The Vampire Chronicles' Lestat de Lioncourt is a tragic and misunderstood character in literature. Throughout media, we've seen him as jealous, sadistic, and disobedient at best. In the film adaptations, Lestat is either shown as a selfish antihero or the antagonist unfairly. To truly understand Lestat's motives, one cannot watch big-screen adaptations alone because his movie, which would give background to his actions, has never been made. It's a shame because his backstory, as presented in The Vampire Lestat, justifies many of the actions in his wholly unholy existence.
With the release of AMC's Interview with the Vampire starring Sam Reid as Lestat, fans of the series may hope to see their hero receive the defense he has lost in his prior media depictions without losing the seductiveness of his perceived emotional indifference. It's essential to see how he views the Dark Gift, as he sees it as just a gift. As it stands in Episode 2, "…After the Phantoms of Your Former Self," it's safe to say that while we see more vulnerability than ever before, we may have to hold a collective breath to witness the depth of Lestat's sensitive nature truly. However, we also receive glimpses into how he always saw the Dark Gift, which may offer our favorite vampire the redemption he deserves.
Lestat's Backstory (in a Nutshell)
Within Anne Rice's second installment of The Vampire Chronicles, readers can see that his story is one of perpetual loneliness, which is the key to understanding Lestat's motivations. Lestat is one of six children, although only two of his older brothers survived past childhood. He grew up in Auvergne, France, and would later move to Paris.
From the beginning, Lestat's passions were stifled by his father and older brothers, who disagreed with his artistic nature and interest in education. The only person who encouraged any vocational training was his mother, Gabrielle. Lestat adored Gabrielle, as they had mutual interests like literature and bonded in their mirroring disdain toward their lives. Gabrielle was well-cultured, but for a lack of patience and financial resources, she did not teach any of her children to read or write.
For Lestat, she offers valuable family heirlooms which provide him with a way to get to a new life in Paris with his companion Nicolas de Lenfent. Lestat tackles Paris with the same voracity as any small-town kid in a new city. He lives modestly but is just happy to be there. He lives in his fever dream harmoniously with Nicolas until he is captured and imprisoned by Magnus, who decides to turn him into a vampire as his only "fledgling." Magnus teaches Lestat everything he knows in a very brief time, then commits suicide, leaving Lestat alone, but with Magnus' fortune, thus beginning his vampire life.
Lestat's Loneliness
Lestat would later turn both Gabrielle and Nicolas, but it turns out poorly. Nicolas, who had always been cynical, became depressed in Lestat's absence while held captive by Magnus. Upon learning of his transformation, Nicolas begs Lestat to turn him. Lestat initially refuses, but after Nicolas' pleading, he decides to give in. Nicolas' vampiric transformation only accentuates his depression, which leads to hatred for Lestat. He would later commit suicide.
Gabrielle and Lestat would live together happily for a while, as she shares a passion for the Dark Gift. But, following a disagreement, they would part ways in Egypt, leaving Lestat, once again, on his own. Gabrielle would not be in Lestat's life again until the events of Queen of the Damned.
As evidenced by his backstory, Lestat is forced to become accustomed to being alone. Although he has adventures during his time with Gabrielle and Louis, he never has a companion. He lives an unending life for the foreseeable future that is indefinitely lonely, which brings us back to AMC's Interview with the Vampire.
The Dark Gift
Between Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire and AMC's, we see Lestat's obvious interpretation of The Dark Gift. What's not to like? Vampires are super strong, superfast, and hypnotically alluring. They are generally wealthy, and why shouldn't they be? They have nothing but time to exact any plans they have and the power to dispose of anyone who stands in the way of those plans. Lestat, as portrayed by Tom Cruise, Sam Reid, and Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned, revels in this time when he considers his passions. His love for music knows no boundaries nor a preferential genre. In terms of killing for food, he has no qualms about it and enjoys the thrill of the hunt. His murderous vampiric instinct allows him to exact a warped sense of justice unto anything that awakens his disgust, like an off-key tenor.
In all three portrayals, though, Lestat displays a recklessness that raises the question of his happiness. In a beautifully acted and particularly sobering moment, Sam Reid gives us the most honest moment seen on screen for Lestat yet. Lestat divulges to Louis (Jacob Anderson) that his greatest fear, as a vampire, is loneliness. While the Dark Gift allows him everything his human heart desired, his vampiric heart fears the possibility of decades alone, a fear that's deeply felt because he has already experienced it.
Overall, with the gifts given, Lestat sees vampirism as both a blessing and a curse. While he has these extraordinary abilities, eternal life, and beauty, he cannot escape the human feeling of loneliness. The Dark Gift can amplify loneliness by making it go on for decades instead of just years. What Interview with the Vampire does so well is give us a tragic but foolish character. While Lestat has years of wisdom, he believes himself above humans and our day-to-day concerns. In some ways, that's true. However, he ultimately reminds us that no amount of strength, preternatural skills, or length of time can help us escape loneliness or the demons of our past. Lestat's greatest folly is that he views his transformation into a vampire as one that sheds the pain of his human life. It does not. It only amplifies it. While he genuinely considers the Dark Gift as a gift, he neglects to confront the inevitable truth that accompanies it. In the end, whenever that is, the Dark Gift is only an endless distraction to unresolved human pain.
Interview with the Vampire premieres new episodes weekly every Sunday on AMC, with episodes available a week early for AMC+ subscribers.