We’re not even a quarter of the way into the 2025 TV schedule, yet it feels like it's been years since the conclusion of FX's What We Do In The Shadows, which only ended in 2024. One of the best vampire TV shows ever made, it delivered killer jokes and fun cameos during its six-season run. On that latter note, Harvey Guillén and Kayvan Novak (who played Guillermo de la Cruz and Nandor the Relentless, respectively) just revealed that two major stars nearly appeared on the show, and I'm shook thinking about what could've been.
At this year's Dublin Comic Con, Geek Ireland hosted the two WWDITS alums, who talked about various topics, including that surprisingly satisfying series finale. What really caught my attention, though, was there take on the show's string of A+ cameos. Guillén shared that they had a great time working with actors like Haley Joel Osment and Mark Hamill. What has me reeling, though, are two big names Guillén name-dropped when it came to vampire performers, and Kayvan Novak attested to them. Spoiler alert: they headlined one of the most memorable supernatural films of the '90s:
Like, for the vampires, we were gonna get, like, other [famous] vampires. Brad Pitt was supposed to join, [as was] Tom Cruise. Those were people that we were like, "Whoa, we're gonna get them?' 'Yeah if it works out.'
I mean, come on! How perfect would it have been for the show to land Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise? And had Pitt and Cruise actually reprise their roles as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Lestat de Lioncourt, respectively, from Interview with the Vampire, it would've been even better. Given just how many blood-suckers appeared on FX's supernatural comedy, it would've made sense for them to be brought in, too.
Sure, on the surface, the notion of the two A-listers appearing on What We Do In The Shadows may sound like a joke, but that's what the show does best. It surprises and subverts expectations but does so in a way that feels right. I could totally see Louis and Lestat mixing it up with Laszlo, Nadja and Colin Robinson, and I'm getting FOMO just thinking about it. Now, I can't help but wonder how the two stars would've been utilized.
Of course, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt weren't the only stars who weren't able to appear on WWDITS during its run. Harvey Guillén also mentioned that, in general, there were plenty of instances in which guest actors weren't able to commit:
There were guest stars that were almost guest stars that, after the first season, we had so many people who wanted to join and come play with us, who we really almost had, but [due to] scheduling conflicts, that didn't work out.
I’m not shocked to hear that so many celebs wanted in on the vampiric comedy. I’m sure we could’ve seen plenty more if the show had run longer against EP Taika Waititi's wishes. I can't argue with the finished product, though because, like the movie on which it's based, What We Do in the Shadows stands as one of Waititi's best pieces of work.
Nevertheless, I'm not sure I'll ever get over the fact that Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt nearly appeared on the show. We'll likely never know what exactly was planned for them had they popped up. However, I guess that's what fan fiction is for.
Do yourself a favor, and stream all six seasons of What We Do in the Shadows now using a Hulu subscription. The Interview with a Vampire stars may not be part of it, but there are still more than enough guest stars to keep viewers entertained.
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