Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire, or simply Interview with the Vampire, is an American gothic horror television series created by Rolin Jones for AMC, based on The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, named after the first book. Starring Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, it portrays the vampire Louis's recount of his past and tumultuous relationship with the vampire Lestat, as well as the fallout of its unauthorized publication.
The series embraces the queer elements of Rice's work, which are only insinuated in the 1994 film adaptation, and deals with themes such as subjectivity, race, and abuse. It is the first series set in the Immortal Universe, a shared universe based on Rice's novels. A series order was made in June 2021, after AMC Networks purchased the rights to intellectual property encompassing 18 of Rice's novels in 2020.
The series premiered on October 2, 2022, with the first two seasons covering the events of the novel. The series returned for a third season on June 7, 2026, titled Anne Rice's The Vampire Lestat, based on the second novel. The series has been renewed for a fourth season titled Anne Rice's Queen of the Damned, based on the third novel. Reception has been positive, with praise for its writing, costumes, soundtrack, production design, lead performances and their chemistry; it has received nominations at the Critics' Choice Television Awards and GLAAD Media Awards among others.
Cast and characters
Main
Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac / Thomas Pitt, a 145-year-old vampire who summons Daniel Molloy to redo their unpublished interview of 49 years earlier. In 1910, Louis is a 33-year-old closeted Creole man and successful brothel owner in New Orleans. He is haunted by guilt and seethes at the racism directed at him. In the present day, he uses the alias Thomas Pitt as a business magnate. Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, a 265-year-old hedonistic French vampire who falls in love with Louis upon his arrival in New Orleans. He later turns Louis into a vampire but is irritated by Louis's preoccupation with humans. His background of abuse at the hands of his family and maker makes him fearful of abandonment. Lestat forms the rock band The Vampire Lestat as a response to the publication of Daniel's book. Reid also portrays Lestat's body double, Jarda Klapek, in the third season. Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, a cynical journalist in his 70s with Parkinson's disease and a long history of drug and alcohol abuse whose interview with Louis in 1973 ends with him being attacked. He later publishes his second interview with Louis as the book Interview with the Vampire without Louis's consent and is made a vampire by Armand. Bailey Bass (season 1) and Delainey Hayles (season 2–present) as Claudia, a 14-year-old girl whom Lestat turns into a vampire at Louis's insistence to save her life. She forms a daughter-father relationship with the pair and struggles with her fate as an eternal teenager. Hayles also plays Regina, a waitress with a strong resemblance to Claudia, in the third season. Assad Zaman as Armand, a 514-year-old vampire who is Louis's current turned former lover, who saves Daniel's life during the first interview. In the 1940s, he is the leader of the vampiric troupe the Théâtre des Vampires. Armand first appears under the guise of Rashid, Louis's dutiful servant. Ben Daniels as Santiago (season 2), the leading thespian of the Théâtre des Vampires, who is increasingly suspicious of Louis and Claudia. He believes Armand is an inadequate leader. Joseph Potter as Nicolas de Lenfent (season 3; guest season 2), Lestat's former friend, lover, and fledgling. Jennifer Ehle as Gabriella de Lioncourt (née Vece) (season 3), Lestat's mother and fledgling, who comes back into his life after he becomes a rock star.
Recurring
Kalyne Coleman as Grace de Pointe du Lac Freniere (season 1), Louis's newly married sister John DiMaggio as Alderman Fenwick (season 1), a racist businessman looking to take advantage of Louis Chris Stack as Thomas "Tom" Anderson (season 1), the owner of the Fair Play Saloon, an upscale brothel Rae Dawn Chong as Florence de Pointe du Lac (season 1), Louis's widowed mother Jeff Pope as Finn O'Shea (season 1), one of Louis's enforcers Dana Gourrier as Bricktop Williams (season 1), a prostitute who works for Louis Christian Robinson as Levi Freniere (season 1), Grace's new husband and Louis and Paul's brother-in-law Maura Grace Athari as Antoinette Brown (season 1, guest season 3), a blues singer who becomes romantically involved with Lestat Bally Gill as Rashid (season 2, guest season 3), Louis and Armand's servant, later revealed to be a Talamasca agent Suzanne Andrade as Celeste (season 2), one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Esme Appleton as Estelle (season 2), one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Jake Cecil as Gustave (season 2), one of Théâtre des Vampires' thespians Roxane Duran as Madeleine Éparvier (season 2), a dressmaker who becomes Louis's fledgling and Claudia's immortal companion Christopher Geary as Samuel "Sam" Barclay (season 2–3), Théâtre des Vampires' playwright-in-residence, who works as a DJ present-day and also secretly works with the Talamasca Khetphet "KP" Phagnasay as Quang Pham (season 2), Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist and swing actor Yung Nguyen as Tuan Pham (season 2), Théâtre des Vampires' projectionist, swing actor, and Quang's biological father Justin Kirk as Raglan James (season 3, guest season 2), a member of the Talamasca Jeanine Serralles as Christine Claire (season 3), Lestat's lawyer Gopal Divan as Dr. Fareed Bhansali (season 3, guest season 1), Louis's personal physician whom Lestat steals Noah Reid as Larry (season 3), The Vampire Lestat's guitarist Ryan Kattner as Salamander (season 3), The Vampire Lestat's bassist Seamus Patterson as Alex (season 3), The Vampire Lestat's guitarist and Larry's brother Sarah Swire as TC (season 3), The Vampire Lestat's drummer Christopher Heyerdahl as Marius de Romanus (season 3), Armand's maker Amaka Umeh as Dee Pharma (season 3), a member of Lestat's entourage Damien Atkins as Magnus (season 3), Lestat's maker Shepherd Munroe as child Lestat de Lioncourt (season 3)
