Armand
Encyclopedia
Armand is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles
novels written by Anne Rice
. At the end of the series, he is approximately 500 years of age. His outward appearance is that of a beautiful pubescent boy, small, with reddish curls, soft brown eyes and slender fingers. His features are at times compared to those of Cupid
or a Botticelli
angel
.
As a child he could, after praying, paint vivid pictures of Jesus Christ, Madonna
, and the Saints. His astonished parents eventually revealed it to the monks in the Monastery of the Caves, who lived an ascetic life buried beneath earth, sustained only by water and small amounts of food, until they died. Both the monks and Andrei believed he was destined to live such a life, while his father was appalled by the idea. When their ruler Prince Michael ordered Andrei to paint icons and bring them to the castle of his brother, the supposedly dead Prince Feodor, Andrei was captured by Tartar
s and brought as a slave to Constantinople
and subsequently sold to a Venetian
brothel. There, he was subjected to horrific sexual abuse
and developed amnesia
.
Marius
, a 1600-year-old vampire then living as a painter in Venice, rescued Andrei, giving him an education and a luxurious life. Andrei was renamed by Marius as Amadeo. Marius was in love with a courtesan named Bianca Solderini yet could not bring himself to turn her into a vampire. Instead, he chose Amadeo for his beauty, youth and painting skills (apparently lost, along with his memories) to educate 'in the way of the blood', so as to eventually make him a vampire. Amadeo, who owed Marius his life and sanity, loved him single-mindedly and was eager to become a vampire. He did not understand Marius' hesitation of turning him at such a young age, or turning him at all and in an act of rebellion and anger he seduced an English Lord, whom he eventually abandoned after a few nights. However, the English Lord became obsessed with Amadeo and enraged by his betrayal, wounded him with a poisoned blade. In doing this, he forced Marius to turn Amadeo into a vampire to save his life. Amadeo was 17 years old at the time of his transformation.
cult
of vampires, led by the vampire Santino. Marius was set on fire and Amadeo and the other children at the Palazzo were kidnapped and taken to Rome. Santino tortured Amadeo by burning his friends to death and starving him in a cellar until he was forced to feed on his best friend and innocent children. After five months of such psychological torture, Amadeo was ready to believe everything the cult said in exchange for their love and forget all he has known before. Because of his strength, he was named the leader of the Parisian coven in 1580, and renamed Armand, since a name with the word 'God' (Deo) in it seemed unfit for the leader of a satanic coven.
After living in this way for around 200 years, the vampire Lestat was created. Following their rules, the coven tried to capture Lestat and maybe destroy him, yet Lestat was stronger than Armand at that time, and declared them ridiculous and unfitting for the times in which they lived, disproving their beliefs that they could not look upon crosses, walk into churches, or live in places of light. Realizing that he spoke the truth, Armand fell into despair and destroyed most of his own coven and tried to persuade Lestat to take Armand with him on his journeys yet failed. Instead, he joined the Théâtre des Vampires
that Lestat founded and learned to move among mortals again. In the late 19th century, Lestat's fledglings Claudia and Louis
happened upon the theater. Armand, tired of the theater, saw Louis as a new possibility of integrating into this period of time. When he could not persuade Louis to leave Claudia or otherwise, he had his coven kill her and then let Louis burn the theater with the vampires in it so that he could leave with Louis. They stayed together until around the 1920s, then parted because Louis never fully recovered from Claudia's death, and knew that Armand was at least partly responsible for her death.
After the incidents in Interview with a Vampire, 'the boy' Daniel Molloy
tried to find Lestat, but was found by Armand. Daniel provided a link for Armand to the new time, and they formed a relationship. However, Daniel grew more and more impatient, longing to be turned to a vampire, and they were estranged although they would not part. In the end, Daniel managed to destroy his health to such a degree that he was close to death, and Armand finally turned him into a vampire. This happened in 1985, Daniel is Armand's only fledgling to date, and they could no longer stay together after this incident.
When Lestat brought back Veronica's Veil from his journey in Memnoch the Devil, Armand was struck by the sight of it, his religious fervour revived, and he went into the sun in an attempt to destroy and redeem himself. He did not only survive, however, but managed miraculously to save the girl Sybelle from her abusive brother. Sybelle and her protector, the boy Benji, restored Armand with the blood of a drug dealer, and grew very affectionate towards him, just as Armand did towards them. When Armand dictated the book The Vampire Armand to David Talbot, former head of the Talamasca and by then Lestat's fledgling, he left Sybelle and Benji in Marius's care, who turned them into vampires. This greatly shocked Armand and left him deeply confused.
