Interview With The Vampire Season 2, Episode 4: Delainey Hayles On Losing Theater & Gaining Madeleine

Interview with the Vampire season 2, episode 4 is aptly titled “I Want You More Than Anything in the World.” It is a reference to Armand’s abundant desire for Louis, but it also doubles as a description of Claudia’s desperation to belong to the world of vampires despite the outsider label attached to her on account of her physical youth. She has been disillusioned in her search for a true community time and time again — first by Lestat and Louis, then by the Old World ancestors, and finally by the Théâtre des Vampires.

After being made to perform “My Baby Loves Windows” for 500 nights in a baby doll dress that serves as a constant reminder of her plight, Claudia reaches her breaking point. But there is a light in the darkness of her Interview with the Vampire story, and that is the seamstress Madeleine. The two share a powerful connection as they exchange stories about their wartime experiences and ease one another’s loneliness. But given that Armand sees her as an obstacle to his relationship with Louis, and the rest of the coven see Louis as the obstacle, her happiness may not last much longer.

Screen Rant interviewed Claudia actor Delainey Hayles about Interview with the Vampire season 2, episode 4. The young star shared her thoughts on Claudia’s relationship with Louis and Armand, her disillusionment with the Théâtre des Vampires, and her burgeoning companionship with Madeleine.

The Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Finds Claudia Caught Between Louis & Armand

Screen Rant: This season has been somewhat painful in that Claudia and Louis have been estranged, keeping secrets and distance from each other. How is Claudia feeling about the fact that Louis’ romances keep them from maximizing their joint slay?

Delainey Hayles: I think Claudia is pissed off. I think she’s not surprised, but she’s angry.

In episode 4, Armand really bears his fangs at her. How aware is she of the danger that he poses to her?

Delainey Hayles: I think it becomes apparent in that scene in 4 when he’s slamming her against the wall. I think that’s when reality kind of kicks in because she’s been striving for family. “If I subject myself to this a little longer, I’ll be accepted. I’ll have a family. If I keep going a little longer, I’ll be there.”

And then that scene arrives, and it’s like, “Okay, I’m actually in real danger.” I think that’s when it solidifies to her that she’s not safe here.

Delainey Hayles Takes On The Theatre Des Vampires

As episode 4 progresses, we see through each iteration of “My Baby Loves Windows” how it’s weighing on her from the moment that they give her that baby doll dress. As a theater performer, how do you approach Claudia’s theatrical performances, and the more disillusioned she gets each time?

Delainey Hayles: I think she goes through stages. Me personally, I loved filming it. It was so much fun. Claudia obviously hates it, but I think in the beginning, she was going through the seven stages of grief.

But the thing is, I know Claudia. She’s a flame, and you can’t put a flame out that easy. Her anger level is rising, rising, rising — but I think she goes through stages of, “This is a f–king joke.” “Okay, sing it, bastards.” That’s what she would say. “Sing it louder, f–kers.” But then it gets to the tiredness of it, and then it’s frustration, and then it’s pure disdain for every part of it.

Did you have to film that all together, or was it spread out? How long did it take?

Delainey Hayles: We filmed it in approximately three or four days, because of the way that Levan [Akin] shoots things. It is not for the camera, in a way. He wanted it to be a real show, so every performance I did was in front of extras and audiences because he wanted to maintain that level of real performance. Even the other theater shows we saw were real performances and done in the actual theater, which I really loved. I think that’s where I was in my element.

Speaking with Levan about it, he was like, “Ignore the cameras. This is a theater performance. We’ll worry about the angles; you give us the performance.” So, it was a lot of fun. We shot it approximately over four days because we had other scenes to film as well, but we had different audience members each time. We were doing backstage shots as well, and then we were showing, over time, me hating it. And then we’d do the show afterwards.

Claudia Seeking A Companion In Interview With The Vampire Season 2, Episode 4

I love Ben Daniels as Santiago, and the dynamic between the two of you is quite delightful. It feels like Claudia finally has a confidant in the theater, and yet there is the fear of what might come next.

Delainey Hayles: Santiago and her relationship is rainbows and flowers and everything pure and full of love. [Laughs] No, acting the scenes with Ben is so much fun. I really love Ben. We had such a good dynamic when filming. He’s such a mischievous man, so filming with him was very fun.

But as for Santiago and Claudia’s relationship, it’s one that is extremely layered. And in a way, I would say that this love is kind of close to hate, but then I think hate’s the wrong word. They see something in each other that they both admire, and that’s all I’m going to say on that.

