‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén on the Bittersweet Goodbye After Six Seasons

[Editor’s note: The following contains major spoilers for Season 6 of What We Do in the Shadows.]

After six seasons, the FX comedy series What We Do in the Shadows has come to an end and the documentary crew has left the mansion, leaving vampire roommates Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Laszlo (Matt Berry), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) to continue their lives off-camera. Having briefly dabbled with being a vampire, Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) spent the final season as a human trying to figure out where he fits in when putting himself and not Nandor first. Sometimes his journey to independence and normalcy didn’t always work out as he hoped, including a rather unfortunate fist fight with Colin Robinson. But once they’re officially left alone in the mansion together, with no cameras to talk to, Guillermo and Nandor decide to go all-in on their friendship.

During this interview with Collider, co-stars Proksch and Guillén shared their love of the series and the time they got to spend working with their co-stars. They also talked about what they remember about their first time working together, shooting the fight between Guillermo and Colin Robinson, the bittersweet feeling of being sad that the series has ended but happy that it happened, that tribute to The Usual Suspects, how Guillén felt about where things were left with Guillermo and Nandor, and whether he’d be game for a spin-off.

Collider: What do you remember about the first time that you guys did a scene together? What did you most enjoy about working with each other?

MARK PROKSCH: I don’t remember our first scene together. It was probably a group scene of some sort.

HARVEY GUILLÉN: I think it was the first fancy room, where I put stuff on the wall. It was a group setting where we were all together for the first time, and it was Nandoor saying, “Close the door. Close it again.” And we’re all in there, and we all had lines and bits. And then, the vampires were all hissing at each other and Mark’s character comes in into the room and said, “Are we having a meeting?” That was the first time that we were all together, or at least that’s my memory. That’s when I knew that this was a perfectly cast show because no one missed a beat. I don’t even think we even had a rehearsal. Mark just opened the door and it was perfectly timed and he said his line. That’s when I knew, in this group setting in the pilot. I was like, “Oh, wow! There’s no confusion.” Anything anyone said, anyone would jump on top and it was perfect. That was my first memory of all of us together in a room.

PROKSCH: Yeah, that sounds about right. It all blends in together after six seasons. I’m gonna miss working with Harvey though. He’s a very intuitive actor. He’s a very kind person. He’s not a selfish actor. If there’s a scene that’s clearly about you and your character, he doesn’t try to take it from you, and that’s not always the case, especially in comedy. He’s very fun to work with. But I’m not gonna miss his salty language. He is a potty mouth. No, I’m joking.

GUILLÉN: I have a mouth like a sailor.

To Pull Off Their ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Fight Scene, Mark Porksch and Harvey Guillén Had Complete Trust in Each Other

The scene that I keep thinking about with your characters this season is when Colin Robinson punches Guillermo, and then starts to pound him with his fists. What was that like to do? How is it to share a moment like that?

GUILLÉN: That takes trust. I trust Mark. I don’t think I would have been able to do that scene without trusting him in the scene because we’re making comedy, but we also have to be intuitive and intertwined with each other in a way where it’s a dance. Mark is one of the greatest waltz and ballet dancers out there when it comes to comedy. It really has to land, otherwise the joke is lost, it doesn’t feel organic, and it doesn’t make sense. As an actor, you’re put at ease with someone like Mark. I didn’t doubt for a second that it was gonna be fine with him punching me, to the point where the director thought that he really did punch me in the first take. It would have clearly shown that it was not a real punch, but because of the angle they had the camera, it was so time perfectly with our bodies and our comedy.

That scene is his moment, even though Guillermo’s talking to the crowd. I’m setting it up for Colin Robinson. The joke has to be set up for that. He knew exactly when to come in and do the punch, and it looks real. People thought that he really did punch me. It was fun to shoot that scene, rolling on the floor and hearing Mark’s voice go an octave higher than Colin Robinson’s usual voice, just screaming at top of his lungs, “Come at me! Don’t come at me!” That was so out of character for Colin Robinson. It was so nice to see that layer. I had to cover my face like I was really hurting on the floor because I was laughing and didn’t wanna break character. That was one of the great moments that we had this season on the show. It’s all about trusting the actor on the set, and that’s what we had on the show.

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Mark, what was that moment like for you?

PROKSCH: You just play it as straight as possible. It looks ridiculous, so you have to trust the writing and that your character, in that situation, is gonna be funny. We have great stunt coordinators. Harvey has gone through the works, as far as performing stunts is concerned, so I wasn’t too worried on that end. And though it looks very real, we’re several inches apart in that type of instance. Harvey’s a professional, so when he was down on the ground and I had to jump on him, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t inadvertently hurt him. It all comes down to communication and trusting that the characters in that type of situation will be funny.