Interview with the Vampire, Armand was portrayed by Antonio Banderas
. Contrary to his book description, this version of Armand was a fully-grown adult (of Spanish origin instead of Russian) when he was turned into a vampire.
In the 2002 film Queen of the Damned
, Armand was portrayed by Matthew Newton
.
In the 2006 musical
, Lestat
, Armand was first portrayed by Jack Noseworthy, who left the role a week after the pre-Broadway performance began, and was then replaced by his understudy Drew Sarich
, who went with the production onto Broadway.
The Vampire Chronicles
The Vampire Chronicles is a series of novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat de Lioncourt, a French nobleman turned into a vampire in the 18th century....
novels written by Anne Rice
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is a best-selling Southern American author of metaphysical gothic fiction, Christian literature and erotica from New Orleans, Louisiana. Her books have sold nearly 100 million copies, making her one of the most widely read authors in modern history...
. At the end of the series, he is approximately 500 years of age. His outward appearance is that of a beautiful pubescent boy, small, with reddish curls, soft brown eyes and slender fingers. His features are at times compared to those of Cupid
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
or a Botticelli
Sandro Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, better known as Sandro Botticelli was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance...
angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
.
As a Human
Armand was born in the late 15th Century in the former Kiev Rus to the acclaimed hunter Ivan. Armand's original name was Andrei.As a child he could, after praying, paint vivid pictures of Jesus Christ, Madonna
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
, and the Saints. His astonished parents eventually revealed it to the monks in the Monastery of the Caves, who lived an ascetic life buried beneath earth, sustained only by water and small amounts of food, until they died. Both the monks and Andrei believed he was destined to live such a life, while his father was appalled by the idea. When their ruler Prince Michael ordered Andrei to paint icons and bring them to the castle of his brother, the supposedly dead Prince Feodor, Andrei was captured by Tartar
Tartar
Tartar may refer to: *An alternative spelling of the name Tatars, an ethnic group in present-day Russia.* Tartars, the name of the athletic teams from 1927–1999 at Wayne State University in Detroit.*Tartar sauce*Tartar on teeth, hardened dental plaque...
s and brought as a slave to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and subsequently sold to a Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
brothel. There, he was subjected to horrific sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
and developed amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
.
Marius
Marius de Romanus
Marius de Romanus is a fictional character in The Vampire Chronicles novels written by Anne Rice. He is the primary character in the novel Blood and Gold.- Fictional biography :...
, a 1600-year-old vampire then living as a painter in Venice, rescued Andrei, giving him an education and a luxurious life. Andrei was renamed by Marius as Amadeo. Marius was in love with a courtesan named Bianca Solderini yet could not bring himself to turn her into a vampire. Instead, he chose Amadeo for his beauty, youth and painting skills (apparently lost, along with his memories) to educate 'in the way of the blood', so as to eventually make him a vampire. Amadeo, who owed Marius his life and sanity, loved him single-mindedly and was eager to become a vampire. He did not understand Marius' hesitation of turning him at such a young age, or turning him at all and in an act of rebellion and anger he seduced an English Lord, whom he eventually abandoned after a few nights. However, the English Lord became obsessed with Amadeo and enraged by his betrayal, wounded him with a poisoned blade. In doing this, he forced Marius to turn Amadeo into a vampire to save his life. Amadeo was 17 years old at the time of his transformation.
As a Vampire
Shortly after his turning, Marius' Palazzo was attacked by a SatanicSatanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
of vampires, led by the vampire Santino. Marius was set on fire and Amadeo and the other children at the Palazzo were kidnapped and taken to Rome. Santino tortured Amadeo by burning his friends to death and starving him in a cellar until he was forced to feed on his best friend and innocent children. After five months of such psychological torture, Amadeo was ready to believe everything the cult said in exchange for their love and forget all he has known before. Because of his strength, he was named the leader of the Parisian coven in 1580, and renamed Armand, since a name with the word 'God' (Deo) in it seemed unfit for the leader of a satanic coven.
