‘What We Do within the Shadows’ Kayvan Novak on the Collection Finale’s Closing Moments

[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Season 6 of What We Do in the Shadows.]

Abstract

• The FX collection ‘What We Do within the Shadows’ ends with Nandor and Guillermo going all-in on their friendship, sans the documentary crew.
• Co-stars Kayvan Novak and Kristen Schaal mirror on the present’s finish, happy with what it was capable of accomplish over six seasons.
• The ultimate episode highlights little character development, emphasizing the ensemble’s constant and unchanging dynamics.

After six seasons, the FX comedy collection What We Do in the Shadows has come to an finish and the documentary crew has left the mansion, leaving vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) to proceed their lives off-camera. All through the season, Nandor was knocked off-kilter with Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) transferring out of the mansion and determining what it means to face on his personal two human toes. On the identical time, The Information (Kristen Schaal) not solely discovered a pal in Jerry the Vampire, the long-forgotten roommate that lastly awakened from his slumber, but in addition receives a token of affection from Cravensworth’s Monster (Andy Assaf), lastly making her really feel simply the slightest bit accepted by the vampires she’s spent a lot time making an attempt to win over. And as soon as they’re formally left alone within the mansion collectively, with no cameras to speak to, Guillermo and Nandor determine to go all-in on their friendship.

Throughout this interview with Collider, co-stars Novak and Schaal shared how a lot enjoyable they’d on set working with one another and the laughs that all the time got here with that. Additionally they talked about what they bear in mind in regards to the first time they labored collectively, a humorous mishap Schaal had along with her vampire fangs, how bittersweet it’s to say goodbye to a collection they’re nonetheless so happy with, why their characters haven’t actually modified in any respect, the tribute to The Traditional Suspects, how Novak felt about the place issues have been left with Nandor and Guillermo, and all of the concepts he has for doable spin-offs.

Collider: What do you bear in mind in regards to the first scene that you just guys did collectively? What did you most get pleasure from about working with one another on this?

KRISTEN SCHAAL: I bear in mind Kayvan being so pleasant. I simply bear in mind he would all the time have some tea or give me a deal with. He’s simply very easy to work with. You’re so charming once you come on set. He would are available in a breath of recent air, filled with pleasure. He was so pleased to be on that set, engaged on this present.

KAYVAN NOVAK: That’s true.

SCHAAL: You might all the time rely on him to be in an excellent temper.

NOVAK: Thanks. It was my pleased place, undoubtedly. Once I consider working with Kristen, I bear in mind the primary season, when she did her one episode. It was a fairly brutal schedule with a whole lot of night time capturing and a bizarre trolley that she needed to stand on that was not safe and that she almost fell off the entrance of. I bear in mind being open air and being chilly, after which being indoors and nonetheless being chilly, and having to love watch for her to reposition as a result of she did that form shifting factor. After which, when she got here again in Season 3, and he or she hadn’t worn her fangs shortly, she did this scene and the fangs are too massive for her mouth. She couldn’t communicate. They needed to get her totally different fangs, after which she needed to redo the scene and you would fortunately perceive what she was saying. I discovered that actually enjoyable. She in all probability discovered that mortifying, however I discovered that hilarious, in that second. However I do know she was livid. She was like, “What are you doing to me? What the fuck are these items I’ve bought in my mouth?”

SCHAAL: It was my fault as a result of I did one episode in Season 1, after which they known as me again for Season 3. It was the peak of COVID and so they have been like, “Do you wanna come down and see in case your fangs nonetheless match?” And I used to be like, “No, I’m certain they do.” After which, I roll in and they didn’t give me my fangs till proper earlier than we shot the scene. Within the two years because the present, I’d had a few root canals, so my mouth form had modified, and I couldn’t discuss. One in every of your predominant issues to do, as an actor, is to say your traces, and I actually couldn’t say them.It was an actor’s nightmare. I’ll always remember it. The lesson is, once they ask when you wanna come down to check the prosthetic that goes in your mouth, no matter whether or not or not there’s a pandemic raging that they don’t have a vaccine for but, simply go.

Saying Goodbye After Six Seasons Was Bittersweet for the Solid of ‘What We Do within the Shadows’

How does it really feel to get to the top of a undertaking like this? Was there a tragic final day on set, or did you simply really feel achieved ending a collection, in any case these seasons, and going out on high? How does it really feel to say goodbye and go away a personality like this behind once you’ve performed them for some time?

SCHAAL: Truthfully, for me, it’s a little bit bittersweet, as a result of I’m actually happy with the present and the present is so good. I do suppose we’re leaving the present at a excessive level. I don’t suppose anybody could possibly be like, “Oh, it misplaced its shine and I ended watching it.” Nobody was saying, “I ended watching,” after any season, which is an actual level of satisfaction. However I really feel like my character has extra to go. That’s how I really feel.

NOVAK: After each season of capturing this, I’ve all the time felt a way of immense satisfaction blended in with exhaustion. The final season was totally different as a result of, stepping into, I knew it was the final season. After which, I forgot it was the final season. After which, close to the top of the final season, I remembered once more that it was the final season. Actually, it was anticipating saying goodbye to everybody. You continue to really feel that sense of accomplishment. You continue to really feel that sense of satisfaction that you just did exit on high, no matter that even means. Going out on high, to me, is meaningless. There is no such thing as a “on high,” there’s simply doing good work. I believe all of us had a way that we did good work, proper as much as the top, and I believe that’s a uncommon factor.

