Since his wife died, Louis, an 18th century plantation owner has lost his will to live. He encounters Lestat, a mischievous 200 year-old vampire who convinces Louis to become a creature of the night. Over the years, Lestat tries to show Louis what it is to be a vampire but it is a lifestyle to which Louis never totally conforms. Along the way they also convert a young girl, Claudia, who also experiences the repercussions of being an immortal. Although she develops an adult mind, her body remains that of a child. On the bicentenary of his conversion, he grants an interview to a New Orleans reporter.