8 Movie Characters With Fascinating Backstories You Didn't Know About
4. Near Dark - Jesse Has A Tragic Origin Story
Kathryn Bigelow’s cult horror stars Bill Paxton and Lance Henriksen as a pair of vampires who take a new member into their gang; much bloodshed ensues. Near Dark keeps the gang’s origin a mystery, apart from small hints, but Henriksen got so into the character of Jesse he sketched out a complete biography for the character.
It turns out Jesse fought in the Confederate Navy and was deeply proud of his roots. During a fierce battle at sea, his ship was pelted with cannon fire, resulting in the death of his crew. The shipwreck washed ashore, and a band of roving harpies boarded to feed off the dead bodies. One of them saw Jesse - who was near death thanks to a chest wound – and took pity on him, so she bit him to turn him into a vampire.
If you look closely at Jesse’s coat you’ll see a Confederate flag sewn into it, which came from his ship. The only time in the film he talk about his past is when he tells Caleb he fought for the South; “We lost” is his only comment.