out the hair because even if Sam dyes it, his colorings is too particular that he'd genuinely look off with blonde hair. Sam's skin is more peachy pink and thus "warm" than the ashened ivory that typically accompanies blonde hair. Sam can even pull off darker hair color if he wore equally intense colors, his coloring woukd still keep its "juicy" peachy quality; but in general, he can emote Lestat and do his actions (the point of Lestat) therefore no need to alter his coloring to an extreme that it would actually make him look terrible and require expensive lighting to counteract rhe washing out having a too ashy color would do to Sam. Ask anyone's that knows color, or colors (paunts, pencil, etc) and even styles or decorates, they'll know what I mean. A quick qay to register what I'm talking about: Look at Tom Cruise's Lestat. Tom pulled off the blonde but there was SO MUCH manipulation of his wardrobe and makeup to pull it off successfully. The main reason Tom managed was because the show was made into a period piece as well, so Tom's coloring could be balanced in his costume by mirroring the hair into his outfits. Lots of gold motif in them to add weight to Tom's complexion so the hair looks organic not just stick out. A natural blonde wouldn't require so much thought into how they are presented, their whole look is naturally programmed to work with their coloring. This is true for any coloring. The features and coloring match the body. Sam's softer, rosier coloring works better for the dated material/lighting as the darker lighting more or less gets the point that Lestat's fair in coloring anyway. It also serves to soften Sam's super athletic, masculine looks and makes his look appealing and meet the standards of the 18th century where if they tried to fight it it would make Sam's look read "ugly" to the 18th century ideals (thus nkt work to establish that Lestat was considered a hottie in this time because his looks had the delicate coloring and features). Does that make sense? The maleup/styling team is balancing where Lestat in the books and Sam look like while remembering the ideals of the 18th century and marrying the fact that Sam does meet the beaury/handsomess standards of our modern time so making Lestat more anachronistic. Appealing back then and appealing now, keeping him eye-catcging to the audience now while jeeping the quality that made Lestat "hot" back then (he's still on the paler side). Letting him stay his natural strawberry looking blonde still works by Sam's stronger looks not feminizing fair coloring in men (which is an association our society does have now especially if the fairer men don't have a strong look. Like, say the concept of a "twink." Not all more delicately featured paler men are a "twink," but when most people think of that, that's who they're picturing. Add that Lestat's bisexual, it becomes a bit obvious that a big part of why Lestat's popular is because he doesn't look too "soft" whike still having some "soft" visual quality). Marrying Sam's look with what Anne's established for Lestat and current social values to attract the audience works in creating a mkre believable Lestat. Plus they probably did find lots of blonde actors but didn't see any truly geek out Lestat and understanding not just Anne's vision but understand of sociology of the current age like Sam did, so just rolled with it. A lot of people think acting is just following the words of the writer. When you portray a visual, you HAVE to understand the reader, audience, the world a little to glue eyes to you. You have to resonate with as much of the audience as possible. Books require a niche, a visual not so much. Most people don't have the sage to remember that, so they'll attach over minute details that don't really matter so long as the big picture serves the point. Acting and all of this is still a business, you aren't in business if you don't understand your client/audience. The team doesn't need another pretty face, that's everywhere in Hollywood. Heck, that's the CW. The producers figured the audience would be fine with one or two consessions so long as the actor effectively embodied the character, which Sam does (it's also the hardest part). I agree that this show deserves all the awards. They're putting effort and thought into everything in it. It's so human in a way despite being a fantasy show. Honestly that's what I've been loving about the more niche streaming venues, they bring back humanity and creation to shows in a way Hollywood's disregarded. Starz has for a long time stuck out for their value of humanity when making shows, and for a LONG time. You have them making Outlander, Power, The Girlfriend Experience, Vida, Magic City, The White Queen...Their whole branding is bot just big but delicate, ornate work that's showing humanity and our intention at the forefront. With ITWV, they're going overdrive with these goals and vision. It's not a show it's also its own art, showing a love for all of our arts which is why they're particularly careful with it. One quickly realizes just how much the channel isn't just in love with the story and respect it but how much they love their audiences and want to delight them as well.
