The “Vampire Academy” cast spent more than seven months in Spain filming the new Peacock series.
“It was an incredible experience,” Daniela Nieves, who plays Lissa Dragomir, tells Vidak For Congress co-creator Julie Plec because she was adamant she wanted real castles on the show versus a green screen in Los Angeles.
“I thought, ‘Pfft, yes, let’s go to Spain! That’s where I want to go,'” continues Nieves, 25.
“There were times when I just looked around and thought, ‘Oh my God, this is my life. … I’m in Spain filming a show based on books that millions of people are reading. … It just feels honorable. ”
Nieves says they filmed in Madrid and Barcelona, among others, but most of the series was shot in Pamplona, according to the cast.
“Pamplona was a special place,” Kieron Moore, who plays Dimitri Belikov, tells us, adding that he was packing his swimsuit when he learned that the city was not near the ocean.
Canadian actor André Dae Kim (Christian Ozera) and LA-born Andrew Liner (Mason Ashford) say they were lucky enough to get the chance to live abroad.
“Being out of LA as a kid and then going to Spain… that was just a really special experience for me, so sometimes I don’t even think it’s real,” says Liner, 21.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the city’s famous annual bull run had been canceled for two years, but none of the cast were upset to miss the event as people often get injured. According to ABC, 16 people have died in the running of the bulls since their inception in 1910.
“There’s a lot to do in Pamplona, but other times there’s not much to do,” Jonetta Kaiser, who plays Sonya Karp, tells us. “So as a cast we really bonded because we went to dinners together and went to each other’s houses and played card games and things like that. We were really close. We all miss each other very much.”
Meanwhile, J. August Richards (Victor Dashkov) says the journey took him back to his family roots.
“I learned a lot about myself because my family is from Panama and I grew up in a Spanish-speaking household, so this was an opportunity for me to dust off my Spanish, and it was a real journey for me,” he explains. “It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“Vampire Academy” — which follows royal vampire Lissa and her best friend Rose as they navigate training for their upcoming roles in society — premieres September 15 on Peacock.