Intervju med Lindsay Pulsipher
True Blood is well into its third season, and it has been fantastic so far. It’s probably the craziest and wildest season yet, and I am enjoying every minute of it. One thing creator Alan Ball doesn’t shy away from is the introduction of new characters. This season we’ve seen new (and sexy) werewolves (ahem Alcide), a new Merlotte’s waitress, and a wolf pack who are into drugs and vampire blood. Crystal Norris (one of those new characters) is a love interest for Jason, but there’s still an air of mystery surrounding her. She comes from the Norris family, who are involved with drugs and she appears to have a fiancee. But what is the real deal with Jason’s new crush? I recently had the chance to chat with Lindsay Pulsipher, who plays Crystal, about the mysterious role, what’s coming up for Crystal and what draws her character (besides the obvious) to Jason Stackhouse.
What originally drew you to the role of Crystal Norris?
I haven’t read the books, but after I got to know her through the writers of True Blood — through their eyes — I was just fascinated with her mystery. She was written with a lot of mystery, and she has several layers going on. And as we’ll soon see later in the season, she’s got a lot of things that she’s trying to cope with and deal with in her life, and I just loved the aspect of being able to play such a complicated, mysterious character. It was really exciting for me.
Definitely. Crystal also has a very interesting background. Can you tell us a little bit more about her family and where she came from?
Little things are revealed throughout the season — more and more about her past and her history — but she’s from this family that cooks meth and they’re meth heads basically (laughs). She’s never really left this compound. It’s all she’s ever really known. She doesn’t really have a social life outside of the compound, so the world outside of that is just so big and intimidating to her I think.
For those who have read the books, or picked up on hints in the show, know that Crystal has some supernatural or non-human elements to her. How are you able to relate to a character that might not be entirely human?
There’s some instincts that Crystal might have that might be a bit foreign to normal folk. (laughs) In the books, she definitely has some supernatural powers. And I think that she has the instincts which myself as a normal person might not have and it was really fun to explore — I’m getting into dangerous territory (laughs).
Don’t worry, I know you can’t spoil too much! What has it been like working so closely with Ryan Kwanten? I’ve heard he’s a bit of a prankster, so are those scenes filmed seriously or is there a lot of joking around?
Oh my God, Ryan is absolutely a practical joker, and very spontaneous in his acting. So we could be doing the most serious, heartfelt scene, and he could pull some little trick or some little Jason-ism out of his hat, and completely throw me off (laughs), which I completely appreciate as an actor — to keep it fresh and funny and spontaneous. And he definitely does that. He’s a great actor, and he really knows his character well, so that is really refreshing to act opposite somebody that is so in tune with his inner Jason. (laughs) It was so much fun.
That’s good to hear. And what do you think draws Crystal to Jason?
I think that it’s his — obviously, he’s a very charismatic person, and when he approaches her truck and she seems him without a shirt (laughs) [like] “Who is this? And what is this guy doing?” so there’s that element of charm, and he’s very funny. But I think on a deeper level, she’s been locked up on the compound, and I think that she might see a little bit of an escape for her, and a way for her to maybe put her past life behind her, and she kind of looks at him and thinks “Could he be the one to help me do this?”
Right. And on the alternate side, why do you think Jason is so drawn to Crystal? She’s different from any other girl he’s been with before.
It’s a hard question for me to answer. I’ve been asked that before. It’s hard for me to answer for Ryan, but I think she’s kind of mysterious and maybe he’s picking up on some things that Crystal has going on in her life that other girls in the past haven’t really had. And I think that there’s that air of mystery that he’s intrigued by.
And what has it been like coming into such a tight knit cast? Has it been a very welcoming experience for you?
It has. Everybody’s been so, so friendly and just so welcoming. You can tell that the cast and crew just absolutely love their job. It just shines through. When you are in that sort of work environment, it just makes the whole experience that much more pleasant and enjoyable. Everybody on the show are such talented actors, that it really maintains this level of commitment and quality to their work, that I think is just so important. I think that people watching the show get that and understand that. I think that everybody loves their job and it just shows. You want to go to work, and you’re excited to go to work and get to play around with all of these amazing actors.
Is there someone that you’d like to have scenes with in the future that you may not have worked with yet?
Oh my goodness, every scene that gets written that I was able to act with another actor on the show was just so exciting for me. Every single person on this show are so great and so talented that it’s so much fun to do new things with any of them. So yeah, every single one.