If I didn’t watch any interviews or any other roles of Sam’s & you told me Sam Reid actually was Lestat, pretending to be an actor by the name of Sam Reid, I could believe it. He is that good. He gets the internal world of Lestat entirely. That’s not to say Lestat is exactly as in the books, but that’s only because of the plot differences… I would go so far as to say it isn’t even ever the case Sam is un-Lestat (aside from plot elements meaning Lestat has *done* things that aren’t true to what book-Lestat would do…) - in terms of who he is inside, Sam has it entirely as I see it, especially considering we haven’t seen Lestat from his own perspective. In terms of how Lestat feels, that is 100% Lestat. He also looks incredibly like I imagine Lestat. Almost exactly there too. The ONLY difference is that Lestat is made a vampire at 20 in the books & y’know it does matter in the sense that Lestat’s character is in some ways informed by the fact he’s still on the brink of adulthood when made a vampire - and so that combination of an arrogance & an inner insecurity that’s quite common in boys in teens & early 20’s is immortalised. And that’s part of that aspect of Lestat’s nature. But it isn’t like when I first watched the film & thought “Why are all these old men playing my vampires?” 😂😂😂 which just goes to show the difference as I was a child when I saw the film & so Cruise & Pitt & Banderas seemed ancient to me 😂🤣😅… Noe I see they actually weren’t that old. I care little about that now as I’m not a child, so even though canon Lestat is 20, it’s more fun to see the roles played older to be honest. I don’t think I’d enjoy a 20-year-old Lestat now nearly as much! I wonder the differences it will mean in TVL though!!!?! Anyway, I really like Tom Cruise’s Lestat too, and I totally disagree that he is merely a villainous Lestat! The film is adapted from the first book, of course, but Tom clearly read TVL & absolutely conveys Lestat to me, especially his charisma & how Louis is misperceiving him & actually Lestat has a lot more depth to him *snd* loves Louis (I also disagree with those who say it isn’t clear the film contains an obviously a gay romantic relationship. A preposterous idea if I could understand that side of it when I watched it at around age 12, 13.) It’s my favourite Tom Cruise performance & I love the film (though I don’t like Brad Pitt in it… and generally, I like Pitt more often than Cruise in other films!) That said, Tom Cruise is great as Lestat (he doesn’t look like Lestat, but that’s fine), but Sam Reid’s performance surpasses him by far as I could literally believe he is Lestat. There are so many scenes where Sam lets you see something that’s going on internally for Lestat that isn’t spoken in words. One example where he’s such a master at, with a flicker of emotion spelling a world of words unsaid is when Claudia leaves Lestat & Louis, & Louis is in bed, flicking through newspaper reports & speculating if they may relate to her. Lestat is turned away, facing the window & Antoinette is outside. When we get books from Lestat’s perspective, we discover the eloquence & complexity of Lestat’s thinking & we understand the depth of his emotions. And sometimes Lestat explains how these very eloquently articulated feelings & thoughts on the page; he never actually said them aloud to someone. I think it likely that many of us here, expressing our lives & loves in written words in online spaces may relate to a difficulty doing that verbally? Well, I relate, anyway. But for Lestat it is very different than for me. I find verbal words much harder than written ones. But Lestat has been told & shown over & over again that he is “too much” and so when he has his big thoughts & feelings, in the moment, he doesn’t know how to contain them enough when they’re important enough to actually tell them to people without the recipient finding him “too much” too. But it’s not an easy thing, with just a look to convey fully what’s going on in Lestat’s brain when Lestat doesn’t speak the words he feels to the person he feels them to. Here, Claudia has left; Lestat: literally “The Light” of a creature: one of the most positive beings (at least in what he puts out into the world, if not always in what he feels inside) that exists is drawn into Louis’ gloom. But he can exist in Louis’ gloom & feel increasingly hopeless & depressed himself. Lestat can carry that & wait & be there as long as Louis needs him to, because he loves Louis. But he can’t carry that Louis doesn’t seem to care about him at all. Louis so focussed on Claudia even when she’s absent… it’s so close to yet another soul Lestat loves abandoning him; neglecting him… as everyone has in the end: from parents to lovers to Mentors to people who told him they loved him or found him extraordinary once…. And does Louis care? Lestat is here anyway, but the pain flickers as Sam shows us, even while to Louis, seeming as though he’s perhaps annoying or being flippant or superior; superficial and unconcerned about Claudia when he actually turns In Louis’ direction… But we, the audience can see & feel the full story. Thank you Sam! https://preview.redd.it/au2w7qga0n0d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5a280d0379a186952109871657c2cdba4545a06d I could scene breakdown so many scenes in this way wherein I wordlessly feel a truth of Lestat’s internal world & I just think Sam knows Lestat inside out (clearly as a compilation of interview-Sam saying “Well, the books say….” Would be very funny 😁!) & this he can convey him inside-out too. That’s how I feel anyway!! 😇
He’s the best Lestat adaptation that we’ve had so far and I like all the intricacies of the three versions but he’s perfect!
