The Truth About Corey Stoll's Wig and Other Fun Facts About FX's The Strain

Ever since FX's new vampire drama The Straindebuted, some fans have wondered why Corey Stoll — who plays Ephraim Goodweather, an epidemiologist tasked with uncovering the truth about the mysterious vampirism virus — is forced to wear a somewhat distracting wig. The cast and executive producers Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse were on hand at the Television Critics Association's fall previews on Monday to answer that mystery and provide a few other little-known facts about the series:

1. You don't necessarily have to read the books: Cuse says the show is "its own unique experience," though if you have read them, you might have a leg up on those who haven't.  

2. Vampires do not care about people: "The vampire drinks the person like a person would drink a Capri Sun," del Toro says. "What do you do with a Capri Sun after you drink it? You crush it and throw it away."

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3. Guillermo del Toro is more than just a great boss: "Guillermo gives the best hugs of any director I've ever worked with," says co-star Sean Astin, who plays a member of Goodweather's team.

4. The Strain is not funny: Years prior, del Toro apparently pitched the series to Fox, but they wanted to turn it into a comedy. Obviously, he said no.

5. Corey Stoll's wig is very important: ThoughStolljoked that it was a relief to finally let his hair grow out to his "natural state," del Toro pointed out that they had him wear a wig so they would eventually be able to change his look on the show down the road.

The Strain airs Sundays at 10/9c on FX.