Gangrel recently spoke with Chris Van Vliet and reflected on his career, including his time with The Brood and The Ministry of Darkness. Here are some highlights:
On playing a “smiling vampire”:
Gangrel: “That rush, it was great. You know, they for like two months, they kept telling me, ‘You can’t be smiling when you’re coming down the ramp, you’re supposed to be a mean vampire, you’re supposed to be this creature of the night.’ I go, ‘I am.’ ‘They go, ‘No, you come down the ramp and you’re like [smiles.]’ I would try, would just try, I’d hold [a frown] through the elevator, I’d walk through the fire, they get halfway down the ramp, and I’d just [smile.] And then finally, I think it was Bruce Prichard came and [said], ‘Alright, man you’re a vampire that’s happy, I don’t know, you’re a menacing vampire, menacing smile,’ because I couldn’t stop smiling because it was such a rush.”
On almost setting himself on fire during his entrance:
Gangrel: “I thought I felt the elevator do the thing, so I went to turn and step and go off. Well, it wasn’t done. So my foot planted right in there as I was turning in between the elevator and the stage, so it shut. So I stepped over in the flames going [screams.] I’m holding the goblet, so they cut away, so I’m going [screams.] There’s flames going up around me, my foot. That’s why I ended up, when they got it down, I just hobbled to the ring. My foot was black and blue for months. That’s where they all said, ‘That’s a great vampire swag you have when you walk.’ I go, no that was just a hurt foot and a grizzled knee walk.”
On the Ministry of Darkness:
Gangrel; “It was the death of The Brood. Death of The Brood. It is a touchy subject but no, in a sense, okay yeah, you’re here with the Ministry, right, the biggest evil faction there is. And you’re this small group here, you’ve got this small group, The Brood, three of you, right. So I was against it, but I never spoke up or fought. Edge thought it was cool, but I don’t think he comprehended where it was going. Once you went to The Ministry, we went in The Ministry, and they would bring us all out on the stage. And they want that big heel reaction, that big boo. Well, they would boo at first, but then you would hear chants. ‘Brood, Brood, Brood.’ And I leaned over to Edge and said, ‘We won’t be in The Ministry [for] long. About three weeks later, they go, ‘Hey, we think we’re gonna break you up and feud you with The Ministry. And I told them, ‘Next step, Brood’s done.”
The full interview is available here:
