Just recently, Rutina Wesley was given a powerful reminder of just how much a television show can mean to the fans. The success of True Blood, in which she vividly portrays the feisty but vulnerable Tara, has been building rapidly since it started in 2008.
And when some of those True Blood devotees get to meet one of the stars of the show, they’re keen to convey their feelings. And that can mean everything from a handshake and a ‘thanks for doing a great job’ to a tearful encounter. True Blood is that kind of drama.
Q: Tara was in a terrible state at the end of season two. What happens to her in season three?
A: She was in a horrible, a horrible state. It’s like she had the rug pulled from underneath her. As we go into season three she’s very, very vulnerable and anything can happen. I will say that there’s a new love interest who just happens to be a vampire…
Q: That’s the unpredictable Franklin, right?
A: Yes, it is Franklin Mott played by the wonderful James Frain. He’s brilliant, and I love working with him – he’s really intense, very professional and he knows what he’s doing. And I think it’s a very interesting relationship we’re going to see between the two of them and it’s going to be very interesting to see how it plays out. I always say he’s tall, dark and handsome, with the emphasis on the dark, and maybe slightly psychotic, (laughs). So it’s going to be an incredible journey for her. I think Alan Ball kind of nailed it when he said the third season is all about identity, and people trying to find out who they are or what they are. And I think Tara has got to try and find her feet a little bit. I think she’s going to figure out hopefully who she is and how she fits into this world, but she’s going to have to fight for it.
Q: Do you enjoy playing her?
A: I do. She’s lovely, she’s misunderstood but I get her (laughs).
Q: She’s a complex woman. There’s a lot of fire in her as well as that vulnerability. That’s a lot for an actress to work with…
A: It is because it’s an incredible range of emotions for me and I get to go up and down, around the corner and back again.
Q: True Blood is known for pushing the envelope in terms of sex and storylines. Do they ever give you a script and you think oh my god, what are they doing now?’
A: Yeah. That happened with Second season of course, with all of the orgies and the black eyes; it was like ‘what?!’ I meet fans and they are like, ‘let me check your eyes, OK they’re fine…’ (laughs) But yeah, we do get scripts sometimes that we’re a little bit surprised by but this is what I signed up for. It’s True Blood, so you’ve got to expect it.
Q: Do you read the books?
A: I read the first two books and then I avoided the rest, because I knew that they were changing my character so drastically. I read the first two just to get familiar with the True Blood world but then I was like ‘I’ve got to stop reading this because this is not what we’re creating for Me.’ And I wanted to be able to create Tara with our writing team. I didn’t want to be forever thinking about the books.
Q: When you have to put yourself out there for a character like Tara how important is it that you trust the other actors that you are working with?
A: Very important. We’re one big happy family and everybody gets along. There are no egos and I think everybody still loves coming to work each day. I know I do. And a lot of people who have been in this business longer than me, who are on the show, have said this is rare. Usually by the third season people are like at each other’s throats (laughs), if you’ll pardon the pun! But we still love it. We’re in this boat until it sinks – we’re rocking the boat and we’re having a big party and we’re all loving it and we enjoy hanging out. We enjoy telling the story together, and that’s a lot of fun, so I’m glad that my first show could be something like this. It’s so incredible and I’m very lucky.
Q: There must be a lot of fake blood and gore on set. Does that provide for some funny moments?
A: It does (laughs). There’s a lot of humour and there’s a lot of times where it’s just got to be like ‘focus.’ But I have to stop myself because it’s easy to crack up sometimes but that’s fun and it keeps it lively. It’s not so serious all the time, especially with my character, because she goes through so much drama that I have to keep it lively in order to stay sane (laughs).
Q: You went to Julliard. What was that like?
A: It was school and it had it’s ups and downs like any university but I had a good time there. I met my husband there, and I think it was the best choice for me, I wouldn’t take it back. I learned a lot from some of the most amazing teachers there, and it’s a great school. And Nelsan Ellis was there at the same time, so we know each other very well. He’s nice and he’s really great on the show as well. He cracks me up – I have to stay on my toes with him (laughs). I have a lot of good memories from Julliard.
Q: Did you move to Los Angeles right after college?
A: No, I stayed in New York, I did a show on Broadway, and I came out here for True Blood.
Q: How did it feel when you first moved here? Did you settle in quite easily?
