Interview with the Vampiredirector Neil Jordan explains his decision to cast a young Kirsten Dunst years later.Interview with the Vampireis a 1994 film based on the novel by Anne Rice, who also adapted the story for the screen. The plot follows the tale of a vampire named Louis, who recounts his life through a journey through love, betrayal, and more.Interview with the Vampirefeatures a leading cast including Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Antonio Banderas, Dunst, and Christian Slater. The source material has since been adapted into theAMC seriesInterview with the Vampire.
Speaking withVariety, Jordan looks back on his decision to cast Dunst in one of the film’s lead roles. In this interview, Jordan was asked how he was able to bring out such a great performance from the then-child actor while still protecting her from the movie’s more disturbing source material. According to Jordan, he is “normally terrified of casting a kid,” even though he has done it several times. His fears went away when he saw Dunst,who he described as having a “blazing talent.“Check out the full quote from Jordan below:
Well, I’ve done many movies where I’ve cast children. But the minute I saw Kirsten, it was amazingly apparent to me that her life would be acting, from start to finish. I’m normally terrified of casting a kid because they’re so young, and it can affect their lives really horribly in many ways. But this girl had a blazing talent, and an extraordinary beauty, and we were as protective as we should be in terms of a child being on the set.
Her mother was there quite a bit. And I think in a strange way, the story comes alive when Claudia enters. However warped the family is, it becomes a story of a family. And she was extraordinary. I didn’t have to do that much to draw that performance out of her. It was all there.
What This Meant For Dunst’s Career
Dunst Immediately Got More Roles
Jordan brings up an important point aboutchild actors, noting that being thrust into Hollywood sets with adults “can affect their lives really horribly in many ways.” Over the course of the years, there have been consistent examples of former child stars (e.g. Drew Barrymore, Amanda Bynes, and Shia LaBeouf) who have gone on to get into trouble later in life. Often exposed to adult things too young, these stars can get into drugs or legal trouble. It sounds like Jordan was set on avoiding this fate for Dunst, and took precautions on the set.
Lestat’s 12 Best Quotes From Interview With The Vampire
Lestat de Lioncourt may be the best Anne Rice character, so it stands to reason he would have some of the best lines in Interview with the Vampire.
In turn,Interview with the Vampirebecame vital for Dunst’s career.Dunst was only 12 years old whenInterview with the Vampirewas released, and it was easily her biggest role to date. Her performance in Jordan’s film led to more roles for the actor, including in the 90s filmsJumanjiandAnastasiaas well as six episodes of the popular TV seriesER. Likely aided by Jordan’s strict protection of the actor,Interview with the Vampireluckily positively boosted Dunst’s image.
Our Take On Claudia In Interview With The Vampire
She Is Also A Main Character In The Show
Jordan is right in his assessment of Claudia’s importance to the vampiric tale. The story does pick up momentum when Claudia comes into focus, and that is only further elevated by Dunst’s confident and nuanced performance. Claudia is such a vital character that she is even further focused on in the AMC series. It is Dunst who originated the role of Claudia, however, cementing her as a vital character for any further adaptation ofInterview with the Vampire.
Interview with the Vampire
Cast
Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, Interview with the Vampire tells the story of two vampires, Lestat and Louis, and their complicated relationship after Lestat turns Louis in 1791. Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt star as Lestat and Louis respectively, with a cast that includes Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, the two men’s young charge who Lestat also turns in an attempt to keep a disillusioned Louis from leaving. Christian Slayter rounds out the cast as Daniel Molloy, a reporter to who Louis tells his story in the mid-1990s.
