Do we like Santiago?
A character from Interview with the Vampire (1976, 1994, 2022)
Our score: 2 out of 10. Smug, spiteful and suspicious of everyone, he's the sort of host you'd leave early. We wouldn't back him. He's a delight to watch, though.
Santiago is a vampire and the star performer of the Théâtre des Vampires. This is the Paris coven that stages horror shows for human audiences. Louis and Claudia come looking for other vampires like themselves. He is the first one they meet, and it isn't a warm welcome. In the book he is a tall, gaunt figure who mimics Louis's every move at their first meeting.
The versions differ. In the 1994 film, Stephen Rea plays him as Armand's right-hand man. He is a small but memorable role, with a theatrical flourish on stage and a mean streak in the shadows. In the AMC series, Ben Daniels gets an expanded role as the troupe's leading thespian, who grows increasingly suspicious of the American vampires. He is much more of a rival to Louis there.
He scores low because of his attitude and what he is willing to do to the new arrivals. He is vain, paranoid and quick to feel threatened, and he treats outsiders as problems to remove. His loyalty to the troupe and his stage charisma are the only things working in his favour. They aren't enough to make us root for him.
His suspicion of Louis and Claudia drives much of the Paris section of the story. He ends up as one of the antagonists who push their stay in Paris toward tragedy, which is why Louis comes to despise him.