Neil Jordan Knows Why Brad Pitt Had a Bad Time Filming ‘Interview with the Vampire’
Brad Pitt Definitely not a night owl. In a new article at Diversity, Interview with a vampire manager Neil Jordan review the 1994 film adaptation of anne rice’s novel starring Kirsten Dunst, Tom Cruiseand a seemingly melancholy Pitt.
Pitt plays the moody Louis de Point deLac in the film, a vampire who recounts his experiences with the bloodthirsty and eccentric Lestat (Cruise) to reporter Daniel Malloy (Christian Slater) throughout the movie. “I think the problem he had was that the role suffered,” Jordan said. Diversity about Pitt’s unhappiness on set. “It’s a passive role, and it’s a central role… often the central character of the story can be the most passive element in the whole equation.”
Even though 30 years have passed since then Interview with a vampire premiere, Jordan clearly remembers the conditions on set as well as Pitt’s mood. “We filmed constantly at night, we never saw daylight for months, and I think that affected him,” Jordan said. “But that’s also part of the character. I mean, Louis was the one who was punished by this creature over a period of 300 years. So the way the role affected Brad was no different from the journey Louis himself had to go through.”
It’s no secret that Pitt was miserable on set Interview with a vampire. In an interview with Weekly entertainment since 2011Pitt said he was “miserable” filming the movie, which he called “six months in the fucking dark,” adding, “Contact lenses, makeup, I was playing a whore…” However, Pitt still affirmed to EW that Jordan is “a really good friend of mine.” “In the movie, they took the sensational aspects of Lestat and created the rhythm of the movie, which was very interesting and very good, but for me, there was nothing to do,” he said. “Just sit and watch.” Although Pitt was unhappy, he did not blame Cruise for landing a flashier, more alpha role: “Nothing to discredit Tom, man. He put pressure on him,” Pitt said. “There are all the fanboys of the book. He had all the pressure to make it work, and he made it work — and good for him.”
Another reason why Pitt may have had a worse time than his co-star Interview is the sheer amount of time he spends on set. “Brad was there a lot longer than Tom Cruise, so he had to endure the whole production process,” Jordan said. “So maybe that – and perhaps the passivity of the role – affected him a little bit.” At least the director was satisfied with Pitt’s performance. “I think he’s really good in this role,” he said. “Any errors in what people perceive as acting are the fault of the actual characters themselves and of the novel itself. I mean, Louis suffers in the novel from the moment he turns into a vampire until the end of the book. I’m sure it’s been a difficult journey for Brad but it’s also been a difficult journey for the character.”
