When I was a lonely child, Anne Rice was there for me. Her books swept me up on journeys and took me far from my colorless world. They resonated so deeply… The loneliness, pain and despair of Louis struck a profound chord while the joy, passion, electricity and charisma of Lestat personified what could be possible… bravery, fearlessness, freedom and a delicious relish for life. Or in his case, un-life.

Flash forward and I had the opportunity to play Drusilla on Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel and now, I am making A Place Among the Undead, which is fast becoming the most definitive vampire documentary ever made. The film is a tapestry with interlinking narrative films inspired by the conversations.

I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Anne in Los Angeles and filming with her at the Vampire Ball in New Orleans last year. As I have been wending my way through the project, all roads continually lead to Anne. Each interviewee has talked about the influence of her writing and how her books inspired them to create. Without her, there is no modern interpretation of the undead. She has become as mythic as her beloved Lestat.

If Bram Stoker is the father of the genre then she is the mother, or should I say the queen…  Yes, she is “The Queen of the Dammed.” We are all her children and grateful to be so. 

Please enjoy this Anne Rice inspired montage from my upcoming A Place Among the Undead documentary. It is currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo.

—

What’s your favorite iteration of the vampire legacy? Let us know in the comments below, and don’t miss a gallery of Juliet Landau’s vampire interviewees, including Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel), Gary Oldman (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Tim Burton (Dark Shadows), and more!