Tom Cruise was the best Lestat. Townsend was a try hard.

In short: YES.

Exhibit A:

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Exhibit B:

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[textsfromthevampire]

However, Townsend’s fail is not all his fault. He was doing what the director told him to do, he was made up the way the director wanted, and he was working from a terrible script. Unfortunately it was a trainwreck of a movie.

IWTV had Anne Rice on the script, working closely with the director to keep her vision as close to the book as possible. 

Also, Tom Cruise did his homework. He read IWTV, TVL, (and presumably QOTD and TOBT bc at one point he was trying to star in and get TOBT made). He’s been at this longer, he’s a more practiced actor, he just *got* Lestat better.

DESPITE all those ppl who still complain that he was too short, bc honestly, to judge an actor by his height, something entirely outside of his control (he did wear boots w/ some vertical assistance) is so narrow-minded and other related complaints so don’t even get me started.

I don’t know what the deal was with QOTD, but they clearly didn’t care for canon. That was the real source of its failure, not just it’s terrible Lestat.

Gallery

Beef

thethingthatgrowls:

Does anyone else ever run their tongue along their teeth and think “these should be sharper”

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Gallery

beigepeony:

“She begged for her life…  and for the life of the baby inside of her.”

Tom Cruise re: Lestat, 4

“People don’t… do things to be evil, they don’t, y’know, they, they do things because they think they’re right, and uh, they think what they’re doing is right and it just so happens that it can be evil to others. So, it was really important to understand that, and have… understand Lestat’s loneliness and, uh, y’know, because he really does love Louis, he really does love Claudia, and he does feel that what he’s giving them is this wonderful gift! Of eternal life! And to join him in what he perceives to be the greatest adventure… ever!

Tom Cruise re: Lestat, 3:

“I… I… always thought it’d be wonderful to have… y’know, to show Lestat’s sense of humor because he is such a bright character, I mean, you live that long, you’ve read every book, y’know, you can play any instrument you wish to play!”

Tom Cruise re: Lestat, 2:

“As an actor, it’s very challenging because you have to really root this character in an emotional reality – so that you’re not caught playing ’attitudes,’ y’know – that it’s… that it’s real and that it comes from real emotion and a strong foundation of who this guy is.

Tom Cruise re: Lestat, 1

“I used the books as a reference for me and, y’know, you have to read them, especially Interview with the Vampire, because it’s from Louis’s point of view, you have to read it very carefully to find the clues to who Lestat is, and y’know… his loneliness, and his, his personal… struggle. He recognizes that Louis’ a unique… being, and if he wanted… y’know it’s that whole thing, and Lestat gives him the choice – very clearly – even in the book Lestat gives Louis the choice, uh, and that’s something I felt very strongly about… and when Lestat asks Louis, "Do you still want death? Or have you tasted it enough?” He’s really asking Louis:

“Do you still wanna die? I mean, now you know, you’ve come close to death, is this what you want?”

Go read The Vampire Lestat

saxonluvins:

Literally if you watch interview and you’ve only read interview and h a t e Lestat
Go read The Vampire Lestat
And rewatch interview
And watch your hate go rigjt out the window

asavagegardenindeed#ayyy i did this and the anger and fury that we see when he yells why should I know these things sends my heart shattering into a million little pieces

DITTO to both *cries a river*

TC read TVL in preparation for IWTV, BP didn’t, so TC actually KNEW STUFF LOUIS DIDN’T KNOW, AND KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING THROUGHOUT THAT MOVIE and probably especially in this scene. #PROFESSIONAL ACTING