Picture: Jerod Harris/Getty Photos

In Wednesday’s episode of What We Do in the Shadows, “On the Run,” the happy-go-lucky Staten Island vampire Laszlo Cravensworth encounters an previous nemesis, Jim the Vampire, performed by particular visitor star Mark Hamill. Slightly than face off in opposition to Jim, Laszlo decides to ditch city and construct a brand new id as Jackie Daytona, a volleyball-loving bartender in a small Pennsylvania city.

What We Do within the Shadows has been nice because it debuted on FX final yr, however “On the Run” is a selected excessive level for the present — goofy and fast-paced and completely hilarious. Laszlo’s Jackie Daytona outfit consists solely of a pair of denims and a toothpick, however Jim the Vampire doesn’t acknowledge him in any respect. Finally, after the disguise lastly fails, Laszlo and Jim come to an settlement over their shared love of woman’s volleyball and a mutual admiration of Huge Mouth Billy Bass.

Hamill tells Vulture that he’s been a fan of Shadows (and the 2014 movie that inspired it), so he was excited and just a little nervous in regards to the position. The present’s creators had no such reservations. Stefani Robinson, an government producer who additionally wrote this episode, defined that Hamill was excellent for the position. “After writing The Vampire,” she instructed Vulture, “it grew to become instantly clear that we would have liked an actor who might play each the comedy and the heavy, theatrical drama of the character. Mark Hamill instantly got here to thoughts. He’s a grasp at what he does, and has finished for his complete profession. It was an honor simply to have him learn the script.”

Hamill spoke to us shortly earlier than “On the Run” aired, and he was particularly joyful to speak about why he’s such an enormous fan of this goofy, nice vampire comedy. “I believed I’d be enjoying a meter reader, or a subsequent door neighbor, or somebody on the Division of Motor Automobiles,” he stated. “After I discovered that they wished to play The Vampire, I simply flipped out.”

I loved the episode a lot. I’ve spent an excessive amount of of the previous couple of days yelling “Jackie Daytona!” at random moments.
Ha! It’s such an amazing new id for him. It’s so absurd, not recognizing him as a result of he’s in denims and has a toothpick. It’s simply chic silliness. To decide to that, and to play it prefer it’s drama, is simply so satisfying. I’ve been doing that every one my life. There have been moments in Star Wars that had been simply so ridiculous, however we simply performed it prefer it was Hamlet.

There’s one thing particularly nice about enjoying one thing this foolish as if it’s Hamlet. The silliest half could also be on the finish whenever you fall to your knees after you notice your Huge Mouth Billy Bass has damaged.
Oh, sure! Properly, clearly, he’s not the brightest software within the field. That he wouldn’t acknowledge the Billy Bass factor. That’s what’s so great and so ridiculous about all of it!

How did you come to this position?
I grew to become an enormous fan of the film. My son prompt we watch it, I stated, “What’s that?” and he stated, “It’s a actuality present about vampires.” Which, that alone had me hooked. I liked the film. I knew that Taika [Waititi] and Jemaine [Clement] had been behind the scenes for the collection, however I form of lowered expectations as a result of I stated, “Properly, they’re not in it, it’s not in all probability nearly as good,” so I used to be unprepared for a way nice it was. All the brand new characters, the addition of an energy vampire idea, which I had by no means heard earlier than, it was so good. All people has had vitality vampires of their lives.

I all the time get nervous about exhibits I like, as a result of I discover one thing I actually love and it will get canceled. So I tweeted about it several times, attempting to get my followers to provide it a attempt. Apparently that’s what put me on their radar, and the following factor I do know they requested me to return on the present. I believed I’d be enjoying a meter reader, or a subsequent door neighbor, or somebody on the Division of Motor Automobiles. After I discovered that they wished to play what was referred to as within the script The Vampire, I simply flipped out, I couldn’t wait.

Jim Thee Vampire.
Picture: FX

So he was referred to as The Vampire within the script? Not Jim the Vampire?
[Laughs] It’s the magnificent with the mundane! Right here you may have this unique vampire with nice gravitas — the robes and the flowing hair and all that — and his identify is Jim! It’s like Lifetime of Brian. Stefani Robinson wrote this and Yana Gorskaya directed it, and it was a pleasure. I feel a part of [why they kept his name as The Vampire] was to have or not it’s a shock. When Laszlo calls me by identify and I flip and say, “How do you know my identify?” and he says, “It’s proper there on your enterprise card,” it’s simply nutty! After which to see me teaching the women’ volleyball group, and the again of my jacket reads “Jim Coach,” it’s simply so splendidly absurd.

