Lestat de Lioncourt was born in 1760. He has long, pale blond hair, and blue eyes that frequently appear gray when reflecting light. In 1779, he flees to Paris with his friend Nicholas to become an actor. There, an old vampire named Magnus ambushes him and makes him into a vampire against his will. Then, after teaching Lestat nothing, Magnus hurls himself into a huge bonfire telling Lestat to scatter the ashes else he will rise again and destroy Lestat. He is the narrator of five of the books in the Chronicles, in which he portrays himself as the hero. His fledglings are Gabrielle, Nicholas, Louis, Claudia, the musician, David, and Mona Mayfair. In [[Interview with the Vampire]] when Louis returns to New Orleans and finds Lestat in the remains of their old flat, Lestat is accompanied by another fledgling which is never named or elaborated on or re-introduced. Lestat is bold, brash, impulsive, fearless, and lives without regret, and contrasts strongly both physically and in personality with Louis.