If there’s one thing we learned from Reginald the Vampire‘s first season on SYFY, it’s that Angela is a complex, nuanced, badass vamp who’s not to be trifled with. This is thanks in part to Savannah Basley‘s compelling performance. 

Savannah is no stranger to SYFY fare. She played Cleo Clanton in Season 4 of Wynonna Earp and is gearing up to reprise her role as Zooey L’Enfant when SurrealEstate Season 3 begins filming this fall. 

Recently, I had the privilege of chatting with Savannah about where Angela is at in Reginald the Vampire Season 2, our fave vamp’s motivations, other supernatural aspects the season explores and more. 

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This interview is condensed for length and clarity. 

Angela and Maurice’s Dynamic 

Melody McCune: I want to start by saying I’m a big fan of yours. I loved you in Wynonna Earp, SurrealEstate and Reginald the Vampire. I’m super excited for Season 2.

Savannah Basley: Thank you so much. That’s so nice to hear. I’m glad you enjoyed all of it.

Actress Savannah Basley stares into the camera for a headshot photo. She looks serious while resting her face in her hands. A dark gray wall is behind her.

Pictured: Savannah Basley. Photo credit: Johnny Tăng.

MM: Considering how we left things with Angela in the Season 1 finale and how she helped Maurice save the day, what can we expect in Season 2 regarding their complicated dynamic?

SB: In the first season, Angela was thrown off by having Maurice (Mandela Van Peebles) back in her life. He brings up stuff for her that I don’t think she was ready to tackle. It was the ’70s when they last saw each other. She thought she would have more time before dealing with that relationship again.

Having him around has reminded her of what it’s like to have a teammate and friends. She’s someone who very much isolates to protect herself. In Season 2, Angela becomes more accustomed to having that relationship back, and begrudgingly, she is used to having Reginald (Jacob Batalon) around. She lets her guard down a bit more. She’s still Angela, still very sassy, but not as guarded as she was.

Her Motivations 

MM: What are her motivations in Season 2?

SB: We know The Blood War is coming, and we have 30 days before Balestro (Garfield Wilson) returns. For the most part, her motivation is to stay alive — to do whatever it takes.

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MM: That’s a pretty good motivation. 

SB: Survival is a big motivation for her, but she also goes through a very emotional journey coming to terms with the possibility of imminent death. It brings up feelings of being human that she hasn’t felt in a long time, and it freaks her out. She’s not used to feeling helpless, so that’s an interesting rollercoaster she goes on. But for the most part, it’s a fight for survival, [which] I don’t think she’s had to experience in a long time. 

Actress Savannah Basley smiles at the camera for a headshot photo. She has her hair in a bun while holding her wrist. A gray and white-brick wall is behind her.

Pictured: Savannah Basley. Photo credit: Johnny Tăng.

Kicking Angel Butt in The Blood War

MM: Could we see her kick some angel butt?

SB: We could see some butt-kicking. There’s some fisticuffs happening.

MM: Love it. 

SB: She does kick some … but whether it’s angel butt, I don’t know. You’ll have to watch.

MM: Somebody’s getting their ass handed to them either way.

SB: Exactly. There are some fun scenes that I’m excited for people to see.

MM: Describe Season 2 using three words.

SB: Bloody. Emotional. Angelic. 

MM: Do you have a favorite scene or a fun behind-the-scenes moment you can share from this season?

SB: As you can see in the promo pictures, I’m holding a particular book. Many of the scenes related to the book were a lot of fun. It was a really cool prop, and it was very detailed. I’m always surprised with how detailed the set pieces and props are because you think, “There’s no way anyone’s going to see it.” 

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Any of the scenes with the guest stars are among my favorite scenes. I love working with our core cast because it’s always fun. 

But you get used to the way people do things. So, for me, it’s always a lot of fun when you get a guest star because they come in with a different type of energy. Especially because we have comedic elements, their comedic timing is different, and how they go about things is different.

I feel like I get to play when working with the guest stars. Our guest stars always came in prepared. They knew what they wanted to do with their characters, so working with them was always a good time. 

Actress Savannah Basley lays on a red velvet sofa. She wears a gray spaghetti-strap satin dress while resting her hand on her forehead. She looks at the camera intently.

Pictured: Savannah Basley. Photo credit: Johnny Tăng.

