How Kayvan Novak’s Dad Helped Shape Nandor’s Big WWDITS Episode

As a long-time fan of What We Do in the Shadows, I must say that Matt Berry’s portrayal of Nandor the Relentless is nothing short of brilliant. His ability to embody the contradictions and complexities of this delusional yet relatable character is truly commendable.

In the series “What We Do in the Shadows”, Nandor the Relentless, a historical figure known for giving orders to his familiar, bodyguard, temporary ally (vampire), and popular fan-ship partner Guillermo de la Cruz, has always been commanding. However, during the final round, this traditional hierarchy of power between vampire and subordinate is reversed.

In the episode titled “Running a Train,” character Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) dismisses Nandor, portrayed by Kayvan Novak, from the shared workplace they’ve been working at for humorous and illogical reasons. In “Nandor’s Army,” Nandor embarks on a downward spiral towards New Hampshire to gather an army to retaliate against Cannon Capital. This episode blends elements of a parody of true crime with hints of the classic film Apocalypse Now, as Nandor exhibits a Colonel Kurtz-like madness in an entertaining manner. It also pays tribute to the emotional bonds within the group, as Nadja, Laszlo, and Colin Robinson express concern for Nandor’s mental wellbeing, and Guillermo comes to understand the depth of the hurt he inflicted on his former mentor. Their reconciliation and healing is another significant instalment, Novak explains, in the ongoing tale of their complex relationship.

In a playful tone, Novak remarks about the ongoing tug-of-war between Nandor and Guillermo: “Every encounter leaves you craving more, as a means to navigate the aftermath of the previous one, for they rarely turn out smoothly, don’t they?” Laughing, he notes that Nandor should have let Guillermo be on his own, but finds it impossible because he needs him – needing some sort of control over the situation.

The episode serves as a spotlight for Novak’s character, Nandor, who, despite his dandy-like appearance, hasn’t quite found his niche as a vampire, having been a ruthless Ottoman warrior in his previous human life. Although it’s established that Nandor raided Nadja’s village before they became undead, What We Do in the Shadows has often portrayed Nandor’s relentlessness comically – until the surprising climax of “Nandor’s Army,” where we learn that his assertive and hawkish nature has attracted numerous humans seeking a cause, to follow him. The episode revolves around Novak convincingly depicting Nandor’s transition from seemingly confused while delivering a lecture to a warehouse full of mannequins, to decisively resolute when ordering his followers to torch Dartmouth University. “It’s a bit challenging for me to envision myself as a great leader, especially in that getup,” Novak admits. “You do your best interpretation. You follow the script. You hope the audience accepts it. In the end, it’s all pretend.

Have you found it intriguing that this episode showcased Nandor’s command abilities fully, considering we’ve only heard about his military prowess before? It was certainly a new aspect of his character for me to explore, as I touched upon it in the “Ghosts” episode from season two. That one was more subtle, while this episode delves into what Nandor might have been like when he was leading an army in Al Quolanudar. Whether such a transformation from being so aggressive and power-hungry to becoming as clueless and goofy as we see him now is plausible, I’m not sure. Perhaps 700 years can bring about such changes.

I found great significance in the “Ghosts” episode since I was becoming forgetful with my Farsi.I penned an article about it. Thank you for crafting that episode.

In your performance as Nandor’s Army, there seems to be a deliberate homage to Apocalypse Now. Was it your intention to embody characters similar to Marlon Brando and Colonel Kurtz? The director, Yana Gorskaya, has made it clear that the lighting was designed to mimic the scenes featuring Brando in Apocalypse Now. When they approached you, we had a long, continuous scene where we walked and talked. Upon reading this lengthy, multi-page sequence, I found myself thinking, “Is this a play now?” However, Yana encouraged me to go ahead with it, assuring me that I would manage just fine. To my surprise, the experience turned out to be quite enjoyable.

The majority of the projects we handle are incredibly complex, and this particular one was massive. It was an old warehouse that had been transformed into a men’s clothing factory. They spent weeks constructing the set, and we get to reap the benefits of all their hard work.

