‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Star Kayvan Novak on How to Bring a Vampire to Life

Actor, writer, director, and voiceover artist Kayvan Novak became a combination of all those things through plenty of trial and error. And it was the errors and rejections that ultimately taught him about his artistic skills and tastes—but also his own personality, on and off camera. “It was through the endless nos, the brick walls, that forced me to change my approach and forced me to think out of the box,” he tells Backstage. “Thank God all those people said no to me, because it kind of made me who I am.” Kayvan is best known for his Critics’ Choice Award–nominated performance as vampire Nandor the Relentless on FX’s mockumentary “What We Do in the Shadows” from Jemaine Clement. A BAFTA TV Award winner for “Fonejacker,” the British prank call comedy he created and starred in, he’s also appeared in “Syriana,” “Four Lions,” last year’s “Cruella,” and “Toast of Tinseltown.” To read about the recently announced Screen Actors Guild Awards, head over to : -- Backst