What has it been like working with Alan Ball? Has he given you a lot of insight into your character?
You know when I first started, he definitely had some amazing things to tell me about Crystal, about her past. He had a lot of tools that really helped me create this character. He has a very careful eye, and he’s very good at details. And that is so refreshing to work with as an actor, to have these very specific notes and directions that he and all of the writers want the show to go in, and it was very helpful as an actor.
What has been the most challenging aspect of the role?
I would say maintaining the integrity of the character, and just staying true to all of those different layers and struggles in her life. And I wanted to create a sense of empathy that Crystal in the books might not have had. I really wanted her to be a human relatable character and I think that just staying true to her different colors and her complex levels was probably the most challenging.
I think so far on screen, she seems very innocent. But there’s definitely more layers below the surface, and a lot that you don’t know about her yet.
Yeah, she definitely displays some more spirited and colorful layers later on in the season. (laughs)
Have you gotten a lot of feedback about your character? I know people who read the books must have a very specific vision of Crystal, so I’m curious if you’ve gotten feedback.
I have. She’s still pretty brand new. We’ve only seen her in a couple of episodes. But the feedback that I have gotten has been positive. People seem to like her so far. I don’t know if that’s going to change as the season goes on (laughs).
And I know you can’t spoil too much, but can you give us a little teaser of what’s coming up in the rest of the season for Crystal?
Crystal will definitely bring some surprises and a little bit of trouble for some of the other people in Bon Temps. And she creates some chaos. (laughs). She’s a little troublemaker!
I can’t wait! And obviously, I write all about TV, so I wanted to know if you had any favorite shows you were watching besides True Blood.
I am a huge Breaking Bad fan. (laughs) I love that show. I think it’s amazing. That’s my latest obsession. I just caught up with all of the season, and I think it’s just so brilliantly written and amazing.
Alexander Skarsgård om Hollywooddrömmar
Han passade också på att ge lite kvalités tips till er svenskar med Hollywooddrömmar! Han sa: "Jag hade ju inte fortsatt att satsa om jag inte trodde att jag hade där att göra. Annars kan man ju lika gärna åka hem direkt. Det finns ju en miljon skådisar i Los Angeles och om man inte tror på sig själv är det ingen annan som kommer att göra det. Det är viktigt att man åtminstone har ett fan från början. Typ sig själv."
G4TV intervjuar Marshall Allman
Denis O'Hare på Good Day New York
Alexander Skarsgård - "Jag vill inte ha en strumpa runt det, det känns löjligt."
The cast of HBO’s True Blood not only strip down for the new Rolling Stone — they also bare all about shooting the show’s racy sex scenes.
Says Alexander Skarsgard (who plays sexy vamp Eric): “I don’t want a sock around it, that feels ridiculous. If we’re naked in the scene, then I’m naked. I’ve always been that way.”
Anna Paquin says she covers up — somewhat. She reveals that she wears a “patch” – a thong-like attire with the sides cut off – while filming nude scenes as her character Sookie Stackhouse.
As for her costar (and real-life fiance) Stephen Moyer (who plays Sookie’s vamp love Bill Compton)? He wears a sock on set — out of consideration for others.
Intervju med Kristin Bauer
Nelsan om True Blood och hans nya film Secretariat
(klicka på bilden för att titta på videon)
Källa
Intervju med Rutina Wesley
Intervju med härliga Stephen Moyer
Radiointervju med Carrie Preston
De frågade också varför serier som True Blood, Vampire Diaries och filmer som Twilight är så populära och då sade Carrie, " vi lever i ett ungdoms-besatt kultur.", HAHA!
Du kan lyssna på hela intervju på blocket webbplats.
Intervju med Ers Höghet!
Yes, the fangs are a challenge. Especially if you have a lot of “S” words. For instance, “Sookie Stackhouse” is a killer. We usually have to re-record some of the lines we say with fangs.
Were you already familiar with True Blood and/or the books of Charlaine Harris when you were cast for the role as Russell Edgington?
Yes, I had read around three or four of the books after I got the job and enjoyed them very much. I’m also a big fan of Alan Ball’s and so had watched True Blood from the beginning and was a big fan of the show and like everyone else, looked forward to the third season and then, lo and behold, I was on it.
How have you prepared for your role as the King of Mississippi?
