In What We Do in the Shadows, Nandor may be the most clueless vampire – even if he doesn’t realize it, because of his self-consciousness at all times. io9 had the chance to talk to Kayvan Novak about what the sixth season holds, including Nandor’s constantly conflicting relationship with his former friend Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), and an episode where he briefly believes he is a disgraced former American president.
Cheryl Eddy, io9: Have you already done an impression of Richard Nixon or did you have to develop that for the show?
Kayvan Novak: I didn’t. I was aware of Richard Nixon, but I think the film Good Morning, Vietnam was really (where I got most of my awareness) about him and his character and the people who make fun of him. Robin Williams left an impression of him and cut that interview to make him look ridiculous. But I got a lot of YouTube clips of Richard Nixon to study and I didn’t do any of it. I just turned up on the day and made an impression. I did a little bit of homework. I was scared. I was nervous. To be honest, it wasn’t logical for Nandor to be able to do an impression of Richard Nixon even if he was a magnetic nap. But no one listens to me. So I just went and did it anyway.
io9: Nandor faces a crisis when his roommate Jerry, who has been asleep for a long time, suddenly returns and points out how far he has deviated from the title “Relentless Nandor.” In your opinion, what happened during those fifty years to change his character so much? Was it Jerry’s absence or something else?
Novak: I think living on Staten Island, with fewer plunder and carnage, may have softened his edges a little, as you know, thinking that maybe there’s something else missing in his life. It’s likely that Guillermo’s influence made him see things differently because he secretly cares about this familiar human, who pretends not to care about him. I think 700 years of life will do that to someone.
io9: I’m glad you mentioned Guillermo, because he and Nandor (“Nandermo” for shipping companies) find themselves in a strange place when the season begins. As we see, Guillermo has tried to set some new boundaries. How do you describe Nandor’s mindset about their whereabouts after the events of season five?
Novak: (Guillermo) doesn’t need Nandor anymore because he doesn’t want to be a vampire anymore. That was Nandor’s hold over him, and now that’s gone. Nandor has been somewhat abandoned, really – and I think without saying that he cares, it’s clear that he does and acts accordingly. I think that’s really his driving force, and it’s having sex with Guillermo, even though Guillermo doesn’t really want to do anything with him.
io9: Nandor and Nadja have had this ongoing rivalry throughout the show – both seeing themselves as having greater power than the other. In your opinion, what is the origin of that?
Novak: Honestly, it seems like sibling rivalry. When I do these scenes, it feels like I’m bickering with my sister; I get that vibe. I love that. There’s a kind of disrespect and disdain that we feel towards each other, but we still want to achieve our goal together, you know? I really enjoyed that because we hinted at it in previous seasons, but this season, I felt the high energy and comedy with me and Natasha (Demetriou, who plays Nadja). I really enjoyed that.
io9: What is the character trait in Nandor that you say you enjoy the most, or that you enjoyed playing the most?
Novak: Hesitation – in a world where making decisions is crucial. And when (Nandor) does (make a decision), making wrong decisions is always fun to play. A real break from being grown up.
io9: Did you keep anything from the set?
Novak: I got a photo of Nandor from the opening credits.
io9: Beautiful. Do you have a frame in your house?
Novak: I do.
What We Do in the Shadows premieres its sixth season on October 21 with the first three episodes on FX; you can stream it the next day on Hulu.
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