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TIL Anne Rice author of Interview with the Vampire wanted English actor Julian Sands to play the role of Lestat and was disappointed with the studio's pick of a better known Tom Cruise. She unsucessfully proposed alternate picks. Despite this rice was subsequently pleased with Cruise's performance

ooDA TIL there is a man named “Vermin Love Supreme” who is currently a Democratic Party candidate for President. He is “known for his boot hat,” and - if elected president - promises a free pony to every American, and to make brushing teeth mandatory.
rQ8o TIL a failed experiment of an 18 year old English chemist in search of a treatment for malaria in 1856 produced one of the world’s first synthetic dyes for the color purple, which severely impacted economic trade as some natural dyes were major commodities more valuable than silver or gold
D1Ykv TIL that American actor Vincent D'Onofrio holds the record for the most weight gained by an actor in a movie, having gained 70 lb (32 kg) for a total weight of 280 lb (130 kg) for his portrayal of Pvt. Leonard Lawrence in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket (1987)
X07kj TIL the Black Death contributed greatly to the rise of the British Pub and pub culture. Thanks to the plague, scarcity of labor greatly improved the standard of living for peasants, who in turn spent their extra money on beer.
BgW7K TIL that while Bram Stoker’s Dracula character was loosely based on Vlad Tepes the Impaler, his appearance and personality were drawn from the actor Henry Irving, an imposing egoist with a strong aquiline nose, whom Stoker managed while writing the book.