'What We Do in the Shadows': Kayvan Novak on Nandor's 'Apocalypse Now' Journey & Breakthrough With Guillermo
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for What We Do in the Shadows Season 6, Episode 5, "Nandor's Army."]
What We Do in the Shadows took a trip to New Hampshire in its latest installment, "Nandor's Army," as the vampire spiraled following his dismissal as a janitor from Cannon Capital Strategies.
With Nandor ( Kayvan Novak ) hiding away in an abandoned factory, his absence from the Staten Island mansion raises concern amongst his fellow roommates as they put out missing posters for the vamp. Nandor's friends are later tipped off to his whereabouts by the Baron ( Doug Jones ) as Guillermo ( Harvey Guillén ), Lazslo ( Matt Berry ), Nadja ( Natasia Demetriou ), and Colin Robinson ( Mark Proskch ) set out to find him.
What they encounter is a reclusive and rambling Nandor reminiscent of Apocalypse Now 's Kurtz (played by Marlon Brando ), who is seemingly building an army of mannequins. Believing he's lost his mind, the vampires play into his "delusion" with Colin taking his spot as top soldier, but Nandor refuses to have anything to do with Guillermo, who he's still bitter towards.
"I read the script and then the director was like, 'We really want to reference Apocalypse Now with the lighting' and my performance in it," Novak recalls. "I'm a comic actor instinctually, so to take away the goofiness of this was a little intimidating because I think you've got to strike that balance between drama and comedy."
Despite the episode being filled with comedic moments, Nandor really is focused on his mission in a serious way, even if he doesn't fully know what it is. And so fans got "more brooding" from the vampire than usual. "I think that at some point in all of our lives, we decide that we're going to get serious about s**t. And especially if you've been unserious, the people around you will probably be the first to notice that something's changed in you and that you've become more serious," Novak points out.
"So with Nandor deciding to do that, he has taken it to the next level because he's done it before where he's trying to reinvent himself, but there's always a lightness to it. Whereas this time, [he's being] very intense and very serious."
Even with the seriousness of Nandor's demeanor, there was one comedic moment that is undeniable during one of his more emotional exchanges with Guillermo. When he told Guillermo to leave the premises, he utilized his Alex to send the message, forcing his former familiar to listen to JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)," before being permitted to exit the factory.
"Filming with Harvey, it's always hard to keep a straight face. I want to goof with him and just break the tension," Novak says of the awkwardly hilarious scene. "If the scene requires tension, then we have to give it." But even with Nandor's coldness, Novak notes, "We always give it love afterward."
What bothered Novak the most was Nandor's treatment of Guillermo, which he says was "kind of s**tty."
"I was quite mean to him in that episode, and I don't love that," he admits. "I don't like being mean, but if I've been mean to Guillermo in the past, it's been kind of prissy and bitchy, whereas this is just kind of aggressive towards him." Eventually, the pair have a heart-to-heart as Guillermo tries getting Nandor to acknowledge that they're moving down separate paths.
As for what keeps Nandor and Guillermo in each other's orbits, Novak says, "It's perfect for the audience to keep experiencing this dysfunctional relationship in its various guises because every element of the dysfunction rings true."
Once Nandor is partly snapped out of his hyper-fixation of building his army, the vampires tie him up and set out to make their long journey home to Staten Island, only to be interceded by a cop. When they're asked to step out of the vehicle, they hypnotize the cop and are approached by Nandor's real army.
It turns out that the mannequins were merely stand-ins for the mob of New Hampsherites who have agreed to follow Nandor in his mission. When they realize he's leaving them, he points them in the direction of Dartmouth University, where they'll attack the "nerds" on campus. For now, fans can look forward to plenty of more shenanigans as the vampires return to their New York abode.
