‘Interview With the Vampire’: Eric Bogosian Says Daniel Malloy Has More ‘Complex’ Relationship With Louis
AMC’s new adaptation of Interview with the Vampire isn’t just about vampires. The interview is a major part of the title. Eric Bogosian plays Daniel Malloy in Interview with the Vampire, the journalist who interviews Louis (Jacob Anderson). Bogosian is older than Christian Slater in the 1994 movie, who was playing a 20something as Anne Rice described. This complicates his relationship with Louis, Bogosian said.
Bogosian was part of an Interview with the Vampire Television Critics Association panel on Aug. 10. He explained the differences between his Malloy and the Malloy of the book and the film. Interview with the Vampire airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.
This is the second ‘Interview with the Vampire’ for Daniel Malloy
In Rolin Jones’ adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, Malloy’s first interview with Louis did happen in the ‘70s as the book described. Now that Malloy is an accomplished journalist, Louis invites him back. This makes Malloy’s second interview more formidable.
“The character is a lot closer to who I am in real life,” Bogosian said. “I’m a veteran of my life and so is Daniel. What does that mean? It means that when Daniel/me goes after the story, it’s with a lot more experience, savviness, and I think a certain, well, just knowing how to get the story, how to cut through any kind of duplicity that Louis may be throwing my way.”
Daniel Malloy has a grudge against Louis
Malloy welcomes another shot with Louis. He regrets that he was young and under the influence when Louis first told him this tale of being a vampire.
“It evolves into a struggle between the two of us of me trying to find the truth and him, well, he’s telling his story,” Bogosian said. “Yeah, he’s afraid, and yeah he’s attracted to Louis. I mean, that’s sort of sitting there. Louis and Daniel have a very complex relationship and it takes the whole season to completely explore all of the nuances. It’s sort of bubbling off to the side but it is real and it’s complex and involves all kinds of irregular narratives and memory lapses and all kinds of cool stuff. So, yeah that’s why he goes back. He can’t not go back. How can he? How can he not accept the invitation?”
The attraction adds another layer, too. The show is fully exploring Louis and Lestat (Sam Reid)’s romantic relationship, so perhaps that can extend to Malloy too.
‘Interview with the Vampire’ has something more intimate than sex
Malloy watches Louis feed in the new interview. Bogosian said that strikes him as more delicate than even love scenes.
“What’s weird is that, if you’re working as an actor in any kind of lead-y thing you’re going to be doing sex scenes,” Bogosian said. “I go back to before there were intimacy coaches. But the sucking blood business is even more intimate, because like sex we kind of know what it is. None of us, well I don’t know, maybe Sam does, but experience of actually sucking blood out of a throat. I’ve seen them doing it and you get really close and it’s intense.”
