AMC has recast Claudia in Interview With The Vampire. According to Deadline, Bailey Bass, who played the teenage vampire and series lead in season one, will not return for the second season of AMC’s adaptation of Anne Rice’s famous novel. Bass will be replaced by Delainey Hayles, who has previously been seen in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in London’s West End, Too Close on ITV, and Holby City on the BBC. Interview With The Vampire was renewed a second season on AMC in September of last year, and it will begin production next week in Prague. The series will also shoot in Paris and New Orleans.
Bailey Bass Comments on Claudia Recasting in AMC’s ‘Interview With The Vampire’
Bass made her series starring debut as Claudia in AMC’s Interview With The Vampire, a role previously played by Kirsten Dunst. The show has garnered critical acclaim and will soon be making a crossover with another AMC adaptation of Anne Rice’s work, Mayfair Witches. For Bass to leave the series after so quickly seems surprising when a franchise is in the works. While the reasons for the recasting remain unknown, Bailey Bass showed no bitterness to AMC or Delainey Hayles in a statement saying:
“Due to a variety of unforeseen circumstances I’m unable to return to Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire for the second season. laying Claudia has been a dream role and an incredible ride. I wish Delainey the best of luck in taking over. I cannot wait to watch. I’m extremely appreciative of AMC, the producers, Jacob, Sam, the crew and, of course, the wonderful fans.”
AMC also issued a statement saying:
“Bailey Bass is a talented actor who did a remarkable job bringing the character of Claudia to life in Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire. For a variety of reasons, Delainey Hayles will appear as Claudia in season two. We are grateful for Bailey’s unforgettable performance in season one and wish her nothing but the best.”
Aside from her role as Claudia in AMC’s Interview With The Vampire, Bass recently starred as Tsireya in the highly successful Avatar: The Way of Water, a role she will reprise in the third and future installments of James Cameron’s Avatar franchise. With its release scheduled in December 2024, it is possible that Bailey’s schedule on such a big-budget project conflicted with any future work with the AMC series.