Interview with the Vampire has found its Lestat in actor Sam Reid

We finally have some big casting news coming out of the upcoming Interview with the Vampire television series! After years of trying to get the pilot off the ground with rotating networks and showrunners, we finally have some news on who is playing Lestat, Anne Rice’s most famous vampire.

According to Deadline, Australian actor Sam Reid has been chosen to put on the fangs and live a rock star career as Lestat de Lioncourt, the antihero of the book series of the same name. Interview with the Vampire was ordered to series by AMC in June to start production later this year. It’s currently slated for a 2022 release date on the network and its streaming service.

Here’s what we know about the series so far. It will be an eight-episode first season premiering next year with Rolin Jones serving as the creator, writer, and showrunner. Mark Jones is also set to produce. Creator and author Anne Rice along with her son Christopher Rice are executive producers on the series.

Sam Reid has signed on to play the vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire

Sam Reid is best known for his role in the period film Belle, Anonymous and The Railway Man. Most of the actor’s roles have been in British cinema and television so this will be his biggest role in Hollywood to date. His last role was in the film Waiting for the Barbarians .which co-starred Johnny Depp and Robert Pattinson.

This will be the third time Anne Rice’s vampires have been adapted for the screen. Her first book published in 1976 was made into a film of the same name, Interview with the Vampire. It famously starred Tom Cruise as Lestat, Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Loc as well as Antonio Banderas as the ancient vampire Armand and Kristen Dunst as the child Claudia.

The second time was the not exactly well-received feature film Queen of the Damned. Now a cult classic, it starred Stewart Townsend as Lestat and singer Aaliyah as the vampire queen herself, Akasha who gave an incredible performance.

I’ll have to reserve judgment on Reid’s casting until I see photos and watch his performance. He’s not someone I would’ve expected to for the role at all. When I think of Lestat, I actually picture closer to Tom Cruise’s version of the character. Slim and pale with a silent ferocity behind his eyes at all times. I hope with this news we’ll be hearing more actors who have been cast in the series!

What do you think of the news? Do you like the casting or did you have someone else in mind? Who is your dream Lestat? Let us know in the comments below!

Interview with the Vampire will debut on AMC sometime in 2022.