I always do a lot of research for all my roles. In the case of Russell Edgington, because he is so ancient, there was a lot more history to cover. It was fun, though, and I indulged my inner history geek by doing tons of reading on ancient Rome, Greece, the early early medieval period, Charlemagne’s period, high middle ages, etc. I also did a lot of thinking and exploring about what it would be like to be immortal, to be a night creature, to be powerful.
Most of the cast members have been together since the first season of the show. How was you first day on the set working with all these people, who were already such a ensemble?
My first episode was their second episode so it was a little strange for me. We had a table read and we all gathered in a large trailer on location in Griffith Park in L.A. and I went around the table introducing myself. I was nervous but I found that I knew a lot of the cast members or knew people in common so it felt a lot more comfortable. A lot of us have lived in New York at one time or another and so have bumped into each other.
Do you yourself have any belief in the supernatural? Could there actually be vampires out there? Or at least ghosts, something paranormal?
I hate to disappoint but I’m hyper-rational. But I believe in the power of the imagination and in story-telling.
And now the question of all questions for your fans: Can you please give us a small preview of your role as Russell Edgington? And perhaps a glimpse of what will happen in Season 3?
Russell is a fascinating character who has many many levels. As the season progresses, you will get to see his compassion, his ruthlessness, his anger, his pain, his love for Talbot, his dreams for the vampire kingdom, his contempt for humanity, his affection for werewolves and his fascination of Sookie. Russell wants more power – he wants to rule more and more of America and he feels that he is the best person for the job and he will go about collecting power in many ways. He is not always predictable given that he is an “ancient” being who is governed by rules and morals that may be incomprehensible to modern people.
Do you share any traits with your character? Do you admire or dislike anything in particular about the character you are playing?
First off, I never judge my characters – that is not my job. I take them as they are and I try to understand why they behave the way they do. Everyone thinks they’re right at all times. Everyone is invested in their own agenda and their own point of view and in that respect, I am Russell’s champion. I think I am dogged and loyal like Russell. I’m a little out of step myself and I have a birds-eye perspective about humanity in the same way as Russell. I don’t drink blood in my day to day life however.
Is there any other role on True Blood that you would want to take on, even just for one day?
Nope. Very happy with Russell.
True Blood has a reputation for being upfront about sex and skin; if you were required for the reality of the character to reveal a little more for your role, would you have a problem with that?
I already have. In episode 10 I have a scene in bed. I reveal some – not all.
Is there anything else your fans should know about you? Or that you would like to share with them?
Hmm … Well, I live in Brooklyn, New York with my boyfriend of 10 years, Hugo, who is a designer. We have a 12 year-old-Shiba Inu named Cleopatra.
I’m working to update my Web site and make it more interactive and more user-friendly. You can find out more about me there.
Intervju med Rutina Wesley
Lindsay Pulsipher pratar Crystal Norris och True Blood
Last time we talked ‘The Beast’ was coming out on DVD and you were just starting ‘True Blood’. Can you talk about how you got involved with ‘True Blood’?
Lindsay Pulsipher: It was just a regular audition through my agent and my manager, they’d set it up. I had two auditions, both with Alan Ball in the room. The second one Ryan Kwanten auditioned with me and a few hours later I found out I got the part. It was a very fast process.
Was it nerve racking to have the creator in the room or have you been through that before?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I’ve experienced it before and to be honest it’s actually a relief for me. It’s one less step that I have to go through since he’s right there. It’s less stress.
Were you a fan of ‘True Blood’ before auditioning?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I was a fan of the show. I was a fan of Alan Ball’s previous project for sure and to be cast in a show that you’re already a fan of is a huge honor. It was very exciting.
Are you Team Eric or Team Bill right now?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I think it would be very interesting to see a Sookie/Eric relationship happen, mix it up. I think it’d be fun and interesting for the audience for sure.
Crystal is your character’s name though we haven’t found that out yet. Can you talk about who she is and what she’s going to be doing in the show?
Lindsay Pulsipher: She’s, as you saw in the second episode, in a meth lab and gets busted by the police and she’s kind of grownup on that compound and lived a very sheltered life. She hasn’t really lived outside of that drug world and when she’s sees Jason there in the woods I think something is sparked in her that she’s never really experienced before. That’s a life and possibly a relationship outside of her compound. This season you’ll definitely see a meeting between Jason and Crystal and a relationship blossom and explode.
Does she have a supernatural aspect to her or is she straight up human?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I guess you’ll have to just watch.
