Talamasca’s William Fichtner Hopes Jasper Will Meet The Vampire Lestat

One of the most intriguing aspects of AMC’s larger Anne Rice universe is the potential for crossovers and connections amongst its various shows. While Talamasca: The Secret Order may be the franchise’s newest property, it’s also the series whose story has the most potential to easily intersect with the others. (That whole “we watch and we’re always there” thing is more than just a saying, after all.)

Before the show’s official launch, Talamasca agents appeared on sister series Interview with the Vampire and Mayfair Witches, and while the first season of Secret Order was only six episodes, they included appearances by familiar characters like Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian) and Raglan James (Justin Kirk). But these were largely supporting appearances, what the people really want to know is — what about the vampires?

Talamasca’s mysterious Jasper (William Fichtner) is indeed the only vampire we’re really introduced to in season 1, but he’s also the show’s most fascinating figure, a deeply human immortal with a tragic backstory, an obsession with controlling information, and a lot of repressed rage. Much of the series’s first season revolves around his quest for revenge against the Talamasca and the uneasy partnership he forms with telepathic rookie agent Guy Antole (Nicholas Denton), which leaves little room to ponder where the character might fit in the larger hierarchy of vampires in Rice’s world. His journey, at least at this current moment in his story, seems a much more solitary one (insert your own thoughts about his likely unfinished business with Guy here) than some of the other immortals we’ve met. But what might happen if Jasper did run into someone like Lestat?

“Boy, wouldn’t that be fun to find out,” Fichtner laughingly told Den of Geek. “I think it would be absolutely wonderful for Jasper to walk into a room with Lestat. I think everybody else should probably leave the room for a little while if that happens. Think it could get a little dangerous in there.”

Given Jasper’s taste in music, it’s unlikely he’ll somehow end up at a Lestat concert when the third season of Interview with the Vampire rolls around. (“Long Face” is definitely lacking the Texas twang of his other listening choices, let’s put it that way.) But while the vampires clearly move in very different supernatural circles, it’s certainly entertaining to imagine how they might interact if given the chance.

“Obviously, they’re both two very powerful people,” he added. “And I’m not so sure if they would be seeing the world eye to eye, but, you know what? Wouldn’t that be interesting if they did in their own way?”

Of course, outside of being immortal blood drinkers, the pair have remarkably little in common. Lestat is centuries old, deeply European, and fully indulges in all the decadent trappings that come with life as a vampire. (The clothes! The hair care routine!) Jasper, for his part, is almost obnoxiously American, a squatter in a Talamasca building he’s essentially stolen for his own ends whose flashiest outfits involve T-shirts and cowboy boots. Most notably, however, is the fact that while Jasper appears to be quite the expert on the Talmasca, he doesn’t actually seem to know any other vampires. But, then again, that’s probably on purpose.

“One of the interesting things about Talamasca season 1 is that you don’t see the interaction of Jasper with the other vampires. But he’s not a vampire that’s been around for hundreds and hundreds of years,” Fichtner said. “I think it’s evident from just following the story of Talamasca season 1 that he knows [about other vampires] even if he’s not been around as long as they have. I definitely think he knows.. But I just don’t think right now that Jasper — look, Jasper put himself in that motherhouse because he has things he wants to do. I don’t think he cares about another vampire right now. He just doesn’t. He cares about other things.”