Interview with Carrie Preston (Arlene, 'True Blood')

September, 2008

Over the years, I've been very fortunate to have interviewed some of the nicest and down to earth actors in the business. Sadly, I think there are many fans who think some actors wouldn't give them the time of day, but the truth is that they are all just as normal as you and me.

I had the pleasure of chatting with another incredibly sweet actress named Carrie Preston, who stars in the HBO vampire series True Blood. This southern beauty also happens to be married to Michael Emerson (Ben on Lost), another unbelievably talented actor.

From My Best Friend's Wedding and The Legend of Bagger Vance to Desperate Housewives and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, role after role, Carrie has proved that she is one of the most diverse actors of our time.

Q: When did you start pursuing a career in acting?

Carrie: "I started doing plays when I was 8-years-old. I was born in Macon, Georgia and my parents were very supportive. My brother started doing plays, so I wanted to start doing plays as well. He and I are both still pursuing it professionally. I studied it in school; I went to college for it and then grad school. I ended up at Julliard in New York and just stayed there and started working pretty much immediately after getting out of school. It's definitely something I've always wanted to do with my life. I was lucky to have a supportive family."

Q: As you pursued this path, were there any actors you dreamed of working with?

Carrie: "I know it sounds sort of cliché, but Meryl Streep has always been my acting guru. I met her when I was doing The Tempest on Broadway with Patrick Stewart and she said the kindest things about my work. Recently, I got cast in the movie Doubt and Meryl Streep is in it. We don't have any scenes together, but I was there when we did the read-through and just being in the room with her and watching her read through the script is pretty thrilling."

Q: Tell us about True Blood....

Carrie: "It's about a telepath who lives in rural Louisiana, she's played by Anna Paquin, and it's right when the vampires come out of the coffin [so-to-speak], and they're walking amongst us and we're very aware of their existence. They're fighting for their rights and their place in society. They've developed a synthetic blood, so they no longer have to kill humans to live. The blood of the vampire is very much like a cross between ecstasy, heroin and crack for humans. Humans are starting to get addicted to it and if you take too much of it, you can go mad. The blood is called "V" and it's very much sought after by some of the characters on the show. There's other supernatural stuff that happens as the show goes on."

Q: And about your character....

Carrie: "I play Arlene Fowler, she's a friend of the main character, and I work at the local bar and grill where some of the action takes place. I have a fun character.... she has two kids and is looking for her fourth husband. I've got a lot of the spice and humor of the show gets lobbed my way, which I'm happy about because I like to do comedy. The show is based on these books, so they're really trying to make them look like they do in the book. As a result, I have a long, red wig, fake tan, fake nails, tons of make-up, short shorts, high heels -- we go all out with these characters."

Q: Did you do anything special to prepare for the role?

Carrie: "You know, growing up in Macon, Georgia was pretty much all I needed, I grew up with people similar to her. The writing allows me to just show up and do the accent. The writers are really great."

Q: I understand you were a fan of Lost before your husband Michael got his role.... What sort of theories had you developed up to that point?

Carrie: "At one point, I guess I thought they were in some type of purgatory, where the island was going to reveal to you what your unresolved issues are and the island makes you deal with things in your life. I thought maybe they were all dead, but of course that's not true now. I was a huge fan of the show and have watched it right from the first airing of the pilot. Michael used to make fun of me and say, 'Oh you're watching that show again, you're so addicted.' When he got the part, I had to get him up to speed on the show."

Q: Is it difficult to watch your husband play such a chilling character?

Carrie: "You know what's difficult is when he showed up all beat up, and he's got all these cuts and bruises. He's such a good actor that when he plays a part life that, I just admire the skill of it. Sometimes when we're watching, I'll turn to him and say, 'honey, that was a good moment.' We talk about it in terms of the craft."

Q: Will we see you on Lost again?

Carrie: "I hope so! I would love to come back and haunt him (Ben) again. When I first did it, they said they were going to bring me back at some point. We'll see...."

Q: Any future projects in the works?

Carrie: "I produced and acted in a movie called Ready? OK!, with production company I have called Daisy Dream Pictures. We've done 20 festivals and have 10 or 15 coming up. It's about a little boy who wants to be a cheerleader and I play his mom. I'm dealing with the fact that he likes to wear dresses and play with dolls. Michael's in it, he plays the next-door neighbor and a sort of role model for the boy. My real life brother is in it and he plays my brother. I just shot a movie in Knoxville, TN with Hal Holbrook called I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down."

Q: Are there any fall TV shows you're planning to watch?

Carrie: "I'm really looking forward to Fringe. It definitely seems like it'll be right up my alley."

Q: Anything to say to the fans?

Carrie: "I hope you watch the show! I really want to keep doing it."