Fleshing Out the Supernatural World 

MM: Are there other unique supernatural aspects we explore this season besides the angel war?

SB: There’s some fun stuff that goes deeper with that. Sarah (Em Haine) gets to have some fun scenes that involve the angels and more supernatural things. When it comes to my character, we have a vampire witch who comes in at one point.

We have fun with that because we’re trying to bring in as many vampires [as possible] to help with this war. It’s funny because we had Logan (Julian Richings) last season, and everyone had a different name for him. He was infamous in our world.

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Nikki (Christin Park) was another character who was very infamous in our world. When you heard the name Nikki, everyone was like, “Oh God, she’s crazy.” Everyone knew about her. So, we have a few more infamous vampires in our world that we bring in to help with the fight. 

Vampiric Inspirations 

MM: Is there a particular vampire from pop culture or a vampire film that inspired your performance as Angela?

SB: Yes. I’ve been a big fan of vampires since I was young.

MM: Same.

SB: One of the first ones I remember seeing was The Little Vampire. I’m Canadian, so we had Mona the Vampire, which I would always watch. I loved that one. As I got older, I really liked any of the Anne Rice vampires. I was a big fan of the vampires from Priest with Paul Bettany. But hands down, my favorite was Akasha (Aaliyah) from Queen of the Damned.

MM: Oh, perfect. Yes, 100 percent. 

SB: I remember seeing that, and I was like, “Oh my God, she’s so beautiful.”

MM: Absolutely gorgeous.

SB: I tried to bring in a bit of that. I’m not a dancer, but her physicality in that movie was amazing, besides the fact that she looked amazing. I also liked how evil she was. It was cool. I really liked that element of, “You’ve been a vampire, and you’ve been around for so long, and you’re so powerful that you forget what it’s like to be human.” They (humans) start to become dispensable in a way. That was interesting. I took bits and pieces of that vibe.

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MM: Now that you mention it, I can see that in your performance. Angela has a regalness about her.

SB: I tend to think very cat-like — always on the prowl. The way that she always plays with her food like a cat would. I like to bring that in with some comedy on the side. They always have to reel me in because I’m such a horror fan. I always want to make everything more evil and dark. But if I could, Angela would be full-blown evil. 

MM: Oh, I’d love to see that. Maybe down the line, she has a really evil arc. She’s under some kind of spell.

SB: I’m possessed!

Actress Savannah Basley lounges on a red sofa while wearing a gray spaghetti-strap satin dress. She faces forward, posing for a headshot photo. A gray and white-brick wall is behind her.

Pictured: Savannah Basley. Photo credit: Johnny Tăng.

Why Fantasy and Horror Are Appealing

MM: You’ve worked on different fantasy series, such as Wynonna Earp, SurrealEstate and Reginald the Vampire. Are you a fan of fantasy? What do you think draws people to that genre?

SB: I’m definitely a fan of fantasy. Like I said, I’m a really big horror buff. I usually watch horror, thrillers or suspense.

The thing about horror is it depends on the person. Some people find suspense scary. Some people think it’s an interesting look into the psyche. There are so many things that horror encompasses — so many different genres. There’s something for everyone when it comes to horror, whether it’s psychological, like the breakdown of the psyche. That can be absolutely terrifying. There’s also the breakdown of a family dynamic, like a Hereditary–type of vibe.

There’s a lot of body horror. That can be terrifying, losing control of the body. And there are a lot of themes and discussions you can have in horror — that you can disguise in horror. For example, a drama could be way too heavy. But when it’s veiled in a horror theme, you can talk about those things without it being so in your face. You can pick up on the themes or watch it as it is. You can dive deeper and see what they’re really trying to say.

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That’s a fun thing about horror and fantasy. Then, when it comes to lighter fantasy, it’s fun to escape to another world. Escapism is enjoyable when you do it in a healthy way. It’s good for people. You can use your imagination and go into other worlds with different rules.

Reginald the Vampire Season 2

MM: Do you have a message for Reginald the Vampire fans?

SB: Thank you, guys, for watching, supporting and loving what we’re doing. I think everybody’s going to really enjoy Season 2. We’re proud of the work we did, and we enjoyed making it. 

MM: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Savannah! 

SB: Thank you, Melody! 

Reginald the Vampire Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, May 8, at 10/9c on SYFY.

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Melody McCune
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