Well, you know my pick. : )

Tom Crusies Lestat sucked so bad. He just didn't have the depth Townsend had.

They both have their better over the other and personally i think a combination of them both into one would have been perfect Lestat.

I agree with the previous commenter about that Townsend's QOTD Lestat having more depth and that being one of th major reasons why he wins my vote. He's more colourful, deeper and even his looks more childlike and angelic-like. He's just everything I'd imagine if described, a bratty, angelic, 19-year old artistic soul with a childlike enthuastic attitude towards life. Tom Cruise's IWTV version however doesn't suck in my opinion, he's entertaining and impressively performed but just nowhere near my image of Lestat.

The same with the book versions of Lestat. The Lestat Rice wrote after IWTV is the perfect Lestat. More on my opinions on him and everything, you can find at my Lestat & Marius fan site. The link is in the Links section here.

Tom Cruise did SUCH A BETTER JOB.
but Stuart Townsend as Lestat WAS SO HOT XD.

While Townsend was WAY sexier, Cruse had Lestat done to a notch. He was PERFECT. Exactly the way he is in the books. QotD was such a bad movie, and the fact that they ruined Lestat made it so much worse. IwtV ftw!

While Cruise looked more like Lestat should, I don't like him at all, he was okay, but I CANNOT STAND HIM!!! Townsend was definitely hotter and did a fantastic job.

I find it hard to believe that anyone who thinks Townsend was a better Lestat has actually read the books. He conveyed none of the charm and humor that defined the character. He didn't even use the right accent. And he looks NOTHING like Lestat either. The characterization was just all wrong. I have read Interview With The Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Dammed, and Tom Cruise captured the essence of Lestat much much MUCH better.

Townsend had the hotness and the accent, but Cruse had the hotness, sarcasm, humor, and killing of Lestat. Cruse maybe a weirdo, but he does know how to act.

"Psyche picked Lestat from Interview with the vampire
Psyche picked Lestat from Interview with the vampire:

"I find it hard to believe that anyone who thinks Townsend was a better Lestat has actually read the books."

There are two very different book versions of Lestat and two very different film versions of Lestat. Townsend'd's Lestat DOES come closer to the Lestat the film bases on than Cruise's IWTV film Lestat. It couldn't even be any other way because Lestat did change radically after IWTV. So yes, thhose who pick Townsend CAN be ones who have rea dthe books as well.

"He conveyed none of the charm and humor that defined the character."

Those are not the only things that define the character. And I wouldn't anyways say "none". There wa ssome in both versions.

"And he looks NOTHING like Lestat either."

Actually he does look more like Lestat in the things that really matter. Meaning, Townsend LOOKS like around 20 while Cruise looks at least 30 years old. Townsend's hair is curlier and exactly the same length lestat describes it in the books while Cruise's hair is way too long and less curly. I can't believe some say "NOTHING like lestat looks" about Townsend. Heck, after all the ONLY thing that matches Lestat's looks in CRUISE's Lestat is the hair & eye COLOUR. So - come again - who looks more like Lestat should?
Then again - so, so many Lestat fans do think the hair and eye colour the most significant feature in Lestat's looks, for some weird reason. 'Cause in the books even though the hair and eye colour does have a point - it is NOT a significant point. It does not effect the character in persona nor his storylines.

"I have read Interview With The Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and The Queen of the Dammed, and Tom Cruise captured the essence of Lestat much much MUCH better."

Relatively, yes. But you should not compare Tom Cruise's lestat to any other book's Lestat like that but Interview with the Vampire's. Because, as said, Lestat's character changed radically after that book, so that book's film adaptation can not capture better - not to mention "much much better" the Lestat that was written after it.

Townsend's Lestat captures Lestat's misery and the sensitivity and childlikeness of Lestat's persona much better than Cruise. And this, as said - has to do with the fact that their role characters are based on very different versions of the character from the books.

Of course, all above only my opinions and excuse me if I'm somewhat pushing them on you. Please do still consider them.

HE LOOKD SSSSSOOOOOOO MUCH BTTR!!!!~

All mismatches apart,Stuart Townsend created an unrivalled, spellbinding image of Lestat. Everything about his acting - his looks, his manners, his voice - let him outshine the best of the rest vampire roles ever played by anyone.

Although stewart townsend is hotter tom's acting performance was brillant in Interview with the vampire its stayed really close to the book unlike queen of the damned movie at first i thought i loved queen of the damned movie but boy was i wrong it was nothing like the book
stewart didn't look a thing like lestat no blonde hair or blue eyes at least tom dyed his hair

I think they both played their versions of Lestat very well. You can't compare them to each other becuase, really, they are playing different charaters; The Lestat Louis discribes, and The Lestat that Lestat claims to be. So, I'm forced to choose which Lestat i like best...QOTD!

"The Lestat Louis discribes, and The Lestat that Lestat claims to be."

Yeah except that the QOTD film Lestat version isn't that much what Lestat really claims to be like. But Stuart Townsend highlights so perfectly the features of that film version that are true to the person Lestat claims to be. Thus Stuart would make a perfect Lestat if he was given the chance.