Notable guest stars
Steven G. Norfleet as Paul de Pointe du Lac (seasons 1 and 3), Louis's troubled brother Damon Daunno as Bruce; later renamed Killer (seasons 1 and 3), a lone vampire Claudia meets during her travels Luke Brandon Field as young Daniel Molloy (seasons 1–2) Blake Ritson as Morgan Ward (season 2), an English refugee Louis and Claudia meet in Romania Stephanie Heyes as Emilia (season 2), a Romanian refugee, Morgan's partner Gabriel Frielich as Felix (season 2), a fledgling vampire and rat-catcher for Lestat David Costabile as Leonard (season 2), a TV personality who interviews Daniel Sheila Atim as Akasha (season 3), "the Queen of the Damned", progenitor of all vampires Ella Ballentine as Baby Jenks (season 3), a drugged fan Lestat drinks on stage and Bruce's fiancée Gage Munroe as young adult Lestat de Lioncourt (season 3) Sarah Afful as Merrick Mayfair (season 3), a New Orleans-based witch Lestat commissioned to summon Claudia's spirit
Episodes Series overview
Season 1: Interview with the Vampire – Part I (2022)
Season 2: Interview with the Vampire – Part II (2024)
Season 3: The Vampire Lestat (2026)
Production Development
A new franchise adaptation of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles was initially in development as a film series at Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. The novel series had previously been adapted into Interview with the Vampire, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, in 1994 and the less commercially successful 2002 sequel, Queen of the Damned. Rice's son, Christopher Rice, had adapted the screenplay, and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci were set as producers. The project paused until November 26, 2016, when Anne Rice had regained the rights to the franchise with the intention to develop the novels into a television series, where she and her son would serve as executive producers. Upon this announcement, Rice stated, "A television series of the highest quality is now my dream for Lestat, Louis, Armand, Marius, and the entire tribe. Though we had the pleasure of working with many fine people in connection with this plan, it did not work out. It is, more than ever, abundantly clear that television is where the vampires belong."
On April 28, 2017, it was announced that Paramount Television Studios and Anonymous Content had optioned the rights after a competitive month-long bidding war. Christopher Rice was attached to rewrite the screenplay, with Anonymous Content's David Kanter and Steve Golin joining as executive producers. On January 11, 2018, Bryan Fuller became the showrunner, but quit later that month to not interfere with what the Rices were planning. In a competitive situation, Hulu put the project in development on July 17, 2018, with Dee Johnson replacing Fuller as showrunner on February 19, 2019. It was later announced on December 19, 2019, that Hulu had decided not to move forward with the project, with Rice adding her trilogy Lives of the Mayfair Witches, the rights to which were still owned by Warner Bros. Pictures, to the larger, complete rights package. Paramount Television was in a position to regain the rights to the novels as it was reported the studio was among the four bidders seeking the property.
On May 13, 2020, it was announced that AMC Networks had purchased the rights to the intellectual property encompassing 18 novels and the possibility to develop feature films and television series from the deal. On June 24, 2021, AMC gave an adaptation of the first novel in the series, Interview with the Vampire, a series order consisting of eight episodes, with the series scheduled to premiere in 2022. Rolin Jones was attached as creator, showrunner, and writer. Mark Johnson was named executive producer alongside Jones under their overall deals with AMC Studios to oversee the universe for AMC, with Anne and Christopher Rice set as non-writing executive producers. On July 19, 2021, it was announced that Alan Taylor was attached as an executive producer and to direct the first two episodes of the first season. On September 28, 2022, ahead of the series premiere, AMC renewed Interview with the Vampire for a second season which will cover the second half of the novel, bringing the series to a total of fifteen episodes.
On June 26, 2024, AMC renewed the series for a third season, adapting the second book in The Vampire Chronicles. The season is set to premiere in 2026. In July 2025, the series was officially retitled to The Vampire Lestat, to honor the book the season is based on.
In July 2026, AMC renewed the series for a fourth season, adapting the third book in The Vampire Chronicles, with Hannah Moscovitch taking over as showrunner.
Writing and themes