“I never had the chance to discuss with her….”: Tom Cruise’s Gracious Response to Author Who Shunned His Casting in a $223 Million Blockbuster
- Tom Cruise famously portrayed Lestat de Lioncourt, but most people initially thought he was miscast.
- Cruise had an elegant response when he was asked about the controversy about his casting.
- Even Anne Rice was very opposed to it, but later changed her mind when she watched the film.
There is nothing Tom Cruise can’t do- from doing high-risk stunts to portraying one of the most beloved book characters. However, this is something people would accept now. Years ago, when he had made a name for himself as an action star, there were very few people who believed he could pull off playing a character like Lestat de Lioncourt.
Long before Robert Pattinson’s sparkly vampire, Edward Cullen, came to life, Cruise portrayed Lestat to perfection. However, what some might find surprising is that even Anne Rice, the author of the eponymous novel on which Interview with the Vampire is based, did not believe that Cruise could do it. However, the Mission: Impossible star, gracious as ever, had a very empathetic response when asked about the controversy.
Tom Cruise had the most understanding response when asked about Anne Rice’s dislike of him for the role of Lestat
There is a reason Tom Cruise is often referred to as the last of the real movie stars. Even at 62, not only is he one of the bankable stars but also one of the highest paid. His charm and dedication to his craft are unmatched. From giving the finest performance to motivating his co-stars, he does everything to make sure that his movie is the best that it can be.
Cruise was not any different in 1994 when he played the hedonistic French vampire Lestat in Interview with the Vampire, but not many knew about this and assumed that he was miscast. The novel’s author Anne Rice was one of these people and believed that he was not fit for the role. However, director Neil Jordan refused to budge. The result? A critically acclaimed gothic horror which made $223 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo).
In a conversation with Barry Norman (via [VHS] Video Home System on YouTube), when Cruise was asked what the controversy involving him and Rice was all about, he said that she wrote the book after the passing of her daughter. So, this novel and its characters meant a lot to her.
And you know, I can understand, from her point of view, thinking that’s not the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Lestat. She was talking even physically, you know? And the problem was I never had a chance to discuss with her what I was going to do in terms of, you know, people don’t understand what you do with acting and creating characters, you lose weight, you get the blonde hair, you get the contacts, and you work on the character.
Well, people definitely know all this now and they also know that doubting Cruise’s abilities is the last thing they want to do. Luckily, Rice also understood this after she watched the movie.
Anne Rice was mesmerized by Tom Cruise’s performance
It is usually quite hard to find Cruise in the midst of a controversy as he remains deaf to all of the gossip and keeps his lips sealed regardless of how loud the media gets. The controversy surrounding his casting as Lestat ultimately ended in his favor when even Anne Rice admitted that he did a “wonderful” job.
Rice had been very vocal regarding her dislike about The Mummy actor’s casting. In an interview with Movieline, she called his casting “bizarre” and said that he could play Louis (portrayed by Brad Pitt) instead of Lestat. Instead of opposing all the opinions against him, Cruise gave a performance that even proved the author wrong.
In an interview posted on AnneRiceDotCom‘s YouTube channel, the late author had no hesitation admitting that Cruise was splendid. She said:
I think Tom did a wonderful job, I really do. I too was shocked in the beginning and I was very much against it, but Tom Cruise really did read the books, I think, and he got the essence of Lestat. He got Lestat’s power and his charisma and his charm. He got all of that across in the movie. He had great skill in that performance, I think, and great power.
All is well that ends well, and this controversy certainly did end well if Rice’s response is anything to go by. Although the AMC TV series of the same name is more popular these days, the 1994 film has left an indelible mark on the gothic horror genre.
Interview with the Vampire is available for renting and buying on Apple TV.