SCHAAL: I additionally really feel like we bought an enormous present in understanding it was the ultimate season, so we might provide you with this unbelievable finale. I’ve been on a whole lot of exhibits the place we didn’t realize it was ending, after which it’s like, “Oh, that’s too dangerous that we ended on a cliffhanger.” I’m speaking about The Final Man [on Earth].

Kayvan Novak Says ‘What We Do within the Shadows’ Vampire Roommates Did not Must Change, however Did Make Small Enhancements

The ultimate episode is all about how every part stays the identical, however these characters have grown all through the present. They’re vampires, so typically they neglect how far they’ve come as a result of time doesn’t have the identical which means to them. Do you’re feeling like they discovered something?

NOVAK: No, and that’s the fantastic thing about them. They don’t actually be taught. They simply keep the identical. If Nandor was a totally totally different individual to who he was in Season 2, then he’s not Nandor anymore. He’s another person. They don’t want to alter, particularly for the viewers, since you’ve bought an ensemble to get pleasure from.

I really feel like Nandor has discovered to specific his emotions a little bit bit with Guillermo. That’s some particular development.

NOVAK: Yeah, I’ll give him that. I wasn’t going to kiss him. The phrases have been compensation for all of the occasions he might need been a bit imply to Guillermo and will have dealt with issues higher.

Kristen, The Information simply actually needed to be accepted as a part of this group. Do you suppose she feels that she has been?

SCHAAL: No, I don’t suppose so. I believe they’re extra cool with having her round. Perhaps all she wanted was a little bit little bit of approval, after which she’s moved on. I really feel like The Information could also be rather less afraid of authority, in direction of the top of Season 6, than she was in Season 3. She’s perhaps rather less of a rule follower. These are some enhancements for her.

I beloved the little tribute to The Traditional Suspects. What was your response to that? What was it wish to get to put on a unique outfit for that episode?

SCHAAL: It was loopy to not have fangs in my mouth and to only discuss. It was so comfy. It was actually enjoyable, and in addition simply one other feather on this present’s hat with the way it can actually go anyplace. It’s simply such a singular present that may pull one thing like that off. I actually loved that day.

What was it wish to work with Cravensworth’s Monster?

SCHAAL: Andy [Assaf] was a dream to work with. He’s an area Toronto actor from Second Metropolis, and he was simply so down and sport. He was very humorous and excellent for it. He spent a whole lot of time in prosthetics. My solely remorse about him is that he got here on in Season 6 as a result of I believe we’d have had enjoyable collectively each season. We ended up having some, so we ran off to the seaside collectively – me as The Information and him because the Monster. We went out into the seashores of Toronto as a result of we had a six-hour break and we weren’t certain what to do. We bought permission, however it was humorous seeing him operating across the lakefront, trying like that. What’s weirder is how no person batted a watch.

Kayvan Novak Thinks Nandor and Guillermo’s ‘What We Do within the Shadows’ Ending Was a Good Compromise

Kayvan, what did you consider the ultimate moments between Nandor and Guillermo, and them ending up within the coffin collectively?

NOVAK: It was candy. I’ve all the time immensely loved my scenes with Harvey and dealing with him. The chemistry that we now have collectively makes that relationship all of the extra plausible. Him becoming a member of me within the coffin, I’m certain a whole lot of followers want that he joined me in a bubble tub, and I’ve bought the fan artwork to show it. You don’t get every part that you just want for, however that’s okay. I believe it was a pleasant compromise. They disappeared down the lengthy, darkish tunnel collectively. It’s presumably not the lengthy, darkish tunnel that among the fan artists have been hoping for, however once more, you don’t all the time get what you want for.

It simply made me need a spinoff. I might love a by-product for any and each one in every of these characters however would undoubtedly watch Nandor and Guillermo combating crime collectively. What do you suppose would make the very best spinoff for these characters?

SCHAAL: Oh, I might find it irresistible if The Information tried to be an actress.

NOVAK: I want to see The Information at residence along with her crows. She’s bought a whole lot of pet crows.

SCHAAL: Ravens. Yeah, that could possibly be good.

NOVAK: She’s moved to Idaho and is simply breeding ravens on her raven farm. I pitch a by-product to FX virtually each different week and I’ve heard nothing again about any of them.

SCHAAL: Actually?

NOVAK: No. However truthfully, logically, the way in which ahead for Nandor and Guillermo, and I might undoubtedly think about this, is that if Nandor and Guillermo launch a podcast in order that they’ll keep semi-relevant, like lots of people that begin their very own podcasts. It could be easy to movie and it will simply require them to entice or hypnotize a visitor to come back and be part of them. They’d chat to them for an hour, after which put it out and see what occurs. The documentary is ending, so what else are they gonna do? Perhaps Nandor might turn out to be an influencer or one thing. Or you would do a prequel about Nandor when he was Relentless and name it Relentless. You’d simply must throw a finances at it that’s much like what they throw at Shōgun, which isn’t gonna occur. Or you would simply go animated.

What We Do within the Shadows is out there to stream on Hulu. Try the Season 6 trailer:

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