Tom Cruise is known for his death-defying stunts nowadays, but during the heyday of his career, the actor challenged himself in ways that easily made him one of the best actors working in Hollywood. Cruise always wanted to challenge himself and take on roles that were different from one to the next, and that proved to be very true when he took on the role of Lestat de Lioncourt in 1994’s Interview with the Vampire. At the time, no one questioned his abilities as an actor, but Cruise hadn’t played a villain before, and, on paper, it didn’t feel like a part suited to his strengths. There were many doubters, including the author of the source material herself, but the result turned into one of his very best performances that remains iconic today.

Directed by Neil Jordan, Interview with the Vampire is based on Anne Rice’s novel of the same name and stars Cruise as the aforementioned Lestat, alongside Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas, Christian Slater, and Stephen Rea. The movie follows the exploits of Lestat (Cruise) and Louis de Pointe du Lac (Pitt), beginning after Lestat transforms the latter into a vampire in 1791. The movie goes over their time together through a present-day interview that Louis has with a San Francisco reporter named Daniel Molloy (Slater), ranging from the time they turned young Claudia (Dunst) into a vampire through both Louis and Claudia trying to get out from under the control of Lestat.

Tom Cruise’s Previous Work Made Him an Unlikely Choice for the Role

Given Cruise’s output before being cast in Interview with the Vampire, it’s understandable why there was some resistance when he pursued the part. Rice had an actor in mind when casting entered its beginning phases as she fought hard for the late British actor Julian Sands to get the part, something fans of the novel also wanted. Warner Bros., who was distributing the film, wanted a bigger name for the part and pushed back against Sands. Rice even thought Rutger Hauer was a viable option, but the studio clearly wanted to go in other directions.

One name that came up before Cruise’s was Daniel Day-Lewis, who was offered the part but turned it down after writing the script. Day-Lewis’ name was so in the mix that Jordan believes Pitt accepted the role of Louis, thinking he’d be acting alongside him, but that wouldn’t be the case. In Jordan’s memoir, he spoke about having meetings with Cruise about the part and realized he would be perfect because the actor had a lot in common with Lestat due to Cruise’s controversial ties with Scientology. Playing Lestat, a vampire who has to hide from the light and live in the cover of darkness, seemed like something Cruise could relate to.

“I finally got it. He had to live a life removed from the gaze of others. He had made a contract with the hidden forces, whatever they turned out to be. He had to hide in shadows, even in the Hollywood sunlight. He would be eternally young. He was a star. He could very well be Lestat.”

Jordan may have seen that Cruise could more than handle the role, but Rice was notoriously vocal about her disapproval once his casting became official. Rice found the casting “bizarre” and went on to say, “It’s almost impossible to imagine how it’s going to work.” The author went as far as to recommend more actors for the role, including John Malkovich and Jeremy Irons, but it was clear Cruise was their guy. Once it was obvious that Warner Bros. wouldn’t listen to her recommendations, she distanced herself from the production entirely and didn’t see the film until a producer sent her a VHS copy. However, it should be noted her objections weren’t based on his abilities as an actor but on his prior work, which made her and some of her readers believe he wasn’t right for the role.

What makes Cruise so good as Lestat in the film is the element of surprise. Based on his prior work, there was nothing to showcase that the actor had this regal villainy in him, but it isn’t long before the viewer accepts Cruise in the role as he inhabits it fully. Much of his appeal as the character takes place early on in his seduction of Louis as he turns him into a vampire. Cruise exhibits an effortless charisma mixed with a real sense of danger. Like most vampires, Lestat is a predator but one with considerable appeal, something that makes the character equally intriguing and formidable.

The actor also stands out more when compared to Louis, who is more sullen and wallowing in melancholy. In the film, it’s the perfect marriage of two actors playing to the strengths of the roles they were given. Cruise gets to be the bigger personality of the two, exhibiting a more cruel persona that ranges from outright rage to a campy form of flamboyancy that the actor can make work without turning the role into a caricature or a joke. It’s a fine line that Cruise walks, but he never goes over the top.

Tom Cruise Earns Raves for His Turn as Lestat

There is also a sense of macabre joy in watching Cruise relish and have so much fun in the role. The infamous “blood bath scene” showcases an actor unbothered by his Hollywood status as a leading man. As Lestat indulges in feasting on blood and all its pleasures, this is someone who fully embraces the part and is cutting ties, at least during this film, with the conventions that have gone a long way to making him a star up to that point. Given the period-piece nature of the film, Cruise also looks completely unlike himself, disappearing into the role both physically and mentally.

For all the backlash that his casting received, reviews for Cruise’s performance were stellar across the board, with the actor receiving most of the great notices of the cast, alongside Dunst, whose turn as Claudia became a breakout moment for her. Janet Maslin of The New York Times said Cruise “is flabbergastingly right for this role. The vampire Lestat, the most commanding and teasingly malicious of Ms. Rice’s creations, brings out in Mr. Cruise a fiery, mature sexual magnetism he has not previously displayed on screen.” This sentiment was echoed by most critics, but perhaps Rice’s change of heart for the actor after she saw the film was the best validation. Rice wrote an open letter to Cruise apologizing to the actor for her previous comments before going on to praise his work in the movie.

“From the moment he appeared, Tom was Lestat for me. He has the immense physical and more presence; he was defiant and yet never without conscience; he was beautiful beyond description yet compelled to do cruel things. The sheer beauty of Tom was dazzling, but the polish of his acting, his flawless plunge into the Lestat persona, his ability to speak rather boldly poetic lines, and speak them with seeming ease and conviction were exhilarating and uplifting. The guy is great.”

Tom Cruise has had quite a career and has turned in more than his fair share of stellar performances, but the moment he got to play against type and push back on the roles that made him a star remains one of the bravest performances of his career to date. Interview with the Vampire is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.