Are you a vampire? ‘What We Do In The Shadows’ shows what matters

At least that’s how Harvey Guillen sees it.

Guillermo, the assistant he plays in “What We Do in the Shadows,” has suffered all sorts of abuse and, only recently, declared his independence. In the fifth season of the FX comedy, he looks for others to provide the support he needs.

“Look at the workforce – a lot of people are familiars, longing to be promoted,” Guillen says. “They’re kind of a slave to labor to get that big promotion, to break that door open and…in the end it doesn’t work out that way.”

Guillermo’s journey (and desire to become a vampire) is relatable, he adds, “because it’s just such a human story.”

In the series, Guillermo is hired by Nandor the Relentless (played by Kayvan Novak) to be his assistant – or familiar. The promise: That he’ll become a vampire when the time is right.

Unfortunately, Nandor strings him along, forcing Guillermo to help the other vampires in the Staten Island home.

Those “energy vampires” (like Mark Proksch’s Colin Robinson) thrive in the workplace, draining colleagues emotionally and physically. Thankfully, Guillen didn’t encounter those kinds of people when he got the TV gig.

“In my head, I always wanted to act and make a living off of it,” he says. “As long as you’re happy doing it – even if it’s a room with 99 seats or two million people through a movie or television screen – then you’re giving it your best. I always pride myself in doing the work that I do, regardless of the budget or the popularity of the project.”

Although Guillermo was written for an older actor, Guillen had the personality producers needed to make the concept work. Since the series premiered, he has had roles on a number of other comedies and done voice work in countless animated features.

Like co-star Kristen Schaal (who plays the vampire guide), he realizes character roles spell longevity. “Every time you bump into Kristen, her energy is so positive you can go another 12 hours if you need to,” he says. “That’s the kind of energy and talent you want to be surrounded by.”

“WWDITS” creator Jemaine Clement wrote The Guide for Schaal and invited her to be a part of the series. “I find when I get invited to play on different shows, it’s usually to play roles that are going to be different and a little bit weird,” she says. “I like to think I’m really brave when I act. I’ll do whatever people say.”

Together, the two character actors have gotten plenty of opportunities to steal whole scenes from their co-stars.

“Being a character actor is the best gig in the business because the characters are always going to be different and unique and fun, as opposed to the leading man or woman who has to sort of relate to a bigger audience,” Schaal says. “We get to do the weirdest things and we also don’t have to see our faces on screen the whole time. And that feels good.”

While “WWDITS” has been a dream come true for Guillen, he says the vampire life may not be the best for Guillermo. “We all have dreams and aspirations,” he says. “Sometimes when it presents itself, it’s never the way we envision it. So I think he’s going to come across that things aren’t what you sometimes expect. Sometimes, doing what’s right for you or best for you an be the best thing or the most tragic thing.

“It’s like, there are consequences to your choices.”

“What We Do in the Shadows” returns July 13 on Hulu.