A: It took a little while because we’re New Yorkers (laughs) so it took a minute to sort of settle in to what it is to be like in LA. I miss New York. I miss the theatre. I’m from Las Vegas, but lived in New York for ten years, so it’s like I’m a New Yorker. I just miss the essence of what New York has. I feel like sometimes in LA, there’s no soul here and you can get caught up in the Hollywood-ness of it all. And I feel like New York you can get lost in Central Park and go to see Shakespeare and Broadway and Off-Off Broadway and just the people, the hustle and bustle, walking around, being able to move about, it’s great. I even miss the smell of New York (laughs). But, there’s something about LA that I feel like I’ve grown to love. It’s a different kind of life but you get into it. You’ve got your car, you can have your music blasting if you want to, you don’t have to worry about people next to you, and if you’ve got a group of good, supportive friends out here, I think you’re fine. I think being single in LA is hard, so I’m very lucky because I’m very happily married.
Q: Did your husband move here when you came west?
A: Yes he did. But I do think for television and film, LA sort of is the place to be. And I love theatre, but financially, sometimes it’s not as great as it is in television and film.
Q: What was it like growing up in Vegas?
A: You know, it was fun, I did all right, I made it out okay, (laughs) but I had to get out, I tell you. I had to get out of there because it’s easy to get stuck – because you can work on the Strip in one of the casinos and make a lot of money, get yourself a house and a car and the next thing you know, you’re married with kids, and you’re stuck. And I have a lot of friends who are still there, who are really talented – I went to Performing Arts High School there – and they’re not at it anymore, and it was sad for me sometimes to go back to see them sort of not realizing their potential.
Q: So what was it that spurred you on to get out and make that move?
A: Well, I wanted to see the world, and my parents were dancers so I think that’s why I was sort of itching to get out. And I knew that I wanted to go to college away from home. I was like, “I was like, I’m sorry but I’m not going to the University of Las Vegas or Reno, I’m out, as a matter of fact, I’m heading to the other side of the United States.’ And it helped me grow up a lot and to mature.
Q: That first time away from home is very defining I think…
A: It’s brutal…
Q: But if you survive it, it kind of gives you that layer that you can go out into the world with…
A: Exactly and I think kids need that. And especially in this generation, kids need to learn, how to be on their own, and have that exterior of not only just being an adult, being responsible.
Q: Was it inevitable that you would follow your parents into the business? Or was there a time when you thought you might do something else?
A: That was my grandmother; she always wanted me to be a nurse or something like that. (laughs) She wanted me to have something to fall back on so to speak. But I always knew I’d be on the stage. I didn’t know in what capacity but I knew I’d be on the stage from a very, very young age. I did my first play at seven, Finian’s Rainbow to be exact, and from there on, I fell in love with it.
Q: Your parents know the business. Were they encouraging or did they warn you of the pitfalls?
A: Yeah, they wanted me to dance. My dad is a tap dancer and he wanted me to tap dance, my mother is more into modern dance and she wanted me to do that. But they were like whatever you want to do, as long as you keep doing what you love to do, and they said that I had what they called ‘a light’ about me. My dad has this great story about Dean Martin, he says when I was a baby he was working for Dean Martin, and I think he might have been tapping on one of his shows, and he brought me in, I was in my little baby seat and the band started playing and I started kicking my feet and fingers and Dean Martin was like, ‘that girl is going to be a star!’ That’s a kind of cheesy story, but it always warms my heart, because it’s sort of like, ‘really? Dean Martin!’ (laughs) So it’s kind of cool that from when I was a baby I was sort of kicking my feet and ready to go and get on that stage.
Q: So was it dance that sort of drove you on? How did the acting start?
A: At first it was dance until I got to high school, where I did both acting and dancing and actually, I was singing as well. And then it was ‘I can’t do all three, okay, I have to figure this out…’ Well in musicals you can dance and sing and act. So I thought I would focus on acting and hone that craft because then I can do film, I can do television and I can do theatre – I can do it all. So that was the route that I took and I would take dance classes and singing lessons on the side during that time.
Q: Do you still dance?
A: I do when I get a chance. Not as much as I would like of course, because my schedule is pretty busy. But I do when I get the chance.
Q: We talked a little bit about the character and how you love playing her. Is there a little bit of your own personality that you put into her?
A: I think every actor does. You start with yourself, and then you start to put on the layers of the character and so there’s a little bit of me in Tara. I can be feisty at times but I’m also incredibly vulnerable. I’m like a Juliet actually, even though I seem like Tina Turner with these arms and legs (laughs). I’m a flower on the inside and I’m incredibly sensitive. And, so that’s why I feel like I understand Tara in a way, because I feel she’s like a woman/child. That’s what I see. She hasn’t had a male figure in her life and that’s why she has issues with men. It makes so much sense to me. But I love, love, playing her.
