Navarre by Elicia Donze. Drawn in PS. Please do not remove captions.
[Caption: A realistic digital painting of Navarre from Ladyhawke. Portrait is from waist up. Navarre is sitting with a sword across his lap. He’s wearing a black doublet and black leather gauntlets. The background is warm peachy yellow.]
*siiiigh* Are we still talking about Tom Cruise’s casting? I recognize that I’ve been in this fandom since before the movie came out (so it’s been officially 21 years of hearing this question), and that there are new ppl to fandom every year with their own headcanon of the character.
When anyone comes across AR’s very strong initial negative opinion of Mr. Cruise they may even agree with her at first. However! She published another opinion after seeing his performance (in the test reel even, thanx @annabellioncourt!) in which she praises him to high heaven even more strenuously! She still occasionally mentions him on her FB with affection, even now.
“ON TOM CRUISE: From the moment he appeared Tom was Lestat for me. He has the immense physical and moral presence; he was defiant and yet never without conscience; he was beautiful beyond description yet compelled to do cruel things. The sheer beauty of Tom was dazzling, but the polish of his acting, his flawless plunge into the Lestat persona, his ability to speak rather boldly poetic lines, and speak them with seeming ease and conviction were exhilarating and uplifting. The guy is great.“
And I agree with her 110% *u*
You can find some other options for casting Lestat in my #VC casting tag, but what I think it all boils down to is that an actor’s job is to ACT. Since a fictional character exists in our imagination, there is no perfect physical casting for him EVER. Not even illustrated in graphic novels or animation. We can all agree that there are certain physical characteristics he should have, like having blond hair, but there are so many shades of blond. Even then, that one thing we can all agree is necessary for Lestat was TOTALLY DISCARDED in the Queen of the Damned movie sooo… *shrugs*
It’s up to the director to choose who they want to act out the story they want to tell.
Bonus: Neil Jordan, #certified vampire therapist
I, too, was originally horrified at the casting of Cruise as Lestat. And then I saw the movie.
I still don’t like the Wee Madman – but as Lestat, he’s PERFECT. (It still should’ve been Rutger, or Sting – but it’s very, very good as the Wee One.)
Ooo! Sting as Lestat! Tasty, and a rock star (which, let’s face it, sums up Lestat).
A.R. said that the original DESCRIPTIVE inspiration for Lestat was Rutger Hauer – huge, brooding, athletic, physically imposing, very blond. This was for “Interview”-era.
by the time “The Vampire Lestat” came out, he’d gotten too old for her mind palace of inspiration, and Lestat turned into a rock star that should’ve been played by a rockstar – still tall, but lithe, beguiling, Sting-ish. 🙂
That’s why Sting wrote “Moon over Bourbon Street”. that’s him talking about wanting to BE Lestat for Anne.
But the Wee Madman (I call him that because Tom Cruise is NOT TALL. And neither am I, and I also am quite mad) was VERY GOOD as Lestat. I agree with A.R. – started off loathing the idea, ended up loving it.
“…so often we pretend to be gods in Gucci clothes, and it’s nonsense. It’s just to reassure ourselves and live in this illusion that we are solid as hell and we’re not water, and we know what we’re doing. We don’t, and that’s okay. If you know everything, then you’re probably not open to new discoveries. What was the line from one of those Guinness commercials I did? “If you keep an open mind, you’ll discover dark secrets.” ~ Rutger Hauer [ image source ]
Today Facebook played “I know what you did last spring summer” and reminded me what I did on May 29th but 4 years ago. I am so grateful…
Ok and this is what I did. Honestly, I completely forgot about it. And yes, nothing has changed in this department…
BUT let’s make something clear…Tom Cruise was brilliant as Lestat. 😉
I reposted this status on my wall, because of course I got nostalgic and I am lestatized heavily. We had a lovely conversation with friends there.
It PAINS me that Rutger Hauer didn’t play Lestat back then. Just look at him, god damn. *thousand-yard stare*
^Agreed. VERY PAIN. Forever mourn that Rutger Hauer was too old when they were finally ready to make IWTV. The book came out in ‘76, and the movie languished in production hell until it finally started filming in ’93-’94 and like afg;huljl;!?kflifiimsfifghtl! *strangled anguish noises*
Travis Fimmel also has a lot of Lestatuesque potential in him… Even Stuart Townsend did the best he could with the trainwreck he was given (who do I blame his accent on? Probably the director). At least Townsend had the right build, I’ll give him that. It’s another tough thing to achieve; Lestat would have been athletically muscular from all the running and hunting in the Auvergne, and then the acrobatics in Paris. Not a bodybuilder level of muscular. Plus he was like 21, remember.
BUT! YES! let’s make something clear…Tom Cruise was brilliant as Lestat. 😉
“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.”
Rutger Hauer was actually Anne Rices choice for Lestat de Lioncourt, but I think he was too old by the time the machine got its act in gear to make the movie. Still this pic sort of makes u wonder…
I-want-my-IWTV 