Since the beginning of What We Do in The Shadows, Guillermo de la Cruz had a long-cherished dream of becoming a vampire. The FX horror comedy series portrays him as a human who accompanies the vampires as a familiar, i.e. a caretaker.
Guillermo, played by Harvey Guillén, had been fascinated with the blood-sucking creatures since childhood and agreed to be Nandor’s familiar, hoping to become a vampire one day.
He finally came close to realizing his dream in the show’s fifth season, when his friend Derek tried to turn him. After spending the whole season as half-human and half-vampire, Guillermo decided to give up on his wish and chose to live as a human.
Guillermo transformed into a vampire but decided to turn back into a human in What We Do in The Shadows
After waiting for years for his master, Nandor, to turn him into a vampire, Guillermo takes action at the end of season four. He asks another vampire, Derek, to turn him instead. But when season five starts, we find out that Guillermo’s transformation did not go as planned.
While he shows some signs of being a vampire, like craving rare meat and having small powers, he can still eat regular food and go out in the sunlight. He hasn’t gained abilities like flying or being super strong. This leaves Guillermo stuck between being human and a full vampire.
As the season continues, Guillermo’s incomplete transformation is attributed to him being a descendant of Van Helsing, the famous vampire hunter. His blood seems to fight against becoming a vampire. Laszlo finds out that Guillermo’s sweat helps him walk in the sun, which most vampires can’t do.
In the meantime, Guillermo was speculated to be a Dhampir, a half-human, half-vampire. Even though he has some vampire traits, he isn’t fully one, which makes him feel torn between the two worlds. Toward the end of season five, Nandor discovers that Guillermo had Derek turn him into a vampire and is infuriated.
Nandor is apprehensive at first, but later decides to help Guillermo complete the transformation by making him drink human blood. This makes Guillermo a full vampire, something he has wanted for a long time. But soon, Guillermo realizes that being a vampire is not what he imagined.
He is asked to kill innocent people, something he can not do because of his empathetic heart. He starts to regret his decision and asks for a way to become human again. By the end of What We Do in The Shadows season 5, Nandor helps Guillermo return to being human.
By killing Derek, the vampire who turned him, Guillermo’s transformation is undone, and he goes back to being a regular person. After finally getting a taste of what it is like to be a vampire, Guillermo decides he is better off as a mortal human.
Harvey Guillén Reflects on Guillermo’s Decision in What We Do in The Shadows
Actor Harvey Guillen supported his character’s decision to remain a human. In an interview with UPI, Harvey revealed that Guillermo’s choice of not continuing as a vampire empowered the character as his friends can not control him anymore. The actor said:
“I think that was the right choice. I think sometimes you want something so bad because we make this fantasy in our heads about what's best for us. In reality, the universe has a bigger plan for you that you had no idea because you weren't open to it.”
Guillén added:
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“He needs to clean, tidy up and have structure. He's afraid to be out of control and to let anyone else take the reins because he's afraid of what that might look like. We all grow as humans, and we all can aspire to take that leap of faith.”
What We Do in The Shadows Season 6 airs on FX on Mondays.
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