HEY NOBODY COULD BE SEXIER AS A VAMPIRE THAN TOM CRUISE COULD HES JUST SO HOT AND HE PLAYED IY VERY WELL

Stuart Townsend.

I only picked Stuart Townsend because he's better looking in my mind.

Just because Stuart is better looking does not make him a better Lestat. Tom acting the way he was suppose to in Interview with the vampire. I wouldn't say it was stuarts fault, because he just followed the screenplay, but i just think Tom did justice to the book and stewart did not do justice to the book.

"wouldn't say it was stuarts fault, because he just followed the screenplay, but i just think Tom did justice to the book and stewart did not do justice to the book."

That's exactly why this hsouldn't be about who did justice to the character because it was IMPOSSIBLE for Stuart to do so while Tom had all the damn possibilities to. It's completely, totally unfair to put them like this.

I think this pick should be rather about which character version of the character is better in everyone's opinion - having NOTHING to do with the ators. Or about the books's Lestats, which is better.

The question is all in all - it doesn't defy what doe sit mean but most of the people commenting here seem to automatically assume it's asking which actor did better job. And as said it's an unfair question and unfair to make a pick of.

"Just because Stuart is better looking does not make him a better Lestat. "

i think both are good versions of lestat, and its almost impossible to choose between them. so i picked stuart coz hes better looking. as bendaimmortal said its an unfair question.

this is a very hard question though because i don't really care for either of them, Tom did a great job and would have continued to do so if they continued to do the following novels i don't know why they would even do a queen of the damned movie 8 years later wouldn't they redo interview with the vampire first and just redo the novles it beats me
but omg i heard that robert downey jr. is or might play lestat
i was pissed he would not make a good lestat he'll be worse then tom and stuart

I just fell like Tom was more entertaing and did a great job
but look wise i think stuart looked a bit more like him but acting wise i feel that tom had it going for him
and yes i know that lestat acting completly differnt from the other books but tom did what he was suppose to and there for i'm happy with his performance for what the movie was

Interview with the vampire was a better movie that Queen Of the damned, Queen of the damned did not do the book justice, whereas I think Interview with the vampire was pretty good :). And Tom Cruise really did a better job he showed lestat character really well, he was the original lestat and him and pitt together was just lovely.

and Townsend focuses more on trying to be sexy that being scary and full of depth and that is was lestat is ... Brad Pittt was really hot in that film =D

and BTW I am really tired at the moment so if non of that made sence sorry, but KUDOS TOM CRUISE!!!! The other guy is good, but Tom Cruis is shmexier and hair is curly and he is a more experienced actor and if you say he sucked so bad say that too, erm the Katie Holmes she likes him and so do I !!!

read the books and you shall see,

While I enjoy both actors, this was a hard choice for me, I went with Stuart as he looks younger, I honestly wish I could mix the two together...Tom's acting with Stuart's youth. Notice I didn't mention hair or eyes? While Tom Cruise did wear a wig and had the eyes, I didn't think they really looked natural. The thing I did like about Tom his face did look animated as Lestat does, but he looked quite age for the part...with Stuart, I think he would be able to do the part well under the right direction and script.

He looks way better than the other lestat.

I just think Tom Cruise is a better representation of how I pictured Lestat. Stewart Townsend did a good job and he was very good looking but Cruise just is Lestat in my mind. Plus I personally think Tom Cruise made a way hotter Lestat and his acting was much better.

Definitely Tom did a MUCH better job. Queen of the damned was a horrible movie.

Tom actually read the book!! Idk about you but when i watched QoTD I almost fell asleep..but when i watched IwTV i couldnt take my eyes of the freakin screen!!! i was all like ''yea tom kick their ass!'' and such. And in my opinion Tom's Lestat is better looking than Stuart's! Anne Rice didnt even like Stuart as Lestat!

Tom. Icygirl99 I agree

It's difficult for me to see Tom as absolutely anything but Tom... and that isn't a great thing to think on as I watch the movies. That being said, I have to give a big thumbs down to pretty much everything in that movie. Did his age seem more appropriate? Totally, but remember one of the reasons Magnus picked was Lestat for BLONDE HAIR AND BLUE EYES. Also, the hell was with Townsend's lips. Actually all of their lips. When they spoke, their lips puckered out, I guess to show their fangs? Idk, it reminds me of Ugly Wanda off of In Living Color, she did her lips like that when she talked, and it freaked me out. Also, Tom's movements seemed much less... forced. You can't say Tom is a crappy actor, even I can't and I can barely take the guy seriously since he jumped on Opera's couch. He did very well with Lestat, but to be honest, NEITHER of these are how I picture him. They are both flawed, and it is almost crucially important that Lestat (because of his power to seduce and his vanity) is perfect. I'm sure someone out there looks like the Lestat I have envisioned. Idk if he's an actor, or will ever be cast in a Vampire Chronicles movie, but I'm sure he exists. If I have to compromise though, it's going to be Tom. He made a better Lestat, and a better movie. He didn't over act his part. I can't judge Townsend though. I've seen him in NOTHING else. So please don't think I'm slamming him, it's entirely possible that he was simply acting the way he was told to, but regardless... I didn't like it at all.

<3

both

Umm, I liked Tom better... Stuart Townsend maybe is hot but he is not right actor for Lestat.