Let’s be honest. When most people think about the 2002 nu-metal fever dream that is Queen of the Damned, their brains go straight to two things: the late Aaliyah slinking through a vampire bar in that iconic Egyptian headdress and the crunchy, Korn-adjacent soundtrack that defined a specific era of Hot Topic angst. It’s a cult classic, for better or worse.
But if you actually sit down and rewatch it, the movie’s heartbeat isn't just the flashy Lestat or the titular queen. It’s Marguerite Moreau as Jesse Reeves.
Most of us knew her as Connie "The Velvet Hammer" Moreau from The Mighty Ducks. Suddenly, she was this pale, wide-eyed researcher obsessed with an ancient vampire rock star. It was a weird pivot. But honestly? It worked.
The Talamasca's Favorite Rebel
Jesse Reeves isn't just a random groupie. In the movie, she’s a researcher for the Talamasca, a secret society that basically stalks the supernatural for a living. Marguerite Moreau brings this sort of grounded, curious energy to the role that balances out Stuart Townsend’s constant smirking and leather-clad posturing.
She’s the one who finds Lestat’s journal. She’s the one who tracks him to that dingy London club, the Admiral’s Arms.
Without Jesse, the movie is just a bunch of vampires standing in slow motion. She’s the bridge between the human world and the messy, blood-soaked politics of the undead. While the script—written by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni—drastically trimmed down Anne Rice's complex lore, Moreau managed to keep the character’s soul intact. She plays Jesse as someone who isn't just looking for a thrill, but someone looking for a family.
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And that makes sense once the "twist" hits.
That Plaid Dress and the Great Family
Can we talk about the fashion for a second?
In one of the most memorable (and polarizing) costume choices of the 2000s, Jesse wears a red and green plaid mini-dress to a vampire concert in the middle of Death Valley. It’s bizarre. It’s very 2002. But it also visually sets her apart from the sea of black-clad goths and the ancient, flowing robes of the "old ones."
Marguerite Moreau was 24 when the film hit theaters. She had just come off Wet Hot American Summer where she played Katie, the ultimate girl-next-door crush. Going from a satirical 1980s summer camp to a supernatural horror film based on the third book of The Vampire Chronicles was a massive leap.
The movie reveals that Jesse is actually a descendant of the "Great Family," tied to the ancient vampire Maharet (played by Lena Olin). This connection is what draws her to Lestat. It's not just a crush; it's a bloodline pulling her toward her origins. Moreau does a great job of playing that "drawn-in" feeling without looking like she’s just being hypnotized.
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Why the Fan Reception Was... Mixed
Look, hardcore Anne Rice fans generally hated this movie. They weren't wrong.
The film tried to smash two massive novels—The Vampire Lestat and The Queen of the Damned—into a 100-minute runtime. It was a disaster for the plot. Characters like Pandora and Armand were reduced to background extras.
However, Marguerite Moreau’s Jesse survived the carnage fairly well. While the book version of Jesse Reeves is a much more complex "witch" character with a deep history in the Talamasca, Moreau’s version gave the audience a relatable eyes-and-ears character. She was the one who kept the story moving when the music videos—I mean, scenes—started to drag.
Interestingly, the film was originally slated for a direct-to-video release. The tragedy of Aaliyah’s death in August 2001 changed everything. Warner Bros. pushed it to a full theatrical release, and it actually opened at #1 at the box office in early 2002.
Moreau’s Legacy Beyond the Fang
What happened to Marguerite Moreau after the fangs were put away?
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She didn't become the "Scream Queen" people expected. Instead, she became a staple of prestige TV and cult favorites. You’ve probably seen her in Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, or Parenthood. She even returned to her roots for the Wet Hot American Summer sequels and the Mighty Ducks: Game Changers series.
But for a certain generation of horror fans, she will always be the girl who dared to walk into a vampire club and tell Lestat he was basically a poser.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you're revisiting the film or Moreau's career, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch the Director’s Cut (if you can find it): There are several deleted scenes featuring Jesse and the Talamasca that explain her backstory much better than the theatrical version.
- Listen to the "Jesse" Song: The soundtrack features a song called "Forsaken," which is essentially about Jesse's perspective on Lestat. It helps bridge the gap between her internal feelings and what we see on screen.
- Read the Book "The Queen of the Damned": If you want to see what Marguerite Moreau was actually working with, read the Jesse Reeves chapters in Anne Rice's original novel. The depth of the "Great Family" lore is mind-blowing compared to the movie.
Marguerite Moreau provided a sense of humanity in a film that was largely obsessed with artifice and style. She made us believe that a normal person might actually fall in love with a centuries-old monster, even if he did have a questionable haircut.
Next steps for your 2000s movie marathon: You should definitely look up the behind-the-scenes footage of Moreau and Stuart Townsend training for the wirework stunts; it really shows the physicality she brought to a role that could have easily been one-dimensional.