Vampires are one of the oldest and most prominent monsters in horror.
The folkloric being has been around in one form or another for centuries, with each culture having its own particular take on the vampire myth. But the modern-day vampire that horror fans have come to know and love sprang to life in the 19th century. Works like Bram Stoker's Dracula catapulted the vampire into the limelight, setting the stage for it to become the genre mainstay it is today.
There have been so many books, films, and TV shows about vampires in the years since Dracula was first published. However, I think Interview with the Vampire is by far among the most popular modern vampire tales.
Originally a 1976 novel by Anne Rice, the eventual 1994 film adaptation starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt is one of the most commercially and critically successful vampire movies of all time. In fact, it's so popular that Hollywood and fans alike are eager to remake it.
A new film adaptation of the book was written and announced in 2016, with Jared Leto allegedly being considered for the leading role of Lestat. But later that year, Anne revealed that theatrical rights to her books had reverted back to her, and she intended to adapt them into a TV show instead.
That highly anticipated project is still in the works. In the meantime, let's take a look back at some little-known facts about the original classic film.
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1. Cher And Anjelica Huston Were Considered For The 2 Lead Roles
In 1994, Anne Rice told Movieline that there'd been talks to gender-bend the lead roles. Anne's editor, Vicki Wilson, really wanted Anjelica Huston as Lestat. Anne wrote a version of the screenplay in which Cher was supposed to play Louis.
"Julia Phillips and I were developing that together, and the whole idea was that Louis would be a transvestite woman. At that time in history, you could own your own plantation and run things if you were a man, [but] you couldn't if you were a woman," she explained. "It was the French law. So this was a woman who dressed like a man, and otherwise it was exactly the same as Interview with the Vampire."
2. Daniel Day-Lewis Almost Played Lestat
David Geffen, the movie's producer, really wanted the Academy Award-winning actor to star in the film. David called the actor's agent "on an almost daily basis" for months before Daniel declined.
3. Oprah Winfrey Isn't A Fan
During a Los Angeles screening of the 1994 movie before its release, the world-famous host was so shaken she left before the end.
''I believe there are forces of light and darkness in the world, and I don't want to be a contributor to the force of darkness,'' Oprah said. She even considered canceling an interview with Tom Cruise!
4. Christian Slater Was A Last-Minute Addition
River Phoenix was originally cast in the role of Daniel Molloy, the interviewer, but the promising young actor tragically died four weeks before he was set to begin filming.
Christian Slater stepped into the role and donated his entire salary to River's favorite charities, despite not knowing him well at all.
5. Kirsten Dunst Had Her First Kiss In The Film
In recent years, Kirsten has repeatedly said that she hated having to kiss Brad Pitt (then 30) in the movie when she was just 11 years old.
"It was just a peck," the actress told Bullett. "Everyone at the time was like, 'You're so lucky you kissed Brad Pitt,' but I thought it was disgusting. I didn't kiss anyone else until I was 16, I think. I was a late bloomer."
Dunst also revealed that the future husband of Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston spent a lot of time watching episodes of The Real World during filming.
6. Brad Pitt Had A "Miserable" Time During Filming
The Real World must've been a coping mechanism to help take the edge off, because Brad has said he absolutely hated making the movie.
During an interview with Entertainment Weekly in 2011, the interviewer told Brad that he looked miserable in Interview with the Vampire. Brad agreed: "I am miserable. Six months in the f**ing dark." The Hollywood heartthrob disliked the extensive makeup process that the role required, and resented "playing the btch role" in a movie that turned into "a Tom Cruise vehicle."
He even approached the producer and asked how much it would cost to get him out of the role. When David told him it would be $40 million, Brad decided to tough it out. Good call.
7. Kirsten Dunst Beat Out Several Up-And-Coming Young Actresses
Several promising young actresses auditioned for the role of Claudia, including Christina Ricci, Dominique Swain, Julia Stiles, Erin Moore, and Evan Rachel Wood. I can't imagine anyone else in the role!
8. Actors Playing Vampires Had To Hang Upside Down To Get Into Character
To create the creepy, veiny effect, all the actors playing vampires were reportedly required to hang upside down during makeup application. This would cause the blood vessels in the faces to bulge, allowing the makeup artists to trace the veins and create the eerie, translucent-skinned look.
9. Anne Rice Thought Rutger Hauer Had The Perfect Lestat Look
Anne has repeatedly stated that she always pictured Rutger Hauer as Lestat. For the actor's 71st birthday in 2015, the author even shared an old photo of him that she considered peak Lestat.
"This was when, for me, Hauer was the spitting image of 'The Vampire Lestat.' You want to know what Lestat looks like to me? Look at this photograph," the novelist captioned the photo. "I didn't base Lestat's description on Hauer. I didn't encounter him till after I'd written Interview with the Vampire in which Lestat sprang to life pretty much on his own. But this is surely how I see my beloved Brat Prince hero."
10. John Travolta Was An Early Favorite For The Lead
During the extremely long time that the movie spent in "development hell," considerations for the lead roles went through a ton of changes. When the rights to the story were initially in Paramount's hands, the studio had its eye on John Travolta to play Lestat.
11. It Took 18 Years To Adapt The Novel
The gothic horror and vampire novel was originally published in 1976 as Anne's debut novel. The film rights were sold to Paramount that same year, according to The New York Times.
In the years before the movie's eventual 1994 release, film rights bounced around from Paramount to Lorimar to Warner Bros., before the Geffen Film Company finally acquired them.
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