The Big Picture

Collider’s Therese Lacson talks with the cast and creators of
What We Do in the Shadows
for the final season at New York Comic Con 2024.
FX bids farewell to its beloved vampire cast with the sixth and final season.
During this interview, the cast share standout scenes, character hypotheticals, and future scenarios during a New York Comic Con interview.

It is bittersweet to say farewell to the vampires leading What We Do in the Shadows. Season 6 will mark the FX show’s final bow after years of the camera crew following Nandor (Kayvan Novak) and his blood-sucking band around the city, documenting their story. Based on the 2014 mockumentary of the same name by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, the series initially followed four vampire roommates who are constantly causing havoc on Staten Island. Seasons since its premiere, the comedy-horror show expanded beyond the initial vampire group, welcoming more compelling characters and twisted storylines.

At this year’s New York Comic Con, Collider’s own Therese Lacson had the opportunity to sit down with Novak, Harvey Guillén, Matt Berry, and Mark Proksch, as well as writers and producers Paul Simms, Sam Johnson, and Sarah Naftalis. During their conversation, the cast shared about standout scenes to shoot, their characters’ hypothetical human jobs, their thoughts on Jerry (played by Mike O’Brien), and what they will miss most about working together. The creative team also spoke about whether they’d ever considered making Nandor and Guillermo a couple, how they got Mark Hamill and Steve Coogan to make cameo appearances, and whether there are any future scenarios they would like to explore after the final season wraps up.

You can check out the full interview in the video above or the transcript below.

Harvey Guillén Says “It’s a Real Sophie’s Choice” Picking a Favorite Scene
Image via FX

COLLIDER: W hat was a standout scene for you throughout the years of being on this show that is really gonna just stay in your memory?

PAUL SIMMS: Oh my gosh, that is a tough one.

KAYVAN NOVAK: I’m trying to think of one. There are so many. You’re right.

MARK PROKSH: We’ve had so many fun scenes.

NOVAK: I know the one that you were thinking of.

MATT BERRY: For you?

NOVAK: No, for you. For us. I was in the scene, too, with baby Colin Robinson eating out of the dog bowl.

BERRY: Jesus, yeah.

HARVEY GUILLÉN: I think for me, one of them was with Matt trying to make me drink real dog piss. [Laughs]

BERRY: I never did that.

I don’t know if I believe you.

GUILLÉN: That was one of the fun ones because I had to break character. He swapped them, and he was like, “Here you go. Drink up, Gizmo.”

SIMMS: Do you really think that we had real dog piss on set?

GUILLÉN: It smelled like real dog piss! But it was just funny because working with all the actors, it’s hard to keep a straight face, and every scene is super fun. So, it’s hard. It’s a real Sophie’s choice making this pick right now.

I can imagine it’s hard not to break character when you guys are on set together.

Related Harvey Guillén Steps Out of the ‘Shadows’ The actor behind Guillermo de la Cruz reflects on his road to acting, filming the hit FX comedy’s final season, and what’s next.

In this season, we see Guillermo get a more respectable job with the financial firm, and we also see Nadja jumping in on the action as a broker. For your characters, what would their ideal human job be?

PROKSH: I mean, mine does his. He works in an office. [Laughs]

GUILLÉN: I always wonder why the vampires don’t work at a blood bank or something like the Red Cross.

Too much temptation, maybe.

GUILLÉN: Well, easy access. Nurse Jackie that and steal all the blood.

SIMMS: I feel like at the beginning of the season, Nandor does get what he wishes is this perfect human job, which is being a janitor because he gets to wear a uniform. He has responsibilities, he’s respected in the office, he has a goal and a position for the first time in his life. So, that’s me answering the question for Kayvan.

NOVAK: And a trolley.

Jerry May Be Annoying, But Mike O’Brien Is Anything But
Image via FX

In the premiere episode, we meet the fifth roommate, Jerry, who we find out is kind of an annoying character. What advice would you give to somebody who has their own Jerry in their life and they’re trying to get their distance away from this annoying person, so to speak?

GUILLÉN: Super slumber.

SARAH NAFTALIS: Super slumber or change the locks.

PROKSH: I was gonna be more pragmatic. You just stop answering texts.

Slowly ghost them out.

PROKSH: Yeah.

NOVAK: What if they add you to a WhatsApp group? How do you eject yourself from a WhatsApp group you don’t want to be a part of it?

PROKSH: I don’t have WhatsApp, but if I did, I just wouldn’t participate.

SIMMS: So that’s why you’ve been texting me back a lot less.

PROKSH: Am I being a little too pragmatic?

No, I would do the exact same thing. I would just slowly not answer.

PROKSH: Do you need help?

I mean, I always need help in my life, so thank you for your concern.

NOVAK: I will say that although the character is very annoying, Mike O’Brien himself was a sweetheart, and it was a joy working with him. I really enjoyed it. I’d never heard of him before. I didn’t tell him that because everyone else had. That’s all I’ve got to say on that topic. Thanks.