Saying Goodbye After Six Seasons Is Bittersweet for the Cast of ‘What We Do in the Shadows’

It feels like you’re going out at a time when the audience still loves the show and it seems like the cast all loves their characters and loves each other. Was there a sad last day on set, or did you just feel accomplished after you finished something with this many seasons and you go out on a level that is as good as you came in?

GUILLÉN: Of course, it’s sad that it’s over, but you’re happy that it happened. I’ll take six years of working on a show that I love and continue to love. I was probably the annoying cast member who, for Season 2, started an after-show because we were in the middle of this pandemic and no one could really get any information about the show. Season 2 had just aired, and I remember starting that show out of love for this cast and out of wanting this show to succeed. It was also in the middle of pandemic, so I wanted to do it to amplify it. The cast members came on the show and talked about it, and it was nice to just root for something that I was really proud of. And then, six years later, we are wrapping up the show. I love the show. I think it’s sad that it’s over, but I’m really happy that it happened. IT’s given us all these new friendships and experiences and stories. It’s a gift that kept on giving, and continues to give, even after we’re wrapped.

PROKSCH: It’s definitely bittersweet. I’ll miss the camaraderie and the freedom of getting to improvise so much and the freedom of what the scripts allowed us to say, that got on TV. You don’t see that too often anymore. It’s for others to say if it was a great show. In my opinion, I would be a fan of this show if I weren’t on it. I feel like the worst thing you can do in the arts is to overstay your welcome, especially on TV comedy. We can point to so many shows that have gone downhill after Season 5 or Season 6, and it was once your favorite show, but now you feel betrayed because they just keep following the money. And so, I’m proud of the fact that we made a show that people seem to really enjoy and that we’re leaving before we became one of those shows that breaks the fans’ hearts.

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Mark, what did you think of The Usual Suspects tribute?

PROKSCH: That was great. Anytime your character gets to do something weird, where you take the character out of the formula that the character is used to is really fun. So, when Colin Robinson was reborn and I got to play Colin Robinson as a child, that’s the variety for me, as an actor, that I love. And so, getting to play Colin Robinson as Keyser Söze was a new twist for me to have to figure out. It was great. The crew, per usual, hit a home run with it. The look and the feel and the set was so perfect. It really took a lot of the load off of me, just because I knew people would already buy into it because of how great it looked.

‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Harvey Guillén Supports Guillermo and Nandor Being Partners in Friendship

Harvey, what do you think of that last moment between Guillermo and Nandor? From Guillermo telling him goodbye at the coffin, to then letting him know he was saying it for the camera, to then being invited into the coffin, what did you think of that whole sequence of moments for them? And can we now get that spin-off?

GUILLÉN: Gladly. I would like to revisit these characters. I would do a spin-off in a heartbeat. That’s the perfect way that everything ended with all these characters. It leaves it open for all of them, but specifically for Nandor and Guillermo going to the coffin. It was really sweet moment. He did one for the camera, and then he pretended because that moment was for them. You only secretly capture what’s happening after they break things down and they’re done filming because it’s an accident that they stay with the camera in the room. That moment was for them, and he didn’t wanna share that on screen. He wanted to share that with Nandor and tell him what they mean to each other. And Nandor saying, “Call me Nandor,” for the first time is a huge deal. He’s saying, “I’ll do this with you if we’re equals, if we’re partners.”

So, they ended up together. They ended up being partners, which is what the fans out there wanted. They wanted them together. Yes, we saw for half a decade, the homoerotic art that was made of them, and I get it. I’m a big supporter. I love it. But they ended up together, and we need to normalize that. Sometimes you can be friends in a same sex friendship that doesn’t need to be sexual, and especially with men. We don’t normalize that men can have love for each other and support each other and want the best for each other, and not have it necessarily mean, “Oh, I think they’re gay for each other.” It doesn’t mean that necessarily. It means that you can love someone and want the best for them and want them in your life and be a partner with them if you want. And that’s what we got with these characters. They literally went in a coffin together. In a weird way, it’s till death do them part.

What We Do in the Shadows offers a comedic glimpse into the nightly lives of four vampire roommates—Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and energy vampire Colin Robinson—residing in Staten Island. Alongside their human familiar, Guillermo, they navigate modern challenges like paying rent, attending social events, and dealing with supernatural politics, all while maintaining their centuries-old habits.

Release Date

March 27, 2019

Seasons

6

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu

Showrunner

Paul Simms

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What We Do in the Shadows is available to stream on Hulu. Check out the Season 6 trailer:

Watch on Hulu