In 2002, Aaliyah played Akasha, the first vampire, in the film Queen of the Damned. Critics generally disliked the film, but she spoke about her excitement to take on the role, describing it as a “dream” part. It provided a chance to establish herself as an actor and, she said, she loved vampires.
She explained why she sometimes felt like the creatures in her real life. Aaliyah said she sometimes felt like a vampire While Aaliyah was a major star, she didn’t want to sacrifice any of her privacy . She said she had even been this way before fame.
“I’ve always been mysterious,” Aaliyah told Vibe Magazine in 2001. “My mother and father always used to ask me, ‘What are you thinking, what’s going on?’ There are times when I don’t understand myself, you know what I mean?” Her desire for privacy began to make her feel like a vampire. She wanted to conceal herself away in the dark comfort of her apartment, keeping away from the world outside.
“I have black-out shades in my apartment, I push a button, it’s totally dark,” she said, adding, “I think I’m a bit of a vampire in real life, and there are times when I just want to be myself. I wanna be alone.” She said that if she was overly forthcoming, she wouldn’t feel like her own person.
“People feel like they own you in this business, and, to a certain degree, they do,” she said. “But there’s a part of me that will always be just for me.” Aaliyah played a vampire in ‘Queen of the Damned�.