Q: For a young actress making her way in the business the chance to work with someone like Alan Ball must have been a huge deal…
A: Oh yeah. And it was just the fact that he choose me. I was like ‘me? Really?’ Because I know a lot of girls auditioned for this part and to get chosen out of all those girls is just like ‘wow!’ You feel special, you feel sort of handpicked like when you go to the Farmers Market and you handpick your fruit, it’s like, ‘that one, the soft one…’ And he keeps reminding me of the vulnerability that is Tara, and I just hold onto that, because I think that’s ultimately what got me this part is playing the vulnerability, and not playing the anger.
Q: What’s he like on set? Is he very approachable?
A: He’s great. He’s very accessible and he’s really easy to get along with, he always wants you to feel comfortable. Every scene is all about you feeling comfortable. I feel like I can go up to him and ask him about anything because he is so approachable.
Q: But were you a little intimidated by him at first? He’s got this incredible track record…
A: You know, it did take me a while because at first I felt so intimidated. I was like ‘oh my God, it’s Alan Ball!’ But gradually I’d be able to say ‘I don’t feel right about this ..’ and he would be like, ‘you’re fine, you’re great..’ or ‘let’s talk about it..’ And you would have a conversation and a dialogue and that’s great because there are some directors and writers out there who just say ‘do it like this – go!’ And they don’t want a dialogue, they already know what they want and they want results. Alan has a way of getting the results he wants without pushing them on you. He has a great way of talking to you about what you are doing in a way that will take you there naturally and not forcing things on you.
Q: Do you look ahead with your career and think about the kinds of things you would like to do in the future?
A: I’d love to do some films and things like that, like some romantic comedies or some action movies. I think that it’s just a matter of the right project at the right time, and hopefully those things will come along, for me. I just have to have patience and right now I’m thankful that I have an incredible job, we have another season to make and that’s all I look forward too and that’s my focus. I can’t be focused on like, ‘how come I’m not doing a movie?’ I just have to be like, ‘it’ll come, it’ll come.’
Q: What do you feel about the supernatural elements on the show? Do you like all that stuff?
A: I think it’s great. I think it’s great because it’s mixed with like the human reaction to that. And that’s what’s funny or dramatic, or tragic, in the show, the interaction between the characters. And it makes sense to me because if vampires or shape-shifters or werewolves were walking around amongst us what would we do? How would we react? And that’s what we give you on the show.
Q: True Blood is cutting edge TV. And it’s part of a wave of really great American television that’s being made right now. Do you feel like you are in the middle of a golden age of American TV?
A: I do in a way because there are some great things on TV right now and it’s kind of nice to be a part of that. And you know, I’m still so surprised that this early on in my career I’m on a show like this. Not just any show, but a hit show that people really love. I still get overwhelmed by that every day. I still go ‘wow, I’m here and I’m doing what I love, telling a great story and people are digging it.’
Q: And to state the obvious it’s not just a vampire show, is it?
A: It’s not just vampires; it’s dealing with all sorts of issues. Its human rights, its gay rights, there’s so much going on. And it makes for incredible television.
Q: It’s an incredible mix – it’s sexy, it’s scary, it’s funny and yet within that it’s thought provoking. How do you get that balance right?
A: Well, if you have Alan Ball at the top guiding things then it’s going to work. I like the way that you can watch the show can make you think about things. But it’s done subtly. It’s not blatant and in your face. It’s like the audience has to think ‘what does it mean to you? What do vampires represent to you? What do shape-shifters represent?’
Q: What about Tara? What does she represent?
A: I think Tara represents pain and human suffering and no matter who you are, rich or poor, everyone goes through some type of pain and suffering. I also think she represents the truth on the show. I feel like she’s the pulse line and that makes sense to me. People ask me ‘why does she never catch a break?’ But I think she represents us human and the fact is we don’t always catch a break. Or if we do then boom, something else comes along and the rug is swept out from underneath us. That’s life – it’s not always going to be perfect.
Q: The show is getting bigger and bigger and attracting more attention. How do the fans react when they meet you?
A: The fans are great and they are really inspiring, and they are moved by the show and by my performance. And I think that’s an incredible gift for an actor, to get that kind of reaction from the fans. I’ve had people come up to me and say ‘thank you for telling the story the way you do, it’s just like my cousin.’ and start crying. And it makes me cry! It moves my heart because if people are moved by the work then that’s what I went to school for – to tell stories and be a vessel for the character to come through. I was in New Orleans recently and that was one of the biggest experiences. People would run up to me in the street and be like ‘Tara! We love you…’ They were like ‘you’re dialect is great, you’re great.’ It was overwhelming but it validates a lot of things for me. Not in a way that’s making my head big or giving me an ego but you think, ‘OK we’re doing our job and people are getting it, that’s cool.’ People love this show. And I’m very proud of being a part of it.
TRUE BLOOD – THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON IS OUT ON BLU-RAY AND DVD ON MAY 23 – FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.VILF.CO.UK
