10. The original novel includes a scene where Lestat appears in the tunnels under the Theater des Vampires in Paris, to confront Louis immediately after Claudia’s death. This scene was filmed with Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, but was cut from the final film.
9. An animatronic Lestat was used during the shot where Lestat is bleeding on the floor, after having had his throat cut by Claudia.
8. While the production was filming in London, Brad Pitt stayed in a house which used to be owned by Peter Cushing.
7. Oprah Winfrey stormed out of the premiere during the first reel, disgusted by the amount of blood in the film
6. Author Anne Rice met with Tom Hanks to take the part of Lestat after seeing his performance in “Philadelphia,” but Hanks turned down the part in order to star in “Forrest Gump.” Author Anne Rice wrote the original part of Lestat for the 1976 novel with Rutger Hauer in mind
5. Tom Cruise prepped for the role of Lestat by watching videos of lions attacking zebras in the wild.
4. Christina Ricci, Dominique Swain, Julia Stiles, Erin Moore and Evan Rachel Wood auditioned for the role of Claudia.
3. Tom Cruise was placed on an elevated platform during some scenes to reduce the height difference between his character and other vampires.
2. Tom Cruise wanted a private set, and hence tunnels were built to escort the actors to and from the set. This was done so that the vampire’s makeup effects would remain a secret.
1. All the actors playing vampires were required to hang upside down for up to thirty minutes at a time during the make-up application. This would force all the blood in their bodies to rush to their heads, causing the blood vessels in their faces to bulge out. The make up artists would then trace over the swollen veins creating the eerie translucent-skinned vampire look. Unfortunately for the actors, they would have to repeat the process several times over, as the blood would quickly drain from their heads. This, in part, accounts for the lengthy make-up process.
