Who Is Jacob Anderson? 5 Things to Know About the ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Interview With a Vampire’ Star

Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock

Who Is Jacob Anderson? 5 Things to Know About the ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Interview With a Vampire’ Star

Vamping it up. Following roles in Game of Thrones and Doctor Who, Jacob Anderson is ready to step into the shoes of another iconic character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, in AMC's adaptation of Interview With a Vampire. "I felt that Louis related to being a vampire in the same way that I relate to being a human," the Adulthood star, 35, told Esquire in September 2022 about the reason he was drawn to the character. "He's tortured by what the meaning of his existence is, what his code is, what he believes in. You don’t see characters like Louis very often. They don’t often get to be the hero." The TV adaptation of Anne Rice's iconic 1976 novel stays true to the plot of the book, but set in jazz-age New Orleans with Louis reimagined as a Black man who inherited his family's plantation from his great-grandfather. Despite his experience with passionate fandoms, Anderson confessed that he was hesitant about playing a different version of the character that fans loved in the book. "It would be naïve not to [be intimidated]," he told Esquire. "I had nerves about the fact that in the books, Louis is described as a Caucasian Creole man." He continued, "I think there are certain things that Louis being a Black Creole man from New Orleans really, if not adds, then opens up other possibilities that feel completely true and right to this world, and to what she wrote about and where these characters exist." Anderson is bringing more change to the role with a fierce determination to stand up for himself. “This version of Louis De Pointe Du Lac, he’s maybe got slightly more fire in his belly. He is more likely to fight back against Lestat,” the England native told The Root in September 2022. “Novel Louis, as much as I love him, he complains about Lestat more. I love him though. I’m not trying to take anything away from it. I think he’s just got a little bit more backbone — with love." Anderson added: "I love playing Louis. I love playing this version of Louis." Though the actor is aware the updated version of Interview With a Vampire could cause backlash from upset fans, Anderson likely won't be paying attention to the social media complaints. "I’ve started to prioritize my mental health and I take regular breaks from social media now," the Broadchurch alum told HungerTV in June 2021. "I just delete the apps and don’t look at them. The way that information can be passed around [online] can be a little bit overwhelming so I feel like it’s really important to hold onto some privacy, especially with the work that I do." Interview With a Vampire premieres on AMC Sunday, October 2 at 10 p.m. EST. Keep scrolling to learn more about Anderson:

Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP/Shutterstock

Who Is Jacob Anderson? 5 Things to Know About the ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Interview With a Vampire’ Star

Vamping it up. Following roles in Game of Thrones and Doctor Who, Jacob Anderson is ready to step into the shoes of another iconic character, Louis de Pointe du Lac, in AMC's adaptation of Interview With a Vampire. "I felt that Louis related to being a vampire in the same way that I relate to being a human," the Adulthood star, 35, told Esquire in September 2022 about the reason he was drawn to the character. "He's tortured by what the meaning of his existence is, what his code is, what he believes in. You don’t see characters like Louis very often. They don’t often get to be the hero." The TV adaptation of Anne Rice's iconic 1976 novel stays true to the plot of the book, but set in jazz-age New Orleans with Louis reimagined as a Black man who inherited his family's plantation from his great-grandfather. Despite his experience with passionate fandoms, Anderson confessed that he was hesitant about playing a different version of the character that fans loved in the book. "It would be naïve not to [be intimidated]," he told Esquire. "I had nerves about the fact that in the books, Louis is described as a Caucasian Creole man." He continued, "I think there are certain things that Louis being a Black Creole man from New Orleans really, if not adds, then opens up other possibilities that feel completely true and right to this world, and to what she wrote about and where these characters exist." Anderson is bringing more change to the role with a fierce determination to stand up for himself. “This version of Louis De Pointe Du Lac, he’s maybe got slightly more fire in his belly. He is more likely to fight back against Lestat,” the England native told The Root in September 2022. “Novel Louis, as much as I love him, he complains about Lestat more. I love him though. I’m not trying to take anything away from it. I think he’s just got a little bit more backbone — with love." Anderson added: "I love playing Louis. I love playing this version of Louis." Though the actor is aware the updated version of Interview With a Vampire could cause backlash from upset fans, Anderson likely won't be paying attention to the social media complaints. "I’ve started to prioritize my mental health and I take regular breaks from social media now," the Broadchurch alum told HungerTV in June 2021. "I just delete the apps and don’t look at them. The way that information can be passed around [online] can be a little bit overwhelming so I feel like it’s really important to hold onto some privacy, especially with the work that I do." Interview With a Vampire premieres on AMC Sunday, October 2 at 10 p.m. EST. Keep scrolling to learn more about Anderson:

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1. Anderson is Actually British

Don't let the accent fool you! Anderson grew up in Bristol in England, before moving to London when he was a teenager to pursue a music career.  

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2. He Played a Fan Favorite Character in 'Game of Thrones'

Prior to Interview With a Vampire, the "Bloodsport" musician was best known for playing Grey Worm on the hit HBO drama. "It’s been an amazing part of my life, but by the end of the season, the last season, I was ready to move on," he told Coveteur in June 2019. "I feel like a lot of people felt that. It [was a] really prominent part of our lives, but we also wanted to move on to see what else our lives had for us, you know?"

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3. He Makes Music Under the Name Raleigh Richie

Anderson has released two albums under the pseudonym, which is an homage to his favorite characters from The Royal Tenebaums. His trip-hop debut, You're a Man Now, Boy, was released in February 2016 and he followed it up with Andy in June 2020. “I hope that people listen to my music and it helps them to understand themselves, or they listen to it and they feel understood by it," he told Coveteur. "[I want people to feel like] they feel like they recognize themselves in the music and hopefully it will help them to understand themselves and help them to maybe work through some stuff that they might find hard to otherwise."

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4. The 'Interview With a Vampire' Star Married Actress Aisling Loftus in 2018

While he might be involved in a passionate, dangerous and deeply unhealthy relationship on Interview With a Vampire, in real life, Anderson is happily married. "I’ll never forget first setting eyes on [Aisling] … because it all seemed to happen in slow motion," he told The Guardian in March 2016. "We’ve been together five years. She’s intelligent, sensitive and empathetic, and I’ve never met anybody who cares about people as much as she does. We never run out of things to talk about and our relationship has always felt very natural."

The pair welcomed a daughter in 2020. "I’ve got a little girl now and she’s amazing, she kept us going and kept us busy, and it’s been an honor to watch her growing up," Anderson gushed to HungerTV.

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5. He Once Made a Cameo Appearance on 'SNL'

Anderson appeared as himself in Pete Davidson's Game of Thrones tribute rap in May 2019. "Yeah, he's never seen the show," he tells Kenan Thompson in the bit, before the King of Staten Island star then reveals that his actual favorite show is Grace & Frankie.