Are you kidding? His performance was the best

I found Tom Cruise horrible, start to finish, but I find him that way in everything he does. He has an acting range from Z to Z, so he always plays the exact same character. There is no variation. He is exactly the same in Jerry Maguire as he is in Top Gun as he is in Risky Business as he is in Mission Impossible as he is in Interview with a Vampire, and so on. He never plays anything but this one-dimensional, snotty, stupid, boring character.
Brad Pitt stole the movie from him, without even breaking a sweat. I was really surprised at how good he was, because I'd thought before the film that he was just another himbo pretty boy. I don't think he's ever put as much of himself into a role before or since, but the results were incredible in this film. He was so good that, honestly, he should have portrayed Lestat, not Cruise. He would have been perfect in the role, and brought out both the mischievousness of Lestat better, and the utter monster, too.
With Pitt as Lestat, I would have considered casting Antonio Banderas as Louis, because he has a surprising talent at dark, complex roles like that. He and Brad Pitt nearly ignited the screen (and the majority of the underwear in the theater) during their few scenes together that they did have. The thought of a whole film of the two of them like that would have been more sex than the law allows. Probably the only reason that Antonio didn't become Louis was his poor command of English at the time.
The film would have been much better with that pairing, and it certainly would have been the all-time champion of eye candy flicks.

I loved Tom Cruise in this film, and the juxtaposition of him and Brad Pitt in their roles was amazing! I really felt like they left their personas behind and became their characters (apart from the occassional little 'Tom Cruise' laughing moment, but that's just Tom Cruise!).

I loved Tom Cruise in this film, and the juxtaposition of him and Brad Pitt in their roles was amazing! I really felt like they left their personas behind and became their characters (apart from the occassional little 'Tom Cruise' laughing moment, but that's just Tom Cruise!).

I think he did quite well. Very intense and committed performer and performance. Gave it his all. Quite believable.

DDL is a perfect fit for any role
~ I'm a 21st century man and I don't wanna be here.

He was indeed kinda miscast, but did fairly well, all things considered. Someone like Daniel Day-Lewis would have been a perfect fit for the character.
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

Yes.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

No.
"Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody."

Anne Rice felt Cruise was wrong for the part herself when he was cast but after seeing the film she praised his performance and said he became her character. Opinions be opinions but I tend to value the opinion of the author a bit moreAnd I'd agree with her, this is one of the few exceptions where Cruise plays somebody other than himself, which is kind of funny when you think of it becuase Lestat is pretty similar to Crusie in real life if you've read more than one book from The Vampire Chronicles.
I have an unbelievably long ignore list.

Usually I can't abide Cruise, but I think he's fantastic as Lestat.

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I never did understand the hate. Yes, Cruise has a preferred character style (as do many "great" actors). But when he does break his style, he nearly always pulls an outstanding performance. Ok, his social life may be considered "odd," but I really do feel that his hate is a case of, as The Greatful Dead put it, "can't see the song for the singer."

I think Tom Cruise is an outstanding actor, i don't give a beep about his scientology thing because it just does not interest me at all, and indeed,
in this movie he played Lestat with such strengh,accuracyit is simply amazing.
Tom Cruise is a star, no doubt, but more than anything he's a first class Actor.

I agreeI'm not a fan of Tom Cruise but I think he NAILED Lestat in this movieamazing performance!!!! I too wish they had continued while he was still young with TVL, QOTD, and TOTBT.

I disagree. I still think this is Tom Cruise finest performance.
Those are brave men knocking at our door. Lets go kill them!

I agree Tom Cruise was perfect for Lestat IMO. I so wish they had done "The Vampire Lestat" after this and kept on with the series.
The force will be with you always

This was the first film I saw that proved to me Tom Cruise was really an actor. Before this, I had only seen him in some of his blockbusters - none of them Mission Impossible - and I assumed he was just a movie star who made any movie he was in watchable due to charisma. But boy, I was in for a surprise when I saw this; I didn't see Tom Cruise on screen I saw Lestat. And till this day, I have to say that I don't think anyone could have fit the part more perfectly than Tom Cruise. Many are just not willing to give the guy a fair chance.
The prostitution rests.

• Kelly Bundy

I can't stand Tom, I think the only role he's good at playing is Tom Cruise, but this is the film I hated him least in.

I've never been a fan of Tom Cruise. However, I've read IwtV, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned, Tale of the Body Thief, and Memmnoch the Devil, and I have to say that I find Tom to be perfect.
I mean, Lestat is such a pompous, bratty, elegant, playful, clever, sensual, eccentric, dramatic ASS! He's a rockstar of a vampire. He's awesome and he's not afraid to show it. I think Tom portrayed that wonderfully.
He also got the sadness and loneliness of Lestat in there, which I think would have been difficult for any actor to do. Now I can't read the books without getting glimpses of Tom Cruise in my mind.
"It's SHOWTIME!" ~ Beetlejuice