I’m curious in regards to the wig. Did they check a couple of completely different choices?
A whole lot of instances, you be taught from wardrobe and hair way more about your character than generally is even within the script. That they had already selected my wardrobe however the hair was up for grabs, and at first I believed [it should be] slicked-back, Bela Lugosi-style hair. The hair particular person confirmed me that blonde wig and I keep in mind considering, “I don’t assume that’s actually proper.” I’m glad I attempted it on. Simply holding it, it was a mass of white hair. When she put it on and styled it, I believed, “Oh my gosh, it provides to the gravitas of the character.”

I seen Jim likes to tuck his hair into his cape generally.
If I might return, I’d’ve pulled it out. However you’ll be able to’t see your self. It didn’t hassle me, however had I recognized, I’d’ve cleared it. When you may have nice hair, why not present it off?

What We Do within the Shadows usually makes area for improv when it’s filming. Did you do a lot improv within the episode?
Properly, Matt Berry has simply unbelievable improv talent. That’s his background. He would unleash these traces and I’d be listening to them for the primary time, normally terribly obscene. [Laughs.] I needed to keep in character, as a result of I personally discovered them humorous however my character didn’t. I used to be going over the script whereas I used to be watching [the episode] to see the place the cuts had been, and there have been some cuts within the scenes the place improv traces I did had been misplaced. [Hamill shifts right into a vampire voice] “I see no purpose so that you can launch a scatalogical assault on me!” As a result of he stored speaking about rest room humor. The one improv I stated that’s in there’s “Don’t be afraid to attract blood!” when Jim was the volleyball coach. That was unscripted.

The script was excellent the best way it was, however their angle is very similar to Matt’s. They provide the freedom to say the road, however phrase it in a method you discover extra appropriate. However like I say, the script was so good I didn’t need to do a lot of that.

There’s no likelihood you keep in mind any of Matt Berry’s rest room humor traces that acquired reduce, do you?
Properly, there’s one which didn’t get reduce. [Jim the Vampire] is telling [Laszlo] that he didn’t pay his lease, and he stated, “Oh yeah, I keep in mind that place, within the rest room I discovered a floater in the bathroom.”

That was improv?
I don’t keep in mind that within the script. However he would have two or three lined up, generally he’d take a pause and say one. Different instances he’d do a second take and provide you with one thing completely new. He actually retains you in your toes as a result of he’s wildly ingenious. An amazing character — I really like the contrasts in these characters. Nandor is so stately and pompous. Matt is absolutely like a blue-collar working man, puncturing that pomposity. Natasha [Demetriou] as Nadja, and Mark [Proksch] as, are you kidding me, Colin Robinson? And Harvey [Guillén] as Guillermo? They’re every completely suited to their roles.

Like I say, I’m a large fan. To inform you the reality, I’d be simply as joyful to stay within the viewers, the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from your self and chill out. Once you’re requested to be part of it, you actually need to carry the perfect you’ll be able to to the desk. There’s strain. I used to be joyful to do it.

What had been you targeted on ensuring you bought proper?
You progress so quick in tv, I didn’t actually have a dialogue with Yana, the director, about how I used to be going to talk. So the primary time I spoke [in a take] was the primary time I used that Jap European accent. I didn’t understand how it might go down, I believed possibly she’d come over and say, “We’d moderately have you ever do British,” or no matter. However I did my first scene and everybody was glad.

The one time I’ve ever performed a vampire earlier than was in a cartoon referred to as Mina and the Depend. You may find them on YouTube. I performed the Depend. And I all the time used the Bela Lugosi method as a result of he was the primary Dracula I ever noticed after I was a child. I used to be simply fascinated! I’d by no means heard anybody with that exact accent earlier than. [Vampire voice] Hearken to them, the youngsters of the night time! What music they make! [Regular voice] I believed, “the place does this man come from?”

On the finish of the episode, Jim the Vampire resides on this small Pennsylvania city and fortunately teaching the women’ volleyball group. What is going to the remainder of his life be like? Do you assume he’ll keep there?
[Laughs] It’s attention-grabbing. He will get this second profession as an assistant coach, and I believed it was very beneficiant of Laszlo to supply that for him, however then on the finish he realizes he’s been swindled as soon as extra, and his final phrases are “Cravensworth!!” It had a starting, center and finish, and I’m joyful to have finished the one episode. Hopefully he can recover from his anger at his trophy being mass-produced and never a rarity like he thought it was. He might be glad being the volleyball coach.

However whenever you consider the logic of all of it, he’s a vampire. What occurs if they’ve a day recreation? You may’t actually assume it by way of logically, as a result of we’re dwelling within the absurd world of the Shadows.

I hadn’t considered what would occur if they’ve a day recreation!
Yeah, and why he would have enterprise playing cards printed that say “Jim the Vampire,” promoting that he’s a supernatural being? It is unnecessary! However that’s why I feel it’s simply one of many freshest, most authentic exhibits on tv, with an amazing ensemble forged. Each Wednesday it brightens my day after I go, “Oh there’s a brand new Shadows episode!”