Should we expect some sexy scenes between you and Jason?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Definitely. I think that it wouldn’t be a Jason Stackhouse storyline if there weren’t. There’ll be some romps in the woods.
How was it shooting those intimate scenes with Ryan?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Those kinds of scenes, there’s so much going on outside of the actual work. You go into your professional mode and you don’t think too much outside of the work. Usually it’s not a big deal because it’s all about the work and it’s just another scene. I think you have to look at it through your character’s eyes as opposed to your own.
Does she get involved with any other characters on the show or is it just Jason?
Lindsay Pulsipher: No. She definitely has some interactions with some of the other characters. Without giving too much away she’ll definitely come into contact with some other people in Bon Temps, for sure.
Is there a character or actor that you didn’t get a chance to work with that you wish you’d had?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Actually, yeah, there’s about ten. It’s so funny. We joke that ‘True Blood’, especially this season, there are so many characters and storylines that we’re all kind of on our own separate little shows. There were a lot of characters that I’d really love to work with and I hope that next season I’ll get to.
Can you mention a name or two that you’d like to work with, without giving too much away?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Well, I guess I can’t answer that.
You mentioned next season. Does that mean she’ll be back?
Lindsay Pulsipher: You’ll have to wait and find out.
Any other hints about a favorite episode maybe that you shot, hints about something coming up for her?
Lindsay Pulsipher: The season finale is going to be incredible. We just wrapped. It’s going to be incredible, so exciting and there’s so much going on. There’s a lot of typical cliffhangers and it’s just really, really exciting.
It must be exciting to be done and now know everything that’s going to happen.
Lindsay Pulsipher: I know. I got that last script and I always get very excited to read all of them and the last script definitely didn’t disappoint.
How many episodes do you appear in this season?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Coming up this next week is when my character really starts to show up more. I’m going to be in nine episodes this season.
What’s the atmosphere on set like compared to other projects that you’ve worked on before?
Lindsay Pulsipher: It’s one of the most friendly and welcoming sets that I’ve ever worked on. Everybody is buddies and everyone is friends. There’s a lot of goofing off and joking around. It’s very easy to be on set. The crew and the cast get along just great and are constantly interacting with each other. There are no egos at all. It’s just a real fun set.
Have you experienced any of the fandom for the show?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I think because it is so early I haven’t yet. But I do know that ‘True Blood’ has an amazing fan base so who knows what’s in the future. For now it’s been pretty quiet as far as Crystal goes. Maybe once I’m on some more they’ll be more aware.
Are you going to Comic Con with ‘True Blood’?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I’m not going to be there this season but I know that there are going to be a lot of people and it’s going to be insane, really fun.
Have you been to Comic Con before?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I haven’t, no.
Can you talk about being on HBO versus A&E with ‘The Beast’; is there any difference?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I feel our generation is so blessed because we have such great television available now. I almost feel like our contribution to cinema is the great TV that’s coming out right now. I feel like every cable network are all producing such amazing TV and such great shows. I feel blessed to have been a part of two really amazing shows and I feel like our generation just gets to experience some of the best TV in history.
Any updates on ‘Do Not Disturb’?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I don’t have any details, as far as release dates but I do know that they’re getting ready to submit it to festivals. I’m guessing probably sometime later this year.
You’ve worked in television and film. Is there one that like you better and do you know what you’d like to do moving forward?
Lindsay Pulsipher: Like I said, with this generation of TV being so rich and so amazing. I feel like it’s right up there on par with film and so I’m happy to do both. I think that film gives you something that TV doesn’t and TV gives you different elements that you don’t get on a film set. I appreciate them both and I hope to continuing both of them.
How is it different as an actress preparing for a film as opposed to working in TV?
Lindsay Pulsipher: I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily easier to know everything upfront but I’d definitely say that TV will keep you on your toes. There’s always an element of surprise and spontaneity that comes with every new TV script, each new episode. With film you have time to really think about the character and see the whole process beforehand. You know the whole entire script and you know the story with a film. I feel like there’s some spontaneity that comes with TV that’s really exciting. Then there’s also some comfort in film knowing exactly what your character is going to go through. You get to see the whole picture. They’re definitely different but both exciting.
Intervju med Kristin Bauer
I think Pam has some of the best scenes in the show, especially when she tried to stop Sookie in the season premiere.
Right?! I am so lucky to have such great words to say.
