Season 1 of 'Interview with the Vampire' ends before explaining the purpose of Armand's deception. Armand runs the Théâtre des Vampires, which was inspired by longtime rival Lestat, and becomes - for a time - Louis' lover and companion. Portrayed by Antonio Banderas in the 1994 film, Armand is a deceptively youthful-looking vampire with a dark, obsessive personality. Louis introduces him as his lover Armand. Rashid reveals himself to be a 514-year-old vampire whose strength and age make him immune to sunlight. A dream about his first meeting with Louis stirs Daniel's memories, and he recalls that Rashid was Louis' companion 50 years earlier. While Rashid appears to be human - at several points walking in direct sunlight - Daniel becomes suspicious. A quiet but forceful presence, Rashid is dedicated to his employer and springs to his defense against Daniel's journalistic probing. Rashid is introduced as Louis' personal assistant in Dubai. More than just Easter eggs for fans, Gabrielle and Nicolas could prove to be important characters in future seasons. The violinist, Nicolas de Lenfent, is Lestat's childhood friend and first love. Lestat turns his mother, the enigmatic Gabrielle de Lioncourt, into a vampire and his infrequent traveling companion. Lestat also alludes to characters introduced in 'The Vampire Lestat.' Specifically, he mentions his mother, and later plays a song he wrote for a young violinist.

Episode 6, 'Like Angels Put in Hell by God,' features Lestat's pained explanation of how he was turned into a vampire against his will by his sire Magnus, who then abandoned him. In Episode 1, he confides to Louis' family about how his father pulled him out of the monastery as a boy, killing his faith. 'The Vampire Lestat,' the 1985 sequel to 'Interview with the Vampire,' reframes Lestat as the protagonist of the 'Vampire Chronicles' and Anne Rice's beloved 'brat prince.' The show draws on that book's characterization of Lestat, making him a more romantic figure who is open about his past.

Interview with a vampire lestat