Vamping it up. Following roles in Game of Thrones and Doctor Who, Jacob Anderson is ready to step into the shoes of another iconic character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, in AMC’s adaptation of Interview With a Vampire.
“I felt that Louis related to being a vampire in the same way that I relate to being a human,” the Adulthood star, 35, told Esquire in September 2022 about the reason he was drawn to the character. “He’s tortured by what the meaning of his existence is, what his code is, what he believes in. You don’t see characters like Louis very often. They don’t often get to be the hero.”
The TV adaptation of Anne Rice’s iconic 1976 novel stays true to the plot of the book, but set in jazz-age New Orleans with Louis reimagined as a Black man who inherited his family’s plantation from his great-grandfather. Despite his experience with passionate fandoms, Anderson confessed that he was hesitant about playing a different version of the character that fans loved in the book. “It would be naïve not to [be intimidated],” he told Esquire. “I had nerves about the fact that in the books, Louis is described as a Caucasian Creole man.”
He continued, “I think there are certain things that Louis being a Black Creole man from New Orleans really, if not adds, then opens up other possibilities that feel completely true and right to this world, and to what she wrote about and where these characters exist.”
Anderson is bringing more change to the role with a fierce determination to stand up for himself. “This version of Louis De Pointe Du Lac, he’s maybe got slightly more fire in his belly. He is more likely to fight back against Lestat,” the England native told The Root in September 2022. “Novel Louis, as much as I love him, he complains about Lestat more. I love him though. I’m not trying to take anything away from it. I think he’s just got a little bit more backbone — with love.”
Anderson added: “I love playing Louis. I love playing this version of Louis.”
Though the actor is aware the updated version of Interview With a Vampire could cause backlash from upset fans, Anderson likely won’t be paying attention to the social media complaints. “I’ve started to prioritize my mental health and I take regular breaks from social media now,” the Broadchurch alum told HungerTV in June 2021. “I just delete the apps and don’t look at them. The way that information can be passed around [online] can be a little bit overwhelming so I feel like it’s really important to hold onto some privacy, especially with the work that I do.”
Interview With a Vampire premieres on AMC Sunday, October 2 at 10 p.m. EST.
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