We are very close to the premiere of the show now, so I just want to say a few things about how AMC has promoted Assad (Armand) in the past year, both for fans and for those who don’t like him or his character.
I know many people have already seen the first quote, but the second one from Anne Rice is less commonly shared. Both say the same thing: Louis, Lestat, and Armand are the center of The Vampire Chronicles. And as we all know, without Anne Rice, there would be no show for us to watch.
I know that fans of Assad and Armand have found the promos over the past few months very bad to watch. But if Rolin truly follows the books and respects Anne Rice, Armand will be extremely important this season. Maybe not as much as Gabrielle, Rolin has said she will be second only to Lestat this season but the show is combining plots from many books. Even if we see less of Armand than we did in Season 2, his importance to the story will not decrease. It will only grow in future seasons. If you doubt that, just look at Season 1, Armand didn’t need to be there, but the show still found ways to include him. For the future, look at the number of times his name is mentioned in Queen of the Damned (here).
Marketing doesn’t reflect screen time. So all the doom postings over the past few months haven't really been necessary. I find doom postings can be quite cathartic, it can be a way to bond over the “what ifs” and lower expectations so that if the show actually delivers, the payoff feels even better and people can post whatever they want on their own blogs. But it has reached a level of excessive pessimism, especially since we haven’t even seen the show yet. If this season truly turns out bad, we can always criticize it afterward.
As for those who don’t like Armand or claim to have read the books and find him unimportant or boring, you are free to like or dislike whoever you want. But if you’ve truly read the books and come to the conclusion that Assad is being ignored in the promos because Armand is just a side character or a villain, then either you haven’t actually read the books you claim to have read, or you read some alternate universe version that the rest of us are fortunate enough to have never seen.
Like I said, marketing doesn’t tell us exactly what will be in the show, but it absolutely reveals the network’s priorities when they choose who to feature. The concerns of Assad’s fans are valid and supported by clear evidence. Here are just a few examples I can recall right now of how he has been treated poorly:
- His name was left off the official website.
- He was not submitted for Golden Globe or Emmy consideration.
- There was a significant lack of joint press coverage for Assad and Jacob during Season 2, even though their characters’ relationship was a major focus.
- He did not attend San Diego Comic-Con 2025 and AMC didn't even bother to tell us why.
- Articles, most recently from Collider and TV Guide have omitted his name.
- He did not participate in the photoshoot for Entertainment Weekly.
But what is almost as terrible as the network treating him as invisible is the way parts of the fandom try to justify it. Just look at how many people agree that AMC was justified in not submitting Assad for awards.
And that’s only Reddit. I won’t even go to X, because it’s hell there. And if you’re on Tumblr, you’ve seen it too. No matter how much they talk, these people all end up saying the same thing: Assad being ignored is normal, it’s strategic, and his fans are overreacting.
I don’t care what you think about Armand. You can write an essay on why he’s terrible, boring or whatever, that’s your business. But remember Armand is fictional, Assad is a REAL person. When we express concern over his absence from events or marketing, it’s not just about missing a favorite character on screen. It is about the professional erasure of a real person’s hard work and career.
When people speak out about AMC’s treatment of him, they aren't hating on the show or attacking other cast members, they are calling out a pattern of systemic bias. It is baffling to see people treat the defense of Assad as if it were a slight against Sam. When you treat a show as something beyond reproach like this, you unintentionally grant the network a free pass for problematic behavior.
Demanding that a talented actor of color be included in promotions and award submissions isn't an unreasonable demand, it is a request for basic professional respect. If your gut instinct, when faced with a conversation about racism, is to rush to protect a white actor who isn't even being targeted, you have effectively chosen a side. And that side doesn't support the actor you claim to love, it's about protecting the network's bottom line and keeping a biased status quo intact.
I would rather have fans “overreact” by asking about Assad’s absence at every event than remain silent. No sane person wants to watch a show they like and have their enjoyment ruined by constant worry. It is exhausting to see an actor, especially a POC missing from the spotlight and have to wonder “Are they actually busy, or is this just racism again?”
Given the clear history of how this network has handled him, we don’t have the luxury of giving them the benefit of the doubt anymore. We shouldn't have to be on high alert just to ensure an actor is being treated with basic decency. If you think we are "making everything about race", consider yourself lucky that you have the privilege to just enjoy the show without having to look for the patterns of exclusion that have piled up over 2 years until they became impossible to deny.
Let’s be real, this show has only recently started gaining real traction, and the chances of major nominations like Emmys or Golden Globes in big categories like Best Actor, Supporting Actor, etc are still very small. But when even the opportunity to have Assad’s name appear in awards season promotion is denied, why are fans who speak up treated as if they’re making unreasonable demands?
No one is making diva level demands. No one is asking for him to have a private jet or for him to be the only person interviewed on the red carpet. We are simply asking for the bare minimum of professional recognition.
Consider what Assad’s fans have actually done. They sent petitions to AMC when his name was left off the official website and it took months for the network to add it. They give birthday gifts. They praise him whenever he meets fans, so he knows he is appreciated. And they speak up every time he is overlooked. That’s it. None of this is extreme.
AMC is an American company, and with the current political atmosphere and that orange man in power, these biases are only becoming more emboldened. If you see a post calling out these systemic failures and you can’t contribute anything helpful or supportive, the least you can do is stay silent. Stop gaslighting everyone else for noticing a pattern that is right in front of our eyes. Isn’t this fandom already racist enough?
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