Filming 'What We Do in The Shadows' was 'a Canadian experience,' show's star says

Matt Berry has spent six years playing a suburban New York vampire but he will forever associate "What We Do in The Shadows" with Toronto, where the acclaimed series was filmed.

"For me, it's a Canadian show and a Canadian experience," the British actor said in a recent interview from London. "If ever anybody mentions 'What We Do in The Shadows,' that's the first thing that kind of comes to my mind."

As the final season of FX's mockumentary-style show about four Staten Island vampire roommates premieres next week on Disney Plus in Canada, Berry and his co-stars are reflecting on the time they spent in Toronto each year – and how they made the city their second home. 

For Berry, 50, a growing familiarity with Toronto meant frequenting his favourite record stores and food hot spots. 

"You just become kind of fond of somewhere ... I think it helps that the reason why I'm going there, you know, is a positive one. It's because I'm going to do a show that I enjoy doing," said the actor, whose portrayal of the pompous, aristocratic vampire Laszlo Cravensworth earned him an Emmy nod.

Mexican-American actor Harvey Guillén, who plays another vampire's human assistant Guillermo de la Cruz on the show, said he found his home away from home in Toronto's Kensington Market.  

"I would get my tortillas from there," Guillen said in a video call from Los Angeles. "I literally would go shopping there to get my stuff that made me feel not homesick. Stuff like that made me feel like, ‘OK, I live here now, I'm a part of this community too’."

The 34-year-old even trekked to a mass vaccination clinic in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic to get his shot in the spring of 2021.

"I remember going to this racetrack and the lines were outside and there were scattered people in between and someone thought it was a good idea to have a live jazz band lighten the mood," he said of the setup. 

Over the show's six seasons – which follow its undead protagonists' clashes with the modern world – the cast and crew became very close, Guillén said. 

"What We Do in the Shadows" is based on the 2014 film of the same name by New Zealand filmmakers Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, who also serve as executive producers on the show.The series, which also stars Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou and Mark Proksch, satirizes vampire tropes such as blending in with regular people, avoiding the sunlight and sleeping in coffins.

Berry said there was some initial uncertainty among the cast and crew about the show resonating with audiences, given the cult status of the movie that inspired it. But the series' success helped bring the team even closer, he said. The series garnered 29 Emmy nominations throughout the years, including three nods for outstanding comedy series, and received the Emmy for best fantasy or science fiction costumes in 2022. 

"For it to continue and be nominated (for several awards) ... and all the other things that have happened to it, well, that adds to the shared experience," Berry said.

Guillén admitted he felt a "little sad" when he learned the show was coming to an end – especially since the news came on Christmas Eve and amid some turmoil in his personal life. 

But the show is ending on a high note, while still popular, Berry said.

"Like all good things, I think they have to come to an end while they're still doing well," he said. "I think if you go on too long, then that can kind of damage the legacy that you've got."

Upcoming episodes find Guillén's character re-evaluating his life after a very brief stint as a vampire last season, while the vampires reflect on their lack of accomplishments when their former roommate reappears after "a 50-year nap." 

The final season premieres Monday on FX, with new episodes streaming on Disney Plus Tuesday.

Feature Image from THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-FX-Russ Martin