How do you relate to your character? She’s not human, but there are human elements to Pam.
Definitely, she was human 100 years ago. She was also very eager to leave that world once she saw the option of Eric’s power and immortality and she’s never looked back. That’s one of the things that makes Pam so much fun to play. She is un-remorseful, unapologetic, which are two traits some of us could probably use a touch of. She is, in some ways, who I wish I could be but alas, that directness might leave me very lonely.
What do you think Pam was like in her human life?
I have no idea, and hope to find out! But in my imagination – I see her as having been a true free spirit in a time where it was impossible for a woman to have any freedom of thought or movement. I am obsessed with free will, it is the basis of all my animal rights work and a hallmark of my beliefs. I believe in free will, very different than freedom. Free will implies choice as opposed to the absence of obstacles. I am pained by the cruelty of taking choice from any living being.
Pam is soft spoken but powerful at the same time. How do you find that balance?
I have often noticed that the most powerful one in the room can be the one who appears to care the least, and is often the most under-spoken. Power is not always loud or trying very hard. I guess power doesn’t have to.
Pam is taking on a bigger role this season, what has the journey been like playing her so far?
FUN! The more I find out about Pam and the more I get to see her do is a joy, it is just a bigger and broader journey for me. It’s always been a pleasure from day one and I have also discovered that more of a good thing is awesome.
What has it been like working so closely with Alexander Skarsgard? (Obviously, very…closely)
Yes, very closely, wink, wink, nudge nudge … Alex is a joy to work with. He is my friend and I am so lucky he is also Pam’s maker.
What are Pam’s motivations? (Loyalty to Eric? Power?)
Loyalty is huge for her, and for me in life as well — so I really appreciate that she has been written that way. Power is actually not as alluring to her as integrity. And that motivates me too, it’s fun to find those things where the character and I overlap but I guess that is inevitable as all Pam has is her creator, so pieces of all of us and our imaginations will be in her.
Do you have a favorite moment from filming the show?
Too many to name. But having fun with my cast mates is a real perk that makes this such a rare and special experience. We all know what it’s like to have annoying workmates and to have great ones. The latter is better and can make or break one’s experience.
Do you have a character you would like to have more scenes with?
I love it exactly as it is and I don’t want to be too greedy but this entire cast is so fantastic and talented, and so well cast, that I would be happy and lucky to work with any and all.
Have you had any interesting fan reaction to your character? (Perhaps in the gay community?)
I heard after last week’s episode that my friend’s living room of gay men stood up and cheered. I love that! I got a standing O! Always happy to hear I did well.
What has it been like working with Alan Ball? He’s quite a prolific producer/creator.
Alan seems to be very aware of the big picture and at the same time the details which is also rare and special. He has assembled an amazing thing here, all out of his vision one day after picking up a book. Many people are being employed and entertained by that vision. I think that is impressive and beautiful. Visions becoming reality is a thrill for me to see and be part of as I think it’s what makes the world go round. Without artistic vision, and the ability to transmute those visions into something others can see … life would be … well, unlivable. He is very impressive and also kind. AND likes dogs!
What do you think sets True Blood apart from other vampire shows out there? Why do you think there was such a positive response to the show?
Well … it’s just better. Hee Hee! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ve seen Twilight and it was great and these are just very different audiences and tones. True Blood is Alan and HBO’s baby – that combination tells us that we will get to do and see more — get to push the envelope a bit more. Maybe touch on deeper topics, show more reality. Alan and HBO together are just sexier … in my humble completely unbiased opinion of course.
Can you give us a little teaser — I know you can’t spoil too much — of what’s coming up in season three for Pam?
Pam is tested this year. Her loyalty, her integrity, her strength … We find out about her and Eric’s relationship, and come to think of it, that is true for so many characters this year. It’s a character defining year for all of us.
You have been appearing more regularly on Secret Life Of The American Teenager. It is difficult to go from one character to another?
No, they are so different. I think its fun for most actors to get to play varied roles.
Thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it, and best of luck with the upcoming season!
Thank you for allowing me to share more of my passions!
Intervju med Marshall Allman
In Marshall Allman’s own words, his character, shapeshifter Tommy Mickens, on “True Blood” is “bad ass.”
From his default bulldog shift to his dare that TV older brother, Sam Merlotte (played by Sam Trammell), throw a punch to officially show he’s family, Allman’s words couldn’t be more on point. But according to the actor, Tommy has a softer side, too.
