‘Talamasca: The Secret order’ Subverts Vampire โฃtropesโ wiht Jason Schwartzman’s Burton
new York, NY -โฃ AMC’s Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order is deliberately challenging vampire conventions โwith the introduction โคof Burton, portrayed by Jason Schwartzman, a character โฃco-showrunner John Lee Hancock describes asโ an “unexpected vampire.” The series aims to present a fresh take on the mythology, moving away from customary gothic portrayals.
The show centers on Guy โ(Nicholas Denton), a Talamasca recruit whose โขfirst encounter is with the unconventional Burton. Hancock explained to The Hollywood Reporter the intention behind โcrafting such a unique vampire: “We’ve got โขthis skeptic [Guy] who’sโค going to meet a vampire, and who isโฃ that vampire? โI wanted it to be complicated. I didn’t want it to be a dark room with someone in a velvet โคchairโฆ I โwanted to meet it on its own terms. So who’s the unexpected vampire?”
Burton is depicted as a vampire whoโ has previouslyโ betrayed others of his โฃkind, living a comfortable,โค yet isolated, life in New York’s Dakota building, financially supportedโ by the Talamasca. โDespite receiving benefits, he remains wary of the organization. Hancock revealed a surprising detail about the character’s lifestyle, suggesting burton and his housekeeper likelyโค spend โคTuesday nights watching Bravo reality television, highlightingโข his loneliness and modern existence.
“The thing about thatโข character is that he is someoneโ who has sold out vampires,” Hancock said. “Yet it’s lonely, and he doesn’t fully โขtrustโข the Talamasca, โขeven though they’reโ paying his way andโ bringing him gifts.”
Schwartzman’s โBurton โขis โขalso highly conscious of his image, meticulouslyโ preparing for his meeting with Guy. “He knows he’s being presented. He’s the first vampire that [Guy] has everโ met. How does he โขexpect โme to look? โฃI told Jason, ‘Here’s the thing โI can tell youโฃ about this โcharacter: he changed โclothes โfive times in anticipation of โฃthis meeting to be just right.’ Jason said, ‘That’s a character โI can play.'”
New โepisodes of Anne Rice’s Talamasca: The Secret Order air Sundays โขon AMC and AMC+.