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\nDirector Neil Jordan on Tom Cruise\u2019s \u2018Interview with the Vampire\u2019 Casting Controversy: \u201cIt Was a Pain in the Ass for Me and for Him\u201d https:\/\/t.co\/qnhCC0Z3Cy<\/a><\/p>\n
\u2014 The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 27, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
In light of the new 4K release Neil Jordan discussed Tom Cruise\u2019s casting in \u2018Interview With the Vampire\u2019 and how original author Anne Rice lead a public protest against it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a pain in the ass for me as a director, for him as an actor and for the entire production, when the whole world was saying, \u2018Oh, you\u2019re wrong,\u2019\u201d Jordan said. \u201cThe opposition that Anne Rice took to his casting was an absolute distraction. It wasn\u2019t a welcome thing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just liked the challenge of playing a flamboyant monster. When everyone told him he was not the right choice for the part, he liked the challenge of proving them wrong,\u201d Jordan says. \u201cHe was just beginning to explore the non-Tom Cruise aspects of himself, and there are a lot of sides to Tom that he has yet to explore, let me put it that way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anne Rice later went to great lengths to apologize to Cruise after seeing his performance, even commissioning a two-page spread in various outlets praising him.<\/p>\n