meanwhile what we do in the shadows Boasting many great characters, perhaps none is as flashy as Doug Jones' beloved vampire, Baron Afanas. Baron Afanas is an ancient, all-powerful being who graced a Staten Island mansion in the show's pilot and has continued to captivate our hearts ever since.
Although he lives a quiet life in suburban New Jersey, Baron still brings drama every time he appears on a TV show. shadowwhether it's regretfully sampling a pizza or driving a kid's toy SUV.
**Warning: Contains spoilers. what we do in the shadows Season 6, Episode 9, “Come Out and Play”**
In the show's latest season 6 episode, “Come Out and Play,” Baron received the Eternal Achievement Award. Unfortunately, the night of celebration takes a dark turn when Jerry (Mike O'Brien) berates him and blames the Baron for not allowing the vampires to conquer the New World. However, the Baron reveals that he knew of Jerry (Rest in Peace)'s plans all along, shocking the Staten Island crew by punching them back and revealing his own plot to kill Jerry before the monster takes the job himself. Exposed.
During a conversation with DECIDER, Jones said his cocky character is a lot of fun to play because he's “stupid” just like the other vampires, “but he doesn't know that.”
“No matter what condition he was in, and I've had four different looks on the show, no matter what expression I had on, no matter how pathetic it was, no matter what condition I was in, and I've had four different looks on the show, no matter how pathetic “Even when his arm was charred, he still thought he was great,” he told us.
Jones also opened up about how he feels about fans clamoring for The Baron and what he expects from Robert Eggers. nosferatu His reaction after playing the title character himself, and when this episode's very special co-star Alexander Skarsgård returned to his role. true blood Roots as a vampire shadow.
In a statement shared with DECIDER, director Skarsgård said, “Unfortunately, I have no recollection of filming this episode, as apparently Dr. Laszlo Cravensworth hypnotized me at the wrap party. However, I am certain that Dr. Since then, I've discovered an intense physical attraction to him and found that his extraordinary wit, charm, and intelligence completely assuage my anxiety. I've started a fan page. It's called 'Because You're Worth Cravens' so please like, follow and subscribe.”
Read the full conversation with Jones below.
Decider: The Baron is definitely one of my favorite characters.
Doug Jones: [Baron voice] Thank you, darling.
I know we don't see much of him on the show, but we get a very clear sense of who he is. Although the screen time was limited, I was interested in how they created a character with such a clear presence.
thank you. Well, going back to Season 1, when I was first introduced in the first episode, the other vampires helped define who I was with their respect for the Baron. “Oh, he's here!” And they were afraid of me. And when I came out of the coffin, if I remember correctly, I was completely naked with no genitals.
of course!
And lightning strikes and I turn on all these effects, he's just full of himself. And the other vampires also support it. I mean, how far from being like, “I'm the leader of all vampires and I'm conquering the New World,” and I didn't know that Staten Island wasn't the entire New World, you know, he is just as stupid as the rest, but he doesn't know it. And then we get him to this final season, and now we see that we didn't conquer the New World, and that's what I'm called to do. I noticed that other vampire gangs around New York were gathering to celebrate me, but they weren't celebrating me. And Jerry is doing a bit of a bait-and-switch, calling me out and trying to slander me in front of everyone. Is it like a wake-up call that I'm supposed to be a great all-powerful leader and they don't think so? What on earth is going on? And it just stirred up my world a little bit.
So he had fun creating. No matter what condition he was in, and I had four different looks on the show, no matter what I looked like, no matter how pathetic Even when he was crushed and one of his arms was charred, he still thought he was great. So now that I have full arms and legs and my face back, he is just as great in every way and gets to show it off. So I think he's a bit of a narcissist and unconscious, but I think that's what makes him so charming and interesting.
Obviously his goal was to conquer the New World, but the vampires actually foiled that mission. What do you think would have happened if they had been successful?
Well, I've always wondered about that. For example, if we conquered all humans and we ate them, what would be left? And will we all just die slowly like the character of Lestat played by Tom Cruise in the movie? interview with vampire. When he hadn't sucked blood for decades, he had withered and become smaller. What will happen if we conquer all humans and there are no humans left? I don't know. Or do we farm them, keep humans alive to feed them, and now we control society? And maybe that's what we were looking for. I don't know.
And in this episode, the Baron says he had a plan to kill Jerry before the monster could execute. How do you think he would have handled it? I think it would have been very theatrical.
Oh, sure. What I love about The Baron is when you flick your hand and people fly away or stand up. Jerry thinks he is all-powerful, but the Baron really has hidden powers and thinks he is still powerful even though he is goofy. Therefore, he could have smashed Jerry's head like a monster. It definitely would have been explosive and theatrical. But I think I probably wanted to do it in front of people to get recognition for it. Because he loves recognition and applause.
Yes, of course. And even though I knew there was going to be a fun Alexander Skarsgård cameo at the end of this episode, I was very surprised and excited about this. What was it like being on set with another actor from the legendary vampire show?
When I heard he was coming, I thought, “Yeah, this is great.” Because this show has brought in people from other vampire properties for cameos over the years. So here we have a tall, strappy, beautiful, pretty vampire from a dark, brooding, young show. And here we have a bunch of stupid fools. What a great mix it was to have him in it and find out that Alexander Skarsgård is insanely funny. It was really fun because my character and he were able to banter for a little while. So it was a great honor for me to interact with him on the show. And all these backstage stage actors didn't know he was there that day. So when you came in, everyone was surprised, and everyone was like, “Ah!'' It was like royalty walking onto the set. It was a truly wonderful moment.
As you said, there have been so many cameos on the show over the years. Are there any actors who have played vampires or been part of vampire projects that aren't in them? shadow Is there anything you wish you had worked with on the show?
Goalie. Well, they're all dead now. [Laughs] It would have been so funny if the original Nosferatu, Max Schreck, had been there. Or Bela Lugosi as Dracula, or maybe Willem Dafoe. that would have been good for him shadow of the vampire day to day. There are so many options.
Speaking of Nosferatu, are you excited about Robert Eggers' remake? I believe you were also cast as Nosferatu.
Well, yes, it actually is. Robert Eggers version nosferatu I co-starred with Bill Skarsgard, and speaking of Skarsgard, the film in which I played the title character was released in theaters on Christmas Day, and then my version was released. Nosferatu: Symphony of Terrorjust released on Apple TV and Amazon Prime. So they are within 2 months of each other. So it's kind of unfortunate timing and blessed timing. Let's welcome Vampire Season! I'm really looking forward to seeing how Eggers approaches this film as a filmmaker and what Bill plans to do with it as an actor. I'm really excited.
I also like vampires, so I agree. You'll never get bored! I don't know if you've seen this, but on Reddit, people are craving Baron. And I was wondering what your reaction is to this “sexy baron”.
As a 64-year-old skinny guy, that's pretty funny. But I think sexy is something we create. And the other vampires on the show always thought the Baron was just delicious, right? And they all have a relationship with him – it's weird that he doesn't have genitals. I don't know how they pulled it off. I loved when he was rejuvenated in season 4 to officiate Nandor's (Kayvan Novak) wedding, it was so amazing and complimented the bride. But as I walk across the room at the reception, other vampires are looking at me at the table and saying, “I just brought him into the room.” Oh my god, he's beautiful. ”The funny thing is, I’m not the sexiest thing in the world. But they talk about me as if I were them. That's interesting.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
new episode of what we do in the shadows It airs Monday nights at 10pm ET/PT on FX. Next day streaming is available on Hulu.
