JACOB BATALON: For sure.
What was it aboutReginald the Vampire?
Had you always wanted to play a vampire?
BATALON: No, it wasnt necessarily the vampire aspect.
Humans are unapologetically judgmental, even when they try not to be.
With this show, people will absolutely relate to that.
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My favorite vampire film is The Lost Boys, which has a balance of those two things.
BATALON: Love it.
BATALON: Oh, gosh, I would say Gary OldmansDracula.
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I would sayDracula Untoldwas a really crazy movie.
This is really interesting, but Ive learned that vampirism has folklore from really old times.
They represent a group of people who are marginalized, people who arent really accepted by a community.
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They all originate with a book, but theyre all very different from each other.
How do you feel this one most suited you?
BATALON: Yeah, I would say that our show is probably the most grounded in its vampirism.
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We absolutely poke fun at it.
We tease it a lot, and I think thats a great thing.
It makes it more grounded and more relatable, in that sense.
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Reginald, by all accounts, is a very normal person, living a very normal life.
Hes like, Vampires?
What are you talking about?
Thats probably the main difference between our show and other shows.
Has anything surprised you about what that means?
Im really hoping that everyone enjoys the show the way that we do.
Are you someone who gets nervous, anytime you start a new project?
Do you always have nerves, that first day?
I carry the show with who I am, as a person.
I guess my nerves really come from hoping that we do enough hard work.
How have you found the experience of doing this show?
BATALON: I love Harley Peyton, our showrunner and writer.
I feel like this show is an extension of himself.
Its a lot of work.
Its a lot of preparation.
Its a lot of reading and digging deep into your own emotional and mental arc for your character.
With this show, I was given the space to really explore the human condition.
I was just very much the funny guy.
It was actually a very beautiful experience.
Reginald is super aware of how society sees him and how everybody classifies him.
He pretty much accepts that hes not special, and hes not different, and hes not unique.
That changes, obviously, when he becomes a vampire, because he ironically learns about life through death.
It gives him a newfound purpose and another chance to really explore what it means to be human.
The journey that he goes on is very human and very beautiful.
I feel like everyone has had these questions in their lives.
What is the purpose of my life?
If Im not accepted in society, what am I really?
Our main message is that the uniqueness is inside you.
Your vulnerability and who you are as a person is what gives you value, not your outward appearance.
And every vampire seems to want to make him feel bad about the fact that hes a vampire.
BATALON: For sure.
Thats a very great poignant metaphor for individualism.
Its about self-love and self-acceptance, and all that good stuff.
Our vampires hold up a mirror to society, in that way.
We all are very judgmental, even we dont mean to be.
Unlikely heroes are often the best kind of heroes because who doesnt love to root for an underdog?
Does Reginald know that he has it in him to be a hero?
With everything that he puts up with from everybody, is this a discovery for him?
BATALON: Yeah, I would say its a discovery.
He was never that person.
He was never the person to win the day.
I think everyone whos done a vampire show knows the lisp is the hardest thing to work with.
I think another rite of passage is having the blood get into places that you dont find particularly enjoyable.
Weve definitely all gone through it.
How much worse was it?
BATALON: It was definitely a lot more.
I would say it was a lot worse, but its a part of the magic.
We absolutely love using it.
Weve learned to use shaving cream to clean ourselves up.
You scrub yourself down really hard with shaving cream, and that makes the blood come off.
So, if anyones trying to commit murder .
What is it like to do those scenes?
How do you even get through them without laughing?
BATALON: Honestly, we do things so crazy that Im shocked we ever get them done.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this, I love the work youve done in theSpider-Manfilms.
I think the work that you guys have done as a group has just been so delightful to watch.
BATALON: Thank you.
How did you feel about that?
BATALON: Yeah, we all very much were crying, our last day of work.
Even at the premiere, we were all crying.
It was such a beautiful experience to be a part of, I think for all of us.
We started at a very young age, being teenagers, essentially, when we started the first movie.
It was a crazy thing to read.
It was crazy to see Andrew [Garfield] and Tobey [Maguire] in the script.
It was crazy to have all the villains in the script.
I would say that its such a poignant ending to our movies.
I know that you cant tell me any specifics, but have they given you hints?
Have they told you whether you should maybe save some dates next year, to possibly film another movie?
Do you know anything?
BATALON: I wish we did.
I feel like actors are the last people to know.
I think that people assume that actors are always hiding secrets.
I promise you, we dont know anything.
But other than that, whatever happens, happens.
Really, those decisions are up to the big bosses, the people who sign the checks.
Were open to the idea, but were not hoping for it.
BATALON: Honestly, I dont really put too much thought into that.
I feel like were all really moving in ways where were not really hoping for it to happen.
Not that its bad, I just feel like were not really anticipating another movie.
I just feel like were all doing our own thing.
But again, whatever happens, happens.
What do you most enjoy about that relationship?
What can you say to tease how it continues to evolve?
BATALON: Its great.
That relationship is at the heart of the show, and it takes really crazy turns.
He was just looking for a meal, and it happened to be Reginald.
I think thats a very beautiful relationship.
The show is a rom-com workplace dramedy, and its fun when you have that blend of genres.
I feel like thats what makes our show stand out so differently.
I think thats what makes our show so unique.
It all just begins with his turning into a vampire.
Its easy to root for Reginald and Sarah.
BATALON: Its Reginalds first time in that kind of situation.
Hes never really experienced what that feels like, so for him, its a very crazy experience.
Its still a classic 80s song, and it was a crazy funny scene, for sure.
How did you feel?
BATALON: Its a full arc.
He doesnt know what its like to be the hero of the day.
People will be shocked.
We leave a lot of things open to interpretation, and itll be great.
I cant wait to hear all the theories about what could happen in the second season.
Reginald the Vampireairs on Wednesday nights on Syfy.