“He really just wants love honestly,” Allman tells Zap2it. “He wants someone he can trust, someone he can depend on, to be like a healthy family. Does he have any idea how that works? Hell no. But does he know how to get what he wants? Probably not, but we shall see.”
Warning: Spoiler Alert!
So, when it comes to family, we hear he may have been getting the wrong brand of love. Will Sam be able to change things with some brotherly bonding?
“We are kind of like oil and water him and I,” says Allman. “But the beautiful thing is we are family. You can’t choose who your family is. It’s like take it or leave it. That’s kind of what we’re facing — whether him and I actually can work out our personality differences or personal issues in order to be a happy family.”
Brotherly love is one thing, but when we asked Allman if he’d confirm rumors that his character was going to move in on baby vamp, Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll), he went cryptic on us.
“I ain’t going to deny or acknowledge that rumor,” he says. “But I think every chick on the show should want my character. He’s freakin’ bad ass and he is freakin’ awesome.”
Intervju med Brit Morgan
TVGuide.com: How does it feel getting to join such a hot cast?
Morgan: It’s such a beautiful cast. It’s amazing. It feels like one of the best and most awesome things that’s ever happened to me. I was real nervous starting out. At the first table read, I could barely think straight. Everyone is just so easy going, despite how good-looking they are.
TVGuide.com: Tell us about your character, Debbie Pelt.
Morgan: Debbie Pelt is a really kick-ass, passionate, ballsy woman. I’m a werewolf with a bit of an addiction to V, so I’m going on a rampage against Sookie. I’m not too happy with her. My character just takes this winding road, a bit of a downward spiral. I’m definitely in attack mode towards Sookie.
TVGuide.com: Did you read the Sookie Stackhouse novels before being cast?
Morgan: Once I was cast, I read two of them. Just the ones I was involved in. I’m not sure if I’m too far off on this, but I think Debbie is much different [in the show] than in the books. In the books, you can tell she was a badass, and that she’s not a chick you want to mess with, but [the show writers] took it to a whole new level of crazy. They also amped up the trailer trash aspect. Nothing is too much. There are no limitations around me. I got to do whatever I wanted with her. There’s nothing better than playing crazy when everyone else is just encouraging it.
TVGuide.com: The stakes are so much higher this year because the werewolves and vampires don’t get along and are both powerful.
Morgan: They don’t get along well, but that’s great because up until this point it’s been vampires ruling the planet because they’re the most powerful thing. It’s cool to see another species that exists within the series that challenges that. There are two other sets of mystical creatures you’ll be introduced to toward the end of the season. There are fairies and there are going to be witches.
TVGuide.com: Who else does Debbie get to interact with this season?
Morgan: I got to interact with Eric [Alexander Skarsgård] a little bit, and I know a lot of people will be envious of me. I got to interact with Bill [Stephen Moyer] and Lorena [Mariana Kleveno]. It’s mostly with Sookie, but I do a lot of interaction with the lead of the vampire kingdom in Mississippi, Russell [Denis O'Hare], who is a captivating villain after Maryann [Michelle Forbes].
Morgan makes her True Blood debut Sunday at 9/8c on HBO.
Intervju med Joe Manganiello
PopWrap: You’ve previously admitted to being a fan of “True Blood” before joining the show, so I’m curious what it’s like being on set?
Joe Manganiello: Yes, that’s right – big fan. The first table read was like being sucked into the television. I’d imagine it like being a kid who loves Michael Jordan and getting drafted into the NBA where you have to guard him. Being at the first table read was like that – I am watching the show from the front row but I have to get in there and be a part of it. There was a lot of adjustment. Adjustment and awe.
PW: And what about the first day shooting?
Joe: I remember filming the scene and literally thinking, “oh my god, that’s Sookie Stackhouse!” Seeing Lafayette in full makeup was another amazing thing. There’s never a dull moment. I sit there and play my part, but I also have a front row seat to Ryan Kwanten and Chris Bauer doing their thing as I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing in their takes. It’s really awesome.
PW: Your first episode teased a Sookie/Alcide connection — how does their relationship develop this season?
Joe: [laughs] It’s the million dollar question. Alcide’s in a dark, lonely, sad, heartbroken place because his fiance, Debbie Pelt, has left him. His psycho ex girlfriend – she’s still floating around, causing trouble. Then you’ve got Sookie going through her trials and tribulations with Bill. I think if you stick people in that situation – this big, strong, protective bodyguard with a girl, both heartbroken, sparks will happen. There’s a bit of lost puppy going on there.