You’re walking a fine line as you don’t want it to be overly intense or somber. If it becomes too serious, the humor or lightness gets lost and feels out of place in the production. So, you rely on your instincts. I’ve portrayed Nandor in various emotional states like depressed, detached, despondent, and angry, so I work with those feelings. I treat comedy with importance but drama less so. The other vampires serve as a safety net for me, we support each other like climbing partners do.

As a movie reviewer, I recall an intriguing scene from the gripping film titled “Vampire Chronicles”. In this scene, I found myself in the backdrop, bare-chested and engaged in a peculiar struggle with a reflective surface. This mirror fight, though seemingly out of place amidst the dialogue between the other vampires, was a moment etched deeply into my memory.

In your process of training Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin for your army, you’ve been using Farsi military chants, which you got translated by your father and added some lines of your own. You even slipped in a few references to Iranian kebabs like koobideh, although I’m not sure what made it into the final version. It might have been too much to expect everyone to chant along, but you were quite meticulous about learning them correctly and pronouncing them accurately with the right stresses. I appreciate your father’s help in that regard. I don’t believe those kinds of chants would be used there; they’d likely be quite different.

It’s unlikely that the chants will include koobideh, yet it could still be an important dish to strive for.

In this particular episode, the scope for improvisation was relatively minimal due to its focus on Nandor’s mental state. My role primarily involved setting the scene (“This is where we’re at”), allowing the other vampires to add their comedic elements. Occasionally, there might be a spontaneous remark or response, but it happens quite swiftly. When acting, you should envision what your character would say in such situations. Essentially, improv is more about reacting than contributing new ideas. If you’re an aspiring improviser, my advice to you would be to keep things simple and use improv as a way to enhance the existing situation, rather than creating something entirely new. [Adopts a gentle radio broadcaster tone] And that, dear listeners, is my humble advice – absolutely free of charge!

In your words, Nandor has been battling depression and detachment, seeking personal fulfillment through various means such as joining a cult, reuniting with his wives, and longing to travel. Is there a fundamental aspect of Nandor that you believe I’ve maintained throughout my performance, which enables me to bring these diverse experiences to life?

However, it’s crucial to note that Nandor’s portrayal serves as the foundation for much of the humor. He is, in essence, an extraordinary warrior who displays many contradictory traits, such as being both sexual and asexual, commanding yet submissive. These contrasts embody the comic trope of a character who is delusional about themselves. We can all recognize this; he can’t. He’s constantly reinventing himself, one moment seeking a wife, the next desiring solitude. The same goes for his career aspirations: one second he yearns to be a soldier, the next a janitor. It seems like he can’t make up his mind—yet we all share this trait as humans. There’s a sense of relatability in that aspect. While people might aspire to emulate Laszlo due to his confidence and self-assuredness, they may find Nandor’s wishy-washy nature less appealing.

Out of all Nandor’s self-discovery adventures, which one did you particularly enjoy watching the most? Well, I must say I found it quite intriguing when he cloned Guillermo’s boyfriend – or should I say, created a duplicate. I enjoyed witnessing him get involved emotionally, acting upon it, and manipulating Guillermo with his gaslighting tactics. It was something like, “I’ve got Freddie, and you’ve got Freddie. What’s the fuss about? Calm down.” That episode was particularly engaging because it was quite twisted, yet somehow relatable. Although I’ve never cloned anyone’s partner, or dated twins…or have I? Perhaps in Iceland, many years ago. Only once though. [Laughs.]

In this episode, we find Nandor dialing into a radio program to ask for Simon and Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair” and using JoJo’s “Leave (Get Out)” to send Guillermo away. Could there be another tune fitting for Nandor in this context? I propose “Bicycle Race” by Queen. It’s a quirky selection that suits his character well, and the song is quite enjoyable too!

2024-11-05 07:54

How Kayvan Novak’s Dad Helped Shape Nandor’s Big WWDITS Episode

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