Interview With the Vampire: Jacob Anderson Says There's Still a Lot to Explore With Louis and Lestat (Exclusive)
AMC's adaptation of Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire wraps up its first season this week, but in many ways the story is just getting started. Last week's episode, "Like Angels Put in Hell by God", saw Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Bailey Bass) work on recovering from Lestat's (Sam Reid) violence and brutality that left Louis gravely injured and both of them deeply traumatized. Ultimately, Louis lets Lestat back into their lives even though it leads Claudia to begin to plot their maker's death. Now, Anderson is opening up about the complexity of the story and how there's a lot more to explore with Louis and Lestat — and that it's okay to not agree with every choice a character makes.
Speaking with ComicBook.com, Anderson spoke about reading Rice's novel Merrick and how there are things and choices in the book that he doesn't necessarily agree with in terms of what some of the characters do, but he understands it and that it's something he feels can be applied to Louis and Lestat as well.
"I think in that same way, the show kind of has to be that as well, otherwise we're not really honoring what she wrote and who these characters are," Anderson said. "Lestat is a very brutal character, and Louis can be a very cruel character as well, particularly in the first book. And so, with brutality obviously comes violence. We still have a lot to explore with all of these characters and to bring even more context and more understanding to who they are and why they are the way they are."
He continued, "I'm not somebody that believes that you have to love every character through and through. I don't think you have to agree with everything that a character does in order to enjoy watching them or enjoy exploring how they behave. I think that Lestat's behavior through this season and Louis' response to it and Louis' behavior to him, I think you could kind of watch it again, knowing where it ends in this season particularly, and the flags are all there. There is an inevitability to the violence. If that violence could be turned on strangers, it can be turned in wards and it can be turned to people that are right beside you. And it's painful. And it should be painful."
Has Interview With the Vampire been renewed?
The critically acclaimed series has already been renewed for a second season.
"The scope and breadth of this show, and what Mark and Rolin have delivered, is just stupendous," Dan McDermott, president of original programming for AMC Networks and AMC Studios, said in a statement. "They have rendered the rich and vibrant world of Anne Rice's Interview in a wonderful way, and we're incredibly proud. From the set build to production design, costumes, and more — no detail was overlooked. This stellar cast delivers powerful performances that emotionally connect us to these characters and their humanity. We look forward to sharing the final product of this extraordinary effort with audiences in just a few short days and are thrilled that this story will continue. This is only the beginning of an entire Universe featuring enthralling stories and characters that capture the spirit of Anne Rice's amazing work."
Interview With the Vampire airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC. You can also stream new episodes on AMC+.