Speaking of confidantes, we finally get Madeleine this season, which is simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. Claudia’s immediately drawn to her. Can you talk about that relationship, working with Roxane Duran to build something beautiful?

Delainey Hayles: Yes. Roxane and I were trying to build something beautiful for both of them. I think they’re both in extremely complicated circumstances where they’re both being ostracized by their community, and they see something in each other that’s very pure. They’re kind of floating around each other because they understand that they’re both going through something.

I’m trying not to say too much, but they’re both going through something, and it’s very pure and lovely. I like how the writers interpreted their relationship this season because they kept the bond that they have in the books and the love that they have for each other. It’s a mutual understanding, and I like the way that the script is very direct, but it’s also poetic.

Living In The Present While Looking Towards The Vampire Chronicles’ Future

We are nearing the end of the first novel in The Vampire Chronicles, but the show has proved thus far that it can pave its own path when it wants to. How vague a picture can you paint of what is to come? How close might it hew, or how far it might stray for Claudia?

Delainey Hayles: I like the way you asked the question. I would say the writers are very good at keeping to the source material. The writers on the show are ridiculously good at making it relevant to today, but we all love the book. And that’s all I’m going to say

Looking back at these first four episodes, is there one scene that you feel left the biggest impact on you or that you were proudest of after filming?

Delainey Hayles: Oh, I have several for different reasons. I love Baby Lou’s performance because it was a lot of fun for me personally. But in episode 4, it’s our big argument scene with Louis, and actually in episode 1, it’s the argument scene with Louis again.

I spent a lot of time with Jacob, and he’s the sweetest man ever. I think those scenes helped us become familiar with each other. In episode 1, we had that big argument scene where he pulls the rats out, and I’m like, “There’s one of us out there,” but he’s reluctant to listen. It was such a free scene, even the direction of it as well. We were both playing around, as it’s quite a long scene, and it was fun to be allowed to do that.

Obviously, you have doubts, and I came into the project very quickly. But during that scene, I would say maybe towards the end of that scene or when we finished it, I was like, “Wow…” That was my proper initiation. My first day was my initiation, and that will always be one of my favorite days. But after you film a very heavy scene with your fellow actor, it’s like, “Okay, that’s what that’s supposed to feel like.” I felt very happy after we did that because when something’s on paper, it can be easy to dread. You have your idea of what it will be, and it was better than I expected. I put that all down to Jacob and Craig [Zisk’s] direction.

And maybe I just remember it because there were real rats running across my feet! I thought I was okay with them, and then one ran across my toe. I was like, “Jacob?!” and he was like, “It’s fine.” Jacob loves animals, even the rat. He even loves pigeons. He thinks they’re very sensitive animals, which I’m learning that they are as well. But they can be sensitive from afar. But the rats? They were trained, but they were still very smelly. They were terrifying.

Could you point to one episode in the second half of the season that you feel is the Claudia-est episode?

Delainey Hayles: As the Claudia historian, episode 7 is one to watch, I think. 8 is also amazing — well, they’re all amazing. But, yeah, 7.

Finally, Mayfair Witches is also out, and hopefully, we’ll be building more of an Anne Rice universe. Is there any one character or storyline that you would like to participate in or that you hope to see come to fruition soon?

Delainey Hayles: I’m looking forward to The Vampire Armand, but I’ll say I can’t wait for Queen of the Damned when we get there. If we get there. I think that’s one, and I have my own ideas. I’m planning everything in my head, but that’s one I’m very much looking forward to.

About Interview With The Vampire Season 2

The interview continues in season 2. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Delainey Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Sam Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.

Check out our other Interview With The Vampire chats here:

Interview with the Vampire

Based on Anne Rice’s novel series that began in 1976, Interview with the Vampire is a gothic horror fantasy series that explores the life of Louis de Pointe du Lac through an interview with a journalist. Told through flashbacks of Louis’ life during the interview, the series examines Louis’ relationship with the vampire that turned him, Lestat de Lioncourt, and a teenage girl named Claudia, whom he turns. The series is the first of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe media franchise.

Cast

Jacob Anderson , Sam Reid , Eric Bogosian , Bailey Bass

Release Date

October 2, 2022

Seasons

2

Streaming Service(s)

AMC Plus

Writers

Rolin Jones

Showrunner

Mark Johnson

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