PW: You mentioned Alcide’s ex, Debbie, earlier — can we expect fireworks when they get together?
Joe: Yes, they have a very volatile relationship. When they were together there was a lot of passion, but now that things have gone sideways, it’s very volatile and they get back into it very quickly.
PW: Sounds like Debbie and Sookie are polar opposites.
Joe: They are, and I think as you watch this season unfold, Alcide grows and changes and I think his relationship with Sookie helps that. There was a fork in the road — Debbie goes down one side and Alcide goes down the other. I think Sookie represents the woman Alcide wants to be with, that he wishes he could be with whereas Debbie represents where he came from.
PW: Do you have a particular favorite episode from season three?
Joe: I think episode 7 is pretty amazing. Uh, there’s a lot of blood and a lot of people die.
PW: Fair enough. You just wrapped production on season three, wis the finale as cliffhanger-y as last years?
Joe: Worse. Way worse. Waaaay worse. You have no idea what they’re going to spring on you in season three, it’s crazy. You’ve got the introduction of my race and a lot about where Sookie comes from. They answer a lot of questions and in answering those questions they open up a whole new universe. It’s pretty wild.
Intervju med Denis O'Hare
iF: You’ve done a lot of theatre in New York …
O’HARE: Yeah. I went to school in Chicago and I did all my early theatre work in Chicago, kind of where I learned to act, and then I moved to New York in the early Nineties and that’s what I did. I’ve been a stage actor, I’ve done a lot of Broadway, I’ve done four Broadway musicals, a lot of Broadway straight plays. That’s kind of my thing, that’s what I did, was Broadway. And then I’ve always done TV here and there because of Law and Order in New York, but then this [True Blood, which films primarily in Los Angeles]came along last fall and I was thrilled, because I love it.
iF: Had you worked with Alan Ball before?
O’HARE: I hadn’t.
iF: Do you know if he was a fan of your stage work prior to casting you in True Blood?
O’HARE: I think he’d seen me in Take Me Out [O’Hare won a Featured Actor Tony for his work in the production in 2003] and all those years, it kind of percolated, and when this part came up, I think it was a good fit. A whole lot of us are from New York – Carrie Preston [Arlene] is from New York, Sam Trammell [Sam] is from New York, Rutina Wesley [Tara] is from Juilliard from New York, Kristin Bauer [Pam] is from New York – a lot of these actors, we all come from the same place. Michael Hall, who did Six Feet Under [with Ball], I knew him when we did Romeo and Juliet together in Baltimore years ago, when he first got out of Juilliard. So it all kind of comes full circle, which is really interesting.
iF: A lot of the actors in True Blood are called upon to disrobe at some point. Do you have that?
O’HARE: No. Not yet. [laughs] It hasn’t happened. I’ve gotten this far in my career without having to do that, it’d be nice to keep some things private, you know what I mean? If I’m called upon to, I will gladly, but Russell has dignity. I think he needs to keep his dignity.
iF: Well, most of the characters who disrobe have dignity …
O’HARE: Yeah. They’re 25 years old [laughs].
iF: Do you perform any stunts and/or chomp anybody?
O’HARE: They don’t want us doing anything that’s dangerous, so even though we want to, they’re going to ask us to pull back. I have chomped somebody, I’ve ridden a horse.
iF: When Russell bites another character, do you discuss with the other actor, “I’m going to be chomping you now”?
O’HARE: Yeah, any actor thing you do when you’re being physical with someone in any way, you always check in with them and go, “Okay, I’m going to go here in the neck, you let me know if that’s all right.” You want to check in with them and make sure they’re not hurt and then it’s always a little surprising when you actually do it, because your adrenaline kicks in and you start making funny noises. We were doing one bit where we were attacking a girl and she kept giggling [laughs]. We were nuzzling her neck and making weird noises and she kept giggling.
iF: Are there any aspects of True Blood that you found surprising?
O’HARE: I have to say, I am bowled over by how friendly everyone in the cast and crew is, how hard everybody works, how professional everybody is. Everybody comes here to work. They do a really, really, really good job. Everyone is prepared to go, ready to go, and yet they manage to have fun while doing it. And it’s a really amazing balance. There’s no attitude from anybody, there’s nobody who has any sort of diva position. Everyone is great. It’s pretty amazing.
iF: In the scene you’re filming today, the other actors are comparatively deadpan and Russell is decidedly, well, not-deadpan. What’s that like?
