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Until thefinal go-roundforWWDITS, that is, when the hierarchy of power between vampire and subordinate flips.
a laughing Novak says of the perpetual push-pull between Nandor and Guillermo.
He needs some kind of leverage.
You do your rough approximation.
You do what the script tells you to do.
You hope the audience buys it, really.
Its all pretend at the end of the day.
Weve heard about Nandors military prowess for a while.
I touched on it in the Ghosts episode in season two, which is one of my favorite episodes.
I guess 700 years will do that to someone.
Thank you for that episode.I read that.
That was a lovely piece.
Nandors Army is very intentionally influenced byApocalypse Now.
The way they lit it was very inspired by the Brando scenes inApocalypse Now.
For me, that was like,ahhh.
I said, Can we break it up into two bits?
It was three or four pages.
Shut the fuck up, youll be fine.
I did, and it was actually really enjoyable.
Most of the sets that we work on are so intricate, and this one was huge.
It was a converted warehouse that they turned into that menswear factory.
They build those sets for weeks and we just enjoy the spoils of all their efforts.
But youre on a bit of a tightrope because you dont want it to be too dramatic or heavy.
Then youre losing the joke or the lightness, and it doesnt sit right in the show.
You go with your instinct.
Ive played Nandor depressed and detached and despondent and pissed off, so you work with those emotions.
I take the comedy seriously, but the drama, less so.
Youve always got the other vampires to fall back on.
Were each others protective belay.
Because its in the background, you feel extra free.
Thats kind of my specialty.
I threw in the odd reference to Iranian kebab, koobideh, somewhere.
I dont know what made it in.
Expecting everyone to chant along was probably too much of an ask.
But I was pretty diligent.
My dad made me learn them and pronounce them correctly and say them with the right stresses.
Thank you to him for that.
I dont think they would really do those kinds of chants there.
The chants would be very different.
The chants would probably not mention koobideh … but maybe?Its worth fighting for a good koobideh.
I was there to give This is where were at, and then the other vamps could goof around.
Someone throws in an aside or responds in a different way, but its all very quick.
If you know your character, then youre gonna imagine what the character might say at that point.
Its really about reacting.
you could have that for nothing.
But your performance helps with that, to help build it from words on a page.Sure.
Hes sexual, but hes asexual.
Hes commanding, but hes also submissive.
Hes all these contradictions, which adds to the comic trope of a delusional character.
We can all see it; he cant see it.
Hes always reinventing himself.
One second, hes looking for a wife; the next second, he wants to be alone.
Its like, make your fucking mind up but were all like that as human beings.
Its relatable in that way.
You dont necessarily want to be like Nandor.
He doesnt bend for anyone, only his wife, whereas Nandors a bit more wishy-washy.
Hes like, Ive got Freddie and youve got Freddie.
Whats the big deal?
Although Ive never cloned anyones partner, and Ive never been with a twin … or have I?
Maybe I have, in Iceland, years ago.
Its a mad choice that Nandor might make.
Its a great song.
