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Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice, & 150 Years of Gay Vampires

Matt Baume | September 20, 2025



Interview With the Vampire is one of the most influential vampire stories ever told, and also one of the gayest. Originally published as a novel in 1976, the book spawned 12 sequels, a wildly successful film (and one less-successful one), graphic novels, a Broadway musical, and now a TV series – each one dripping with blood, debauchery, and fanged monsters whose passion for each other spans centuries. But this tasty tale didn’t just spring into being by itself. The saga builds on queer vampire stories going back 150 years, through exploitation films of the 70s, early motion pictures, and Victorian novels full of forbidden gay encounters with creatures of the night. So, where did Interview with the Vampire come from, why was it such a hit, and how did an aspiring writer’s scandalous debut novel change vampire stories forever?

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Watch the new Interview series on AMC: https://amzn.to/3Sqpt4G
Watch the 1994 film: https://amzn.to/3SMPAmi
Read Interview With the Vampire: https://amzn.to/3USSKGN
Anne Rice’s official biography: https://amzn.to/3SMPAmi

The following music was used for this media project:

Music: Sings In The Fields by Rafael Krux
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/5302-sings-in-the-fields
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://www.orchestralis.net/

Music: Reaching Out by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4265-reaching-out
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://incompetech.com

Music: Crinoline Dreams by Kevin MacLeod
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/3560-crinoline-dreams
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist website: https://incompetech.com

Written by Matt Baume

Comments

This post currently has 42 comments.

  1. @TheShepherdFilms

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    Except the best vampire lore is from Vampire The Masquerade, which I think as a ttrpg is a first way for a lot of the queer community to come out…but also best vampire lore….its amazing… and VTMB is aweomse.

  4. @standupphilosopher7059

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    Claudia's story from the movie stayed with me. It's more poignant knowing about Michelle's death. Michelle looked like a young Kristen Dunst. What a beautiful child, so heartbreaking for Ann and her family 😢

  8. @lgr28

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    I’m here because the show has me on a chokehold. It’s the most perfect thing I’ve watched in years and the writing,acting, the set design and the music are so tastefully done. I find myself recommending the show to anyone who would listen forgetting that not everyone will be down with it as I am because of homophobia. And isn’t it sad that so many people will miss out on the cathartic experience of good storytelling simply because they can’t fathom two people of the same gender kissing. I’m glad they got to adapt the books into a tv show and I’m grateful for Anne Rice.

  12. @PercyNah

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    I mean, Anne Rice probably also got backlash around the 2010s because that was the peak of fan fiction, and she was notoriously litigious about fanworks.

  14. @gentlemandemon

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    Oprah not wanting to contribute to the "forces of darkness" is hilarious considering her connections to the secret, john of god, dr Phil, dr oz, and many, many other terrible things

  16. @redwillow79schippers94

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    I like Interview with the Vampire and the movie is good but I do admit that I hate Tom Cruise in the role of Lestat. I much the performance of Stuart Townsend in Queen of the Damned. Although the movie isn't as good

  17. @jlshel42

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    This was my sister’s first R rated movie that a friend’s mom took her and other girls to see when they were only 11 because they loved Tom Cruise.

    Flash forward, she took me to a midnight showing of Spider-man 2 and they had a trivia contest. Main prize was a hardback collection of Ultimate Spider-man. She won it by being the only person who knew Interview was Kirsten Dunst’s first film. She gave it to me and I still keep it.

  19. @internetcomic

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    In Dracula's Daughter the vampire attacks three people. The first is a man who looks much like Dracula does when he arrives in London in the 1931 movie. That's probably no coincidence. The second is the girl in the clip you used out of context. She tries to leave when it gets too intense. The third is the male lead, who she wants to spend eternity with. This really didn't seem like a time when an argument needed to be forced, but it looks like that's what you did.

  32. @justineharper3346

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    I wish Anne could see the show. I’m curious what her opinion would be. I feel like Sam Reid’s Lestat especially is spot on. Seeing the teaser for season three has me so incredibly excited. He’s exactly how I imagined rockstar Lestat to be. I can’t wait

  36. @thisboyzopinionz

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    that made me cry I don't know why… such pain she must have felt and how she struggled then came out with a novel that I read the whole series and only just realised that the characters were her life… it gave me tears.. rest in paradise anne <3

  38. @icycrea-mx

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    I prefer the show and find the movie "not gay enough" and I was very confused when I first watched it and thought it would've been more explicitly gay and just didn't like both actors. I think aging Claudia was a good idea even if fact that she was 6 was interesting but a child actor just can't act as an adult.
    I also think the movie is beautiful but just is too short and doesn't show everything that is interesting. Queen of the damned is kinda cringe but I like it anyway (I also like Korn so).
    The show is waaayyy better in my opinion cause they make Louis black and have his family history shown way more. I love the changes and it's truly the best show that came out these last years (only my opinion tho).

    Also Im literally making an edit of the show while watching this.

  41. @chasingstars-py2zt

    September 20, 2025 at 6:59 am

    Thank you so much for talking about Dance of the Vampires! As a passionate fan of the German production, I think more people should watch it for the music and overall silliness. Also the vampire’s son in the story Herbert Van Krolock and his explicitly romantic love for the male lead is worth a whole video itself

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