Anne Rice

Famed New Orleans author Anne Rice received her M.A. in creative writing, soon thereafter penning "Interview With the Vampire," the first book of her legendary "Vampire Chronicles." Rice's books, most of them written serially, are known for their erotic overtones. In 1994 "Interview With the Vampire" was made into a major motion picture starring mega-celebrities Tom Cruise as Lestat and Brad Pitt as Louie (with a young Kirsten Dunst as Claudia), with Rice herself working on the screenplay. The film was well received, but the second Rice book-to-screen adaptation, "The Queen of the Damned," starring Stewart Townsend and singer Aaliyah, was not as successful.

Rice also wrote the TV pilot "Rag and Bone" (starring Dean Cain) and the 2001 miniseries "Feast of All Saints." Anne Rice died on December 11, 2021 at the age of 80.