SIMMS: He’s not that annoying of a character. It’s just when you have a friend group, anytime you add one extra person, it can disrupt the whole balance of things. Also, what’s funny about his character is that he’s asking questions that were questions that we in the writers’ room asked ourselves a lot, like, if vampirism is supposed to be so secretive and no one can know about it, why do they have a documentary crew following them around? That was a good way to kick off the season. To have a character that asks all the difficult, uncomfortable questions that we don’t really have answers for.

NAFTALIS: We would just be like, “It’s alright. Don’t think about it.”

SAM JOHNSON: I mean, Jerry’s kind of basically the one writer in the writers’ room who says that story doesn’t make sense, and you’re trying to find out ways to get rid of that writer.

Paul Simms on Nandor and Guillermo As Love Interests
Image via FX

Speaking to the writers, when we’re looking at this show, one of the central relationships that we really focus on is Nandor and Guillermo. I love that relationship. It’s kind of chaotic, it’s kind of crazy. Have you ever considered leaning fully into a romantic story arc with these two characters?

PROKSH: You know, it’s hard. I never really did think about anything like that…

SIMMS: Mark, I can take this. I think they have a deeper and more abiding love than any romantic dalliance would show. Also, the power imbalance, people would be repulsed. Nandor is his boss. Can you imagine if your boss wanted to kiss you? Ew. Sarah, can you imagine such a thing?

I don’t even know how to approach that question from a safe angle, so we’re just going to drop it.

Image via FX

Obviously, the show is over. I’m sorry to break the news to you. If there were future scenarios for you that aren’t in the show, what would they be? Would there be a vampire night cruise? The vampires go to Disney World. Give me some potential what-ifs.

SIMMS: We have no what-ifs — we used it all up. It’s all used up. Every season, we use up every idea we have, and we think, “Oh, that’s it. We don’t have any left.” Then we go away for a few months and come back and go, “What if this, what if that?” But we used up everything and then some that we had for the show, especially with this last season where we not only used up every idea we wanted to use but also, guest star-wise, got some of the funniest people that we’ve always wanted to have on the show, like Mike O’Brien and Steve Coogan and Tim Heidecker and Alyssa Limperis. A lot of our seasons have been about guest stars that have been vampires before. This season was really about guest stars who are just the funniest people that we always wanted to use and be part of the whole thing.

Mark Hamill Was a Fan of the Show Before Making His Cameo
Image by FX

I want to talk about the guest stars a little bit because the cameos in this show are fantastic. I think Benedict Wong really stands out and Mark Hamill, as well. As the show progresses, are you calling somebody up, like, “Hey, do you want a cameo in this show?” Is it an immediate yes now, or is it still like you gotta convince them to?

SIMMS: It depends on who the person is. A lot of it is personal relationships, like Matt knew Benedict Wong and helped us get him, and Matt and Natasia [Demetriou] knew Steve Coogan and helped us get him. But then there are other people early on, like Mark Hamill, who were just fans of the show. So basically, if you were a celebrity and you tweeted, “Oh, I like this show,” then you’re gonna get a call within about 15 minutes saying, “Would you please like to come on the show?”

What the ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Cast Will Miss Most

What will you guys miss the most about this series now that it’s over? What’s something that you’re gonna miss having as a constant?

NOVAK: The job. But apart from that, all of these great guys. Working with these people has been a highlight for me, and I don’t get to work with them anymore and that’s very sad.

PROKSH: We had a lot of freedom. We had a lot of freedom to improvise or give our two cents on something, and you don’t get that in a lot of shows. I’m gonna miss the jokes that we got to do. I highly doubt I’ll ever get to do some of those types of jokes, tonally, again. Hopefully, but probably not.

NOVAK: I love the Hamburg line you did.

PROKSH: That’s a deep cut.

Do you want to elaborate on that or…?

PROKSH: No, I don’t. [Laughs]

GUILLÉN: I’m gonna miss, obviously, the cast, the relationships…

NOVAK: I said that already.

GUILLÉN: The crew. We had a really great crew. Everyone loved coming to work every day. It was really nice to have the Canadian crew there. They were great.

PROKSH: We had some really good, great line producers, excellent line producers that we’re gonna miss

Well, I’m going to miss the show very much. I just wanna let you guys know. I’m sure all the fans out there are very excited for this final season and I want to thank you guys for speaking with me. I appreciate you taking the time.

NOVAK: If you could be one of the characters, which one would you like to be?

I would like to play Nadja’s doll. No hesitation. I would 100% be her human doll.

What We Do in the Shadows Season 6 is currently streaming on Hulu.

A look into the nightly lives of four vampires who have lived together on Staten Island for over a century.Streaming Service(s) Hulu Showrunner Stefani Robinson , Paul Simms Expand

Watch on Hulu