In 1994, two of the biggest stars in film worked together in a timeless gothic horror film about vampires. Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, Interview with the Vampire paired Hollywood heartthrobs Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt for a story about the long, decadent, and sometimes tortured lives of vampires.

When the movie came out 30 years ago on November 11, 1994, Cruise was praised for his portrayal of the vampire Lestat. But before seeing him onscreen, Rice was vocal about her opinion that he was not suited for the role. She championed Julian Sands, but he was rejected by the studio because he wasn’t very well known at that point. Rice suggested Jeremy Irons, Peter Weller, and John Malkovich to play Lestat; she even recommended that Cruise and Pitt switch roles. However, once the film was completed, Rice praised Cruise for his portrayal of Lestat even calling him directly to compliment him and admit that she had been wrong.

Rice expected that Hollywood would be reluctant to show any kind of homosexual activity between Lestat and Louis, so she wrote a draft of the script in which Louis was changed to a female character. During this phase of production, Cher was considered for the now-female part of Louis. Instead of following that course, Rice changed Louis back to being a man and Pitt clinched the role.

In the book, Claudia is described as a 6-year-old, however the producers felt that the role was too complex for an actress that young, so instead they set out to cast a girl closer to the age of 10. Kirsten Dunst was one of the first girls tested for the part, and she impressed the filmmakers with the maturity of her performance. Still, they saw thousands of girls (including Julia Stiles) before deciding that she was the best for the part.

The part of journalist Daniel Molloy was originally going to be played by River Phoenix, but the young actor died a month before filming was set to begin. Christian Slater was then cast to play the interviewer.