By Shannon McGrew
In the second season of REGINALD THE VAMPIRE, Reginald Andres (Jacob Batalon) finally got his life together - when he was turned into a vampire. While he doesn't fit into the stereotypical expectations of what a vampire looks like - he's not chiseled or classically handsome - Reginald has found his place amongst an unlikely cohort that includes the cool vampire who sired him, the former vampire chieftain turned unexpected ally (or is she?), and his co-worker/former girlfriend.
For the new season, Creepy Kingdom's Shannon McGrew spoke with actor Mandela Van Peebles, who plays the vampire Maurice. During their chat, they discussed everything from Maurice's transitions into deacon within the vampire community to the evolution of his friendship with Reginald and more.
Thank you so much for speaking with me today, Mandela! Last season, we saw your character, Maurice, bestowed with the task of becoming a deacon for the vampires. How is Maurice handling his new responsibility this season?
Mandela Van Peebles: That's a good question [Laughs]. It's interesting because, in Season 1, we see Maurice go from being an outsider, a lone wolf on his own, to finding a family and an area to belong and fighting with everything he can to save that. In the spur of the moment, we went from being the "others" to now representing what it means to be a vampire. Maurice is now the deacon, Reginald's the hand to the deacon, and they have all this newfound power. I think that's a bit of a culture shock for Maurice.
There was a line from filming that I remember, something like... I went from fighting against the status quo to now being the status quo. It then becomes a struggle to change what he felt was wrong with the vampire community. Funny enough, in classic Reginald fashion, something happens that derails us completely from our plan, and we have to focus on that. It's big, high stakes, a lot of energy but it's a lot of fun.
Last season, we learned quite a lot about Maurice's background and how he became a vampire. Will this new season continue to explore that more?
Mandela Van Peebles: I think what was special about Season 1 is we were creating the world, and for it to make sense, there needed context, a bit of backstory. Season 1, particularly, is a place to do that because everything is being introduced, and it needs to make sense. I enjoy episode 4 from Season 1 because it gives you insight into Maurice's relationship with Angela (Savannah Basley), for example, or even how I treat Reginald.
Moving forward into Season 2, we have so much going on and it's so high stakes with the new introduction of characters and all the drama that's going on. You do learn more about the characters involved, and you learn more about Maurice, but it's in a different way. We don't dedicate a whole episode; it's miscellaneous. Everybody gets some information about each other. A lot of the characters evolve a bit in Season 2, a lot of growth, which I'm excited to watch. It was fun to be a part of it on the day, but to look back and see how it turned out; I'm really excited.
Lastly, what are you most excited for fans to experience with the second season of REGINALD THE VAMPIRE?
Mandela Van Peebles: I'm excited for fans and audience members to see the story's growth and see how this universe evolves. Hollywood rarely gives us anything new to digest, and unless the audience is a fan of the books or has been following the series from day one, I feel like it's a nice opportunity for them to see something fresh. That content still exists, where it doesn't always have to be a sequel, and I think it's cool.
People may think they've seen this type of vampire show before but haven't seen REGINALD. This show is not a drama, it's not horror, it's not a comedy, it's a drama-horror-edy. It's a mixture. The cast is diverse in age range and background; everybody brings a piece of themselves, their culture, and who they feel they represent to the set. We're kind of like the United Nations [Laughs]. I'm a no-expectations kind of person, and I associate expectations with excitement. I think what's more exciting than not knowing what you'll be excited about is that it's all coming. People should be excited for the unexpected.
Catch up with the Season 2 premiere of REGINALD THE VAMPIRE available to stream on Peacock.