Recasts on television shows and movies happen all the time for various reasons, but the explanation behind Bailey Bass' exit from her role as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire season 2 is a bit unclear. The AMC gothic horror television series, created by Rolin Jones, is based on Anne Rice's 1976 book of the same name. Interview with the Vampire season 1 introduced viewers to Louis de Pointe du Lac, a vampire recounting his life story to a journalist in 2022, including his time in New Orleans in the 1910s and his encounter with Claudia, a teenage vampire.
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Bass originated the role of Claudia in season 1, and Delainey Hayles took over for the actress in season 2. Aside from Hayles, the cast of Interview with the Vampire season 2 includes Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac, Sam Reid as Lestat de Lioncourt, Eric Bogosian as Daniel Molloy, Assad Zaman as Armand, and Ben Daniels as Santiago. While most of the cast reprise their roles from the first season (or make their first appearances in the second), as the season 2 premiere stated, "The role of Claudia will now be played by Delainey Hayles."
Bailey Bass Couldn't Return As Claudia In Interview With The Vampire Season 2 "For A Variety Of Reasons"
Delainey Hayles Took Over For Bailey Bass In Season 2
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According to Deadline, AMC claimed that the character of Claudia was recast in Interview with the Vampire season 2 because:
"Bailey Bass is a talented actor who did a remarkable job bringing the character of Claudia to life in Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire. For a variety of reasons, Delainey Hayles will appear as Claudia in season two. We are grateful for Bailey's unforgettable performance in season one and wish her nothing but the best."
Meanwhile, Bailey Bass' statement on the matter read:
"Due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances I'm unable to return to Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire for the second season. Playing Claudia has been a dream role and an incredible ride. I wish Delainey the best of luck in taking over. I cannot wait to watch. I'm extremely appreciative of AMC, the producers, Jacob, Sam, the crew and, of course, the wonderful fans."
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"A variety of unforeseen circumstances" is probably the most vague explanation for an actor's exit from a television show that one could give. However, although her initial reasoning was unclear, context clues may inform why Bass departed Interview with the Vampire on AMC. The actress previously starred as Tsireya in Avatar: The Way of Water and is expected to reprise the role in the upcoming Avatar movies. As a result, scheduling conflicts might be to blame for the recast of Claudia in Interview with the Vampire season 2, but no one could fault Bass for putting James Cameron first.
How Delainey Hayles' Claudia Compares To Bailey Bass In Season 2
Season 2 Features A 4-Year Time Jump
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Even though Claudia is played by a different actress in Interview with a Vampire season 2, her character has not changed too much. Of course, season 2 begins with a four-year time jump, and Louis and Claudia are no longer in New Orleans but in Europe, searching for other vampires.
Interview with the Vampire Season 2 Episode # | Episode Name | Director | Writer | Release Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned" | Craig Zisk | Hannah Moscovitch | May 12, 2024 |
2 | "Do You Know What It Means to Be Loved by Death" | Craig Zisk | Jonathan Ceniceroz and Shane Munsob | May 19, 2024 |
3 | "No Pain" | Levan Akin | Heather Bellson | May 26, 2024 |
4 | "I Want You More Than Anything in the World" | Levan Akin | Coline Abert and A. Zell Williams | June 2, 2024 |
5 | "Don't Be Afraid, Just Start the Tape" | Craig Zisk | Jonathan Ceniceroz and Hannah Moscovitch | June 9, 2024 |
6 | "Like the Light by Which God Made the World Before He Made Light" | Emma Freeman | Hannah Moscovitch and Shane Munson | June 16, 2024 |
7 | "I Could Not Prevent It" | Emma Freeman | Kevin Hanna and Rolin Jones | June 23, 2024 |
8 | "And That's The End Of It. There's Nothing Else." | Levan Akin | Rolin Hones | June 30, 2024 |
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Since many years have passed between seasons 1 and 2, Claudia has undoubtedly matured, but many of her personality traits remain as Delainey Hayles takes over for Bailey Bass.
Differences In The Way Each Claudia Was Portrayed
Claudia Changed Over Time, Making The Actor Change Work
It is impossible not to compare two actors when they are playing the same role. Even with the same person directing them, the actors bring different outlooks into their performance, and that is bound to shine through. That is no different when looking at how Bailey Bass and Delainey Hayles took on the role of Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. This also works because, even though Claudia never ages, she does gain more experience and her struggles at always remaining a child is part of the story.
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There is a Reddit thread with people discussing the two actors, and the OP tried hard not to take sides, only mentioning how they differ in their performance as Claudia. In the thread, the OP wrote that Bass's Claudia "embodied the angst and derangement that is portrayed throughout the books and movie from Claudia being so young." However, they then said that Hayles' performance is "quiet stoic and more calm interpretation of Claudia makes her not feel like Claudia to me." They finished:
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"I don’t feel anything malicious or vindictive from her performance at all and that’s one thing I loved about BB, you could feel her hatred through the tv like it was touching you. DH gives such a smooth rendition that this Claudia feels too much like an adult, and I know it’s been decades but they just feel like two different people to me."
Many of the commenters, however, loved the changes in the two, mentioning how each actor probably couldn't have pulled off the role in the other season, since it required two different places in the character's life. While the books had Claudia becoming more unhinged the longer she lived, that didn't happen, thanks to the changes in the series.
AmbaddadorSad1157 wrote, "Bailey portrayed the trapped daughter of chaotic vampires coming into her own. Delainey is older, wiser, determined and self assured. Knowing what she wants and standing her ground to get it." There is also the idea that this is a story that Louis is telling the reporter about his past, and his memories likely influence how he remembers Claudia, both before and after Lestat's death. It is all about her progression in Interview With the Vampire, which is why the recasting worked.
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Interview with the Vampire
TV-MA
Drama
Fantasy
Horror
Romance
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
- Franchise(s)
- Immortal Universe
Source: Deadline