O’HARE: You know what? I’m just going to stand out a whole lot more. I have no problem with that. Everyone’s got their own style, everyone’s got also their own thing going on, and Alan, when he first told me about this character, said, “He’s very charming and he’s very Southern.” And in other scenes, I have been deadpan and I have been quiet, but in the scenes where you’re called upon to have some kind of passion, I love that. [Russell] knows what he wants, he knows what he wants to achieve. He doesn’t know how he’s going to get there. He always improvises. He is not a careful person. He’s a planner and he is somebody who plots, but he’s very, very passionate and he’s very, very spontaneous. So he does things [laughs] in the moment. He’s also hotheaded. This is a person who has a temper – a big temper.
iF: This season, they’ve had some real wolves, playing the werewolves in animal form, on set. Were you around for any of that?
O’HARE: I was. My very first episode shooting, I was on a horse and there were wolves on set and I got to meet a couple of the wolves. I got to hang out with them, and I got to meet the wolf trainer and the wolves are extraordinary, unbelievable animals. They are so otherworldly. And as the wolf trainer kept saying, “They’re not just big dogs. They’re very different animals. Do not think of them as dogs [laughs].”
iF: Do you have to stand very still when the wolves are working?
O’HARE: The wolves are almost always separated from us. You’re not interacting with them very much. We worked with them outside. They had a wire that kept them separate from us, a wire that was electrified. They are a different kind of animal and you don’t know what they’re going to do, and they’re incredibly capable of incredible things. Mostly they’re just very skittish, so the problem with them is not that they’re going to hurt us, it’s that they’re not going to be able to focus.
iF: Is there anything else you’d like to say about True Blood or your work on it?
O’HARE: I’m so thrilled to be here – I never expected or planned it, but now that I’m here, I don’t ever want to leave.
KällaIntervju med Natasha Alam
“I think I keep the title until he remarries,” says Natasha Alam, a new co-star on the HBO hit television series “True Blood” and “Playboy” magazine cover girl.
Alam, in 1998, married the grandson of the former Shah of Iran, Amir Ebrahim Pahlavi Alam, in New York and they moved to London soon after. Those nuptials granted her the title of princess. They later lived in Los Angeles so Natasha could pursue her acting career. However, the couple finalized their divorce in 2005. Then, they went their separate ways: Amir returned to London, while Natasha went Hollywood.
Alam plays the role of “Yvetta,” a leggy, erotic dancer at the Fangtasia bar in the vampire show, “True Blood.”
“I kind of forget that fact,” Natasha, 27, says of being a princess. “But in situations like this (speaking to the media), I get refreshed about it.
“In London, being a princess was a big deal – because of the whole royal family and everything. You get reminded of that in London. I loved that feeling and experience.
“But I felt lonely and unfulfilled. I felt there was more to life.”
So the Russian beauty from Uzbekistan, with the striking light blue/gray eyes, decided to chase her lifelong dream of acting. Her towering height (5’10″) means if Natasha wears four-inch heels (just check “Maxim” magazine), she suddenly leaps to 6’2″. “I guess I should consider myself an Amazon babe,” she says.
So watch out Tom Cruise. And watch out for her new, Americanized accent in the process.
Now, the accent sounds more midwestern than Russian dialect from her native Tashkent, Uzbekistan, which is formerly part of the Soviet Union. “I work with my tapes and my voice coach (Bob Corff),” says Natasha, whose birth name is Natalia Shimanchuk.
It’s obviously working for her as an up-and-coming thespian navigating what can be an unforgiving Hollywood web.
Except, Natasha’s new role in life almost evaded her.
Natasha’s grandmother fed her beer during her days as a toddler in the home country. She feared her granddaughter was too skinny and needed to gain weight – unbeknownst to Natasha’s mother.
Because of Nazi Germany, her grandmother knew the feeling of hunger. “She survived the German invasion during World War II,” Natasha says. (An estimated 20 million Russians were killed by the German Wehrmacht or “war machine”).
But once Natasha’s mother found out about the “secret diet,” she put an end to the beer routine.
Later, when she turned 17, Natasha’s mother enrolled her in the University of Technology for Aviation.
Her major?
Aircraft mechanics.
Hur man dödar en vampyr m.m.
