Lestat has been a divisive character since his inception Anne Rice novel interview with a vampire, Published in 1976. Romantic, rock star, and abusive monster all rolled into one. tom cruise As a restate Brad Pitt It starred as Louis, who would become a romantic interest with him if the movie didn’t steer clear of it.The film has become iconic not only for the fame of its actors, but also for the storytelling and visual language of the film itself. Interview with a vampire Completely blew the original out of the water.Two very different adaptations of the source material managed to best capture the essence of the vampire Lestat Tom Cruise or Sam Reed?
tom cruise
Tom Cruise’s lies of strength make his Lestat deliciously spooky. , until it returns to him in his withered monstrous form. Unfortunately, most of the positives for this Lestat (and the adaptation as a whole) end here.
The 1994 movie may have been one of the most iconic vampire movies of the last few decades, but going back to it feels pretty hollow. But Tom Cruise seems miscast in the role. He doesn’t bring enough to the table to fully do Lestat justice on the big screen. The biggest problem is probably his anger and intimidation. I never felt that Lestat’s anger was real or that his threats were genuine. Even if they do come to fruition in the story, it feels like Tom Cruise is playing a vampire rather than disappearing into the role of a vampire. Cruise doesn’t have a lot of time to play because he has to juggle his two-hour movie and most of it is missing. They removed most of the romance between Lestat and Louis. All that’s left is a hint to it. That alone is a huge detriment to the story, the characters, and Anne Rice. There is. The movie is definitely still an undeniable classic, probably thanks to its all-star cast, but Lestat, in particular, leaves a lot to be desired from this movie.
Sam Reed
On the other side, 28 years later, Sam Reed is an absolute vision to see in AMC’s production as Lestat de Lioncourt. Interview with a vampire. On this reboot vampire chroniclesgets an updated setting in both the past and present sections of the story, richer storytelling, and incredible performances across the board.It’s no wonder AMC was so confident in this show .
Sam Reed disappears into Lestat’s character and will probably become the quintessential version of the character that everyone will remember in the future. Reed gets more screen time to develop Lestat in all seven episodes. He doesn’t have to deal with absences the way Cruz does. Instead, Reed can slowly burn Lestat’s descent into madness, or at least the exposure of it, when he meets him through Lewis (Jacob Anderson) and their romantic connection. Much of this version of Lestat is his charm, starting with his subtle control over Louis. It was really important to nail his charisma, so it’s easy to overlook his negative side at first. That’s what makes the later episodes so heartbreaking as it’s revealed he’s an abuser and it rises with each episode. It is not only abusive in their relationship, but also abusive towards Claudia (Bailey Bass) is essentially their daughter.
Cruz Failed Reed Excellence
Sam Reed’s best ability is where Tom Cruise didn’t win. Lestat’s anger and violence. At times, Cruise almost seems to play a caricature of Lestat, but Reed’s ability to harness his anger in violent moments after Lestat makes a big difference. A seemingly unstoppable force of terror, he feels real… all behind his menacingly handsome face. Reid himself will eventually become the iconic Lestat, if not yet, simply because he put (and was given) so much time and effort into making sure the character was fleshed out with his great performance. Let’s see. Reed is craving more of Lestat’s performance, even after what he did horrible in this first season.
AMC’s immortal universe has just begun, Interview with a vampire It has already been renewed for a second season. It’s clear that the story is headed in the same direction as the novel, and Lestat may have a backseat role next season, but we’re not done with him. has a big future that only Reid can follow. Bringing him closer to death and just eating animals (it’s alluded to in one of the final scenes of the season). before he finally regains his powers and joins a rock band. A far cry from the more serious side that the series has taken on, if anyone could take on this role with sincerity and care, it would be. It’s lead.
A quick comparison of both Lestats reveals that Cruz’s interpretation falls nowhere near Reed’s cautious and precise performance today.
Interview with the Vampire (1994) are currently streaming on HBOMAX, and AMC+ is their Interview with a vampire series.