First Look at Mark Hamill as a Vampire in WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Season 2
Thanks to EW, we have our first look at Mark Hamill in Season 2 of What We Do In The Shadows. Hamill is taking on the role of an ancient vampire in the series. He is set to make his big appearance in an episode titled “On The Run”. which is set to air on May 13th.
Hamill’s character is said to be a “vengeful enemy from Laszlo's (Matt Berry) past who appears without warning to settle a personal debt. This causes Laszlo to flee his home and go into hiding.” When talking about being a part of the series, Hamill said:
"I remember it was Father's Day and I had my three kids over and we were picking a movie to watch. I suggested Life With Father which is old school but I liked it as a kid because I'm from a big family. But all my kids rolled their eyes. They said it's cornball so I asked them what they wanted to watch and my son Nathan suggested What We Do in the Shadows. I had never heard of it but he explained it was a reality show about vampires and I was very intrigued. I was completely unprepared for what I saw, it was so incredibly clever and compelling. It had all the elements of a horror movie and yet, it combined the magnificent with the mundane. Who thinks of things like this? I had to stop it multiple times to really absorb what we had just seen. It's one of my favorite movies ever.
"When I heard they were making a TV series, I thought I needed to lower my expectations. Neither Taika nor Jemaine was going to be acting in it, but I heard they were behind it so I remained hopeful. We saw the pilot and, not only was it on par with the film, but it added elements that I had never heard before like the addition of the energy vampire. The whole cast is one of the best ensembles in television history. I would've been happy just visiting the set, they certainly didn't need me to come in and mess it up somehow. But I thought I would check out the script and see what they had in mind. I expected the role to be like the next door neighbor or someone who works at the Department of Motor Vehicles. When I read I was going to play a vampire, I just about shot out of my chair. What a great honor!"
Executive producer and co-showrunner Paul Simms said:
“Mark had tweeted some very nice things about the movie and the show very early on in our first season, so we knew he understood the world of the show. And also, he seemed perfect for the part because he has the gravitas to play an ancient vampire rival, he’s not afraid to be silly, and he knows a thing or two about extended fight scenes."
It’s explained that when audiences first meet Hamill's vampire character, “his head is covered in a black hood, and, for a split second, he looks like a Sith Lord.” The actor says that wasn't intentional on his part, but it’s something you can’t help.
Hamill says he had to a “great experience” working on the show and he hopes that he gets to return to the series again. When asked if he would, he just said, “Never say never.”
What We Do in the Shadows airs on FX Wednesdays at 10pm ET/PT.