After living in this way for around 200 years, the vampire Lestat was created. Following their rules, the coven tried to capture Lestat and maybe destroy him, yet Lestat was stronger than Armand at that time, and declared them ridiculous and unfitting for the times in which they lived, disproving their beliefs that they could not look upon crosses, walk into churches, or live in places of light. Realizing that he spoke the truth, Armand fell into despair and destroyed most of his own coven and tried to persuade Lestat to take Armand with him on his journeys yet failed. Instead, he joined the Théâtre des Vampires
Théâtre des Vampires
Théâtre des Vampires is the home of a Parisian vampire coven from the earlier books in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series, specifically Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat.-Interview with the Vampire:...
that Lestat founded and learned to move among mortals again. In the late 19th century, Lestat's fledglings Claudia and Louis
Louis de Pointe du Lac
Louis de Pointe du Lac is a fictional character in Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series. He began his life as a mortal man, and later became a vampire. He is the protagonist and antihero of Interview with the Vampire, the first book of The Vampire Chronicles...
happened upon the theater. Armand, tired of the theater, saw Louis as a new possibility of integrating into this period of time. When he could not persuade Louis to leave Claudia or otherwise, he had his coven kill her and then let Louis burn the theater with the vampires in it so that he could leave with Louis. They stayed together until around the 1920s, then parted because Louis never fully recovered from Claudia's death, and knew that Armand was at least partly responsible for her death.
After the incidents in Interview with a Vampire, 'the boy' Daniel Molloy
Daniel Molloy
Daniel Molloy is a fictional character in the Vampire Chronicles universe created by Anne Rice. He first appeared in the novel Interview with the Vampire, but also makes appearances in The Queen of the Damned, and briefly in Blood and Gold....
tried to find Lestat, but was found by Armand. Daniel provided a link for Armand to the new time, and they formed a relationship. However, Daniel grew more and more impatient, longing to be turned to a vampire, and they were estranged although they would not part. In the end, Daniel managed to destroy his health to such a degree that he was close to death, and Armand finally turned him into a vampire. This happened in 1985, Daniel is Armand's only fledgling to date, and they could no longer stay together after this incident.
When Lestat brought back Veronica's Veil from his journey in Memnoch the Devil, Armand was struck by the sight of it, his religious fervour revived, and he went into the sun in an attempt to destroy and redeem himself. He did not only survive, however, but managed miraculously to save the girl Sybelle from her abusive brother. Sybelle and her protector, the boy Benji, restored Armand with the blood of a drug dealer, and grew very affectionate towards him, just as Armand did towards them. When Armand dictated the book The Vampire Armand to David Talbot, former head of the Talamasca and by then Lestat's fledgling, he left Sybelle and Benji in Marius's care, who turned them into vampires. This greatly shocked Armand and left him deeply confused.
Portrayal In Other Media
In the 1994 filmFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Interview with the Vampire, Armand was portrayed by Antonio Banderas
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
. Contrary to his book description, this version of Armand was a fully-grown adult (of Spanish origin instead of Russian) when he was turned into a vampire.
In the 2002 film Queen of the Damned
Queen of the Damned (film)
Queen of the Damned is a 2002 film adaptation of the third novel of Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles series, The Queen of the Damned, although the film contains many plot elements from the latter novel's predecessor, The Vampire Lestat. It stars Aaliyah as the vampire queen Akasha, and Stuart...
, Armand was portrayed by Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton
Matthew Newton is an Australian stage and screen actor. Born in Melbourne, he is the son of television personalities, Bert and Patti Newton, brother of Lauren Newton, brother-in-law of Matt Welsh and uncle to Sam Albert and Eva Eunice Newton Welsh.-Acting:Newton has performed in Australia and...
.
In the 2006 musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, Lestat
Lestat (musical)
Lestat is a Broadway musical inspired by Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles. The score is by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, book by Linda Woolverton and directed by Robert Jess Roth with musical staging by Matt West...
, Armand was first portrayed by Jack Noseworthy, who left the role a week after the pre-Broadway performance began, and was then replaced by his understudy Drew Sarich
Drew Sarich
-Biography:Sarich received a BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in Directing from Boston Conservatory in 1997. Sarich made his Off-Broadway debut in Tony n' Tina's Wedding, followed by a tour as a backup singer for Liza Minnelli with the Cortes Alexander Trio...
, who went with the production onto Broadway.