Carrie Preston : TvDoneWright

In the slow days of Summer, TV brings us few gems to watch. But one of the most anticipated show every Summer is of course the HBO mega-hit True Blood.

Now in its third season, it keeps its audience sucked-in with its formula of humor, chaos, blood, gore, and sex.

Carrie Preston has been on the hit series since the beginning. She plays Arlene Fowler, mother and waitress at Merlotte’s. She recently talked to TVDoneWright.com about the hit series, the recent Emmy nominations, and what’s in store for Arlene in the second-half of the season.

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Adam: First off, congratulations to you and the cast for the multiple Emmy nominations for True Blood this year. How does it feel to be nominated for the first time in the prestigious “Outstanding Drama Series” category?
Carrie: The Golden Globes honored us from the beginning, but it took a while for the Emmys to acknowledge us in this way. I think historically, the Emmys have been reluctant to embrace fantasy, horror or sci-fi shows, except on the technical side of things or for casting or something like that (think Battlestar, X-Files, Buffy) . So for it to be in the best Drama category is a real testament to how well the show is respected in the industry.

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Adam: Did you watch the nominations that morning with your husband Michael Emerson, who also received some big nominations? How did you two celebrate?

Carrie: We didn’t watch the nominations. We got a phone call from Michael’s agent, and then I went to the web to look at the whole list. We were pleased to both be in nominated shows for Best Drama, which is a first for us. I’m always proud of Michael for his much deserved acting nominations. He just got his fifth nomination, which is such an honor. We celebrated with champagne over a nice dinner with friends.

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Adam: True Blood has one of the most dedicated fan-base on TV today, especially for a Cable show. How does it feel to be in the centre of all of it?

Carrie: I did 7 pilots over the years before I did the True Blood pilot. You never know which of these pilots is going to hit, and you certainly can’t predict how successful it will be. So I don’t take any of this for granted at all. I honestly never imagined the show that would hit for me would be what I like to call a “drama-comedy-horror-vampire-porn-variety-show”. Nor did I think I’d be playing a buxom, red-headed, sassy, brassy, married a million times waitress with an attitude. But I’m thrilled to be doing it!

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Adam: You must get recognized by fans everywhere you go. Tell us one of your most interesting encounters with a fan (laughs).

Carrie: Honestly, I don’t get approached that much. In life I look and behave remarkably different than Arlene, so I am able to travel in anonymity relatively easily. Even though I now have red hair in real life (I wear a wig on the show), it still takes people more than a moment to know that it’s me. If someone comes up to me, I feel like they are honest to goodness fans of the show. And I’m always honored that they recognize me. Recently, Michael and I went to Sushi Samba in the West Village with my sister and brother in law. We were treated so royally by the wonderful staff there. I assumed it was because they were “Lost” fans, but when we left the restaurant, it turns out the staff were true Truebies and wanted photos with “Arlene”.  You just never know who’s watching you.

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Adam: You’ve been on True Blood since the very beginning. What was your initial reaction to your character Arlene Fowler? Was she the first character you auditioned for?

Carrie: I played Aaron Eckhart’s wife in the movie “Towelhead”, written and directed by Alan Ball. He was the one who told me about the show he was getting ready to do for HBO, and he mentioned that he might have something in it for me. When I read the script I had no idea what character he was talking about. When I was told it was Arlene, I thought “OK, let me see if I can make this work”. I read for it once, and that was it. Normally, you have to jump through many more hoops in situations like that. So I was grateful that Alan was on my side and saw that even though I didn’t look like Arlene on the outside, I could create her from the inside. He understood that her look could be achieved with the amazing costume, hair and makeup crew that we have. 
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Adam: Arlene has delivered some hilarious one-liners through three seasons so far. Do you have input in what she says, or it’s totally up to the writers?

Carrie: We have incredible writers, obviously. I trust them whole heartedly. But I am grateful that they are also open to suggestions and improvisations that happen spur of the moment. I grew up in the south, so sometimes things just organically come out of me that sometimes work well for the scene. “Sweating like an ice water pitcher” was something my grandmother used to say. So I threw it in there one time, and it stuck. Little asides, little reactions, those things are allowed on this set. But I have the utmost respect for writers, so I always honor what they wrote first.

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Adam: Do you have a favorite one-liner that comes to mind?

Carrie: Well, I believe I was blessed with one of the funniest lines of the season opener this year. So I’m pretty partial to “Look, I’m sorry you fell in love with a serial killer. But honestly, WHO HERE HASN’T??”

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Adam: Last season, Arlene, and most of Bon Temps, was under the mind-control of Maryann. Tell me about playing those “possessed” scenes.

Carrie: It was ultimately fun to behave like a maniac and for that to not only be allowed, but encouraged! But it was challenging because we had to wear those rather uncomfortable contact lenses. It was like looking through a black peephole, with no peripheral vision.  They couldn’t put full prescriptions in them, either. So those of us who wear contacts or glasses in real life couldn’t really see well. But actually, that may have been a blessing in some cases!

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Adam: Of course, there was the mass-love-fest in the forest. (laughs). Tell me about shooting that scene.

Carrie: Remember that blessing that I mentioned in the above answer? Being surrounded by a bunch of naked strangers at 4am in the valley in February (it was around 40 degrees) was interesting, to say the least. But we all tried to be as professional as we could under the circumstances, and we were able to huddle together and have some laughs over what our job description was for the day.

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Adam: Also last season Arlene got closer to Terry Bellefleur, after a long string of bad-luck with men. Even now in season three, she is hesitant. Do you think Arlene will ever fully trust a guy again?

Carrie: I think Arlene is the type of woman who is never without a man. She’s willing to see the good in them. So yes, I do think she will learn to trust men. It’s in her blood to trust them. Pun intended (laughs)

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Adam: The biggest development this season for your character is the news of Arlene being pregnant. Since she got pregnant before dating Terry, is it safe to assume that Rene is the father? Or we are we in for a surprise? (laughs)

Carrie: It’s safe to assume Rene is the father. What makes it interesting is how she copes with that knowledge.

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Adam: Terry is so happy about the baby news, and moving in with Arlene. As a viewer at home, you can’t help but to dread the inevitable when he learns the truth. I guess what I’m asking is, will the crash be as painful as we expect it to be?

Carrie: It’s a painful situation for both of them. But ultimately, I hope and trust that the audience will go along with the story line.

Adam: Arlene and Jessica are having a little feud at Merlotte’s. What can we expect moving forward? Maybe some eye-contact? (laughs)

Carrie: Arlene expresses a much needed, and might I say valid, viewpoint on the show. And it’s this: Vampires have proven to be violent and murderous in the past, so perhaps we should be a little weary of them. Jessica is now working so close to Arlene, and so many crazy things have happened in the last couple of months. So that makes Arlene more than a little jittery. I don’t think she’s going to be hanging out at the Compton/Hamby house any time soon!

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Adam: Season three is almost half-way done already! What can you tell us about the second-half of the season? What’s in story for Arlene especially?

Carrie: Arlene’s conflict has been presented at this point, and that carries us through the rest of the season.

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Adam: Finally, I ask this to all my interviewees. What have you been watching on TV lately?

Carrie: Lately I’ve been watching “Breaking Bad” (I thought this season was particularly fantastic) I also been watching “Friday Night Lights”, “Modern Family”, “Glee”, and “The Good Wife” (I had the great fortune of doing two episodes of that show, but I was a fan first and foremost), and of course “Lost”.