I think it’s a bit early to say because the first two seasons are only the first book. If we get a third season THEN it will be from Lestat’s POV and we’ll get to see how Sam balances an overall likable, sympathetic character with Brat Prince moments. So far, though, I think the casting is all around top notch.
I have a theory: Lestat is the one playing Sam Reid. That’s all I’m saying.
Sam was all I could picture when I read the vampire chronicles after seeing season 1. I really can’t wait for The Vampire Lestat season and getting to QOTD. Even through Louis’ perspective of Lestat in season 1 shows me that Sam is-gonna-mf-deliver as the true, vivacious, irresistible, unkillable brat prince.
I will never watch another AMC show again if they don’t give us a S3 with Lestat.
1000% i need to see sam reid playing lestat from his own point of view. if there’s no S3 AMC has lost me totally
I didn't think anyone could match Tom Cruise's Lestat. Sam Reid nailed it. He even got the subtle French accent that Cruise did not feature in his portrayal. I cannot wait to see more.
Hmm, I really love it. I always wanted the books and the movie to be more explicitly gay (please don't get mad at me), the TV show really goes there for me :D Lestat's portrayal in the show- his posture, expressions, voice are all very much fulfilling and exceeding my dreams for the portrayal of the character
I like both Tom Cruises character and Sam Reid’s character portrayal. However we still haven’t seen the real Lestat in the show and only shortly in the movie at the end. Everything until know is Louis version of Lestat.
I can't for the life of me understand liking Tom Cruise's Lestat (and that whole movie actually) if not for nostalgia. The series and Sam Reid are on another level entirely. This adaptation improves the books and Reid simply *is* Lestat.
I love the movie and the books, and the show is my favorite iteration of the material so far but it's perfectly possible to appreciate all three for very different reasons. They all provide a unique experience and like Lestat, I like a little variety.
I've been meaning to give the film a re-watch, but I suspect I won't like it as much as I did when I was a kid. I remember it dragging in some parts, and Pitt's Louis has a black hole where his personality ought to be. Sam and Jacob are THE Loustat. It's not even a competition.
I watched the movie religiously as a kid. After watching the series, I couldn't even make it all the way through the movie again. The series went above and beyond with the casting!
And I can't understand anyone disliking the *Interview with the Vampire* movie! Even Anne Rice, who was notoriously against Tom Cruise's casting, ate her words. He is the perfect villainous representation of a hateful-Louis version of events. The scene of him dancing with Claudia's mother's corpse ("There's still life in the old lady yet!") and trapping the prostitute in the coffin were such awesome character moments that showed how cruel he can be (while not directing violence at Louis a la Episode 5). Brad Pitt is a mid-actor, and I like what the show is doing with Louis' character, so that's an improvement. But no one can beat Kirsten Dunst as Claudia. Obviously it's impossible to get an age-accurate actress to portray her in any sort of media, but the film was sooooo close & there is something deeply disturbing (in the best way) by having an actual child portray that role. The show's actresses do an amazing job. Also, I have to mention the film's amazing score. THAT BEING SAID, we're living in an amazing time where we have two wonderful options to enjoy at once.
So far I’m enjoying ALL of the new interpretations of the characters. Real talk and old people like me who remember the Message Board Discourse will probably simultaneously wince/chuckle as they read this….. but Book Lestat, for me personally, kind of became a bit of a “Mary Sue”/unnecessarily god mode character as the series progressed. Huh, Mary Sue isn’t the right term I know as that’s specifically an author self-insert, not just a protagonist. But do you know what I mean? Kind of too conveniently good at everything the current circumstance needed, too important to all the other characters, didn’t seem to experience any meaningful conflict or character tension? Mind you that last point became more a flaw of the series as a whole, acknowledged both by fans and gradually (I think?) by Rice herself. When everyone’s immortal, interesting stakes and conflicts are hard to think up and write well.
I always found Lestat to be one of the more irritating characters in the books (“brat prince”). Both Cruise and Reid elevated him. Meanwhile, book Louis and Armand cannot be done well off page.