“Reginald the Vampire” Season 2 Exclusive: Em Haine Talks Claire’s Awkward Situation, Befriending an Angel, Wielding a Sword & More
In the inaugural season of SYFY’s Reginald the Vampire, viewers of the vampire dramedy were introduced to Sarah, a self-described normal girl. Fleeing a cult and moving to Akron, Ohio in hopes of finding a new life, she finds herself in a world of impossibility when she discovers that there are supernatural beings inhabiting the town.
PopWire recently connected with Sarah’s portrayer, Canadian actress Em Haine (“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina“), where she previewed the all-new season, including the current state of her character’s complicated relationship with the titular vampire, discovering the existence of angels, and reveals what she’s excited for viewers to see.
PopWire: You and your character are in a unique situation as Sarah is one of the two characters not in the “Fat Vampire” books that “Reginald the Vampire” is based on, so there’s nothing in the source material that fans of the books can compare your character to. And this gives the writers the flexibility and creativity to go in any direction with Sarah. How does it feel to play a character that was created specifically for this TV series?
Em Haine: I think it’s really fun. I love taking something off the page and being able to kind of make something totally new from it. I was talking about the books earlier and who was and wasn’t in it. I know Nikki played by Christin Park who’s phenomenal, she is in the books. I think there’s total wins on both sides. Getting the lines of Sarah, it’s so cool to be able to add all these little quirks or readings or really play with it, and we go for comedy on our set as much as possible. It’s such a good time. It’s fun to make it up as you go.
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PW: Your character Sarah’s relationship with Reginald at the start of Season 2 is a little complicated. What can you tease about how their relationship is doing heading into the new season?
EH: We’re both still working at the shack, but we’re trying to be friends. Working with your ex or going to school with your ex, it’s a little awkward. They always have good banter. I know they love being around each other. Sarah has to set some boundaries, though, this season that may be a little bit awkward for Reggie. But I think there’s love there, you know?
PW: Sarah spent her whole life telling herself that angels don’t exist. Early on this season, she actually befriends one. How is she dealing with the new reality of the existence of angels?
EH: Oh, my gosh. I think it’s such a mindwarp. To be coming from this place of denial from my past with the cult, with everything that happened, that I ran away from. To be confronted with it in this new way where I’m like, ‘Oh, I feel like I can trust this person.’ I think maybe she’s stunned, but I think it’s opened up this whole possibility for Sarah that anything is possible, like anything. She even talks about going surfing at one point. I’m like, ‘I love this for her.’ Yeah.
PW: In the official poster for Season 2 of “Reginald the Vampire,” Sarah is wielding a fiery sword. Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about it?
EH: I am so excited for the sword [laugh] and for people to see the sword. It was a real sword; it was forged of steel. It got me toned while I was using it a little bit. I can’t say much but I was so stoked to be able to play with this huge weapon and step up and be part of the gang. Everyone’s got super powers, you know? They’re all vampires, there’s an assassin, there’s the deacon now, Angela rips a human heart out. Everyone’s fierce, and then there’s little Sarah and she’s brave! She’s got her sword and she’s not messing around taking any crap from anybody. I think it’s super empowering, super fun.
PW: For the first half of the season, what can you tease about what’s to come in regards to your character?
EH: She’s a little bit less naïve this season. She did run away, she did start her new life in the last year, but this season she’s really defining it for herself more. She was in this angel cult and then she comes [to Akron] and her boyfriend is in this vampire thing, and it’s just like who am I without all of this outside noise? That’s what Sarah gets to step up and try to face. Then on top of that, she just gets to really be put in some weird situations where she gets to show her true colors and I’m stoked for people to see that too.
Season 2 of Reginald the Vampire premieres Wednesday, May 8 at 10pm on SYFY.