True Blood - Season 5 - Carrie Preston Interview

Thanks to Philomina for the heads up.

1. How did you get into acting?

I grew up in Macon, Georgia and started doing plays when I was 9 years old, following in the footsteps of my older brother John G. Preston, who is still an actor as well. I considered myself a character actor from the very beginning when I did plays in the community theater and in school. Even then, I wasn’t Alice in Wonderland or Snow White or Cinderella. I was the Mock Turtle, Maid Dim Witty, and the kooky FGM (Fairy God Mother), complete with ass pad and glasses. I studied acting in various places, the most notable being the University of Evansville in southern Indiana and The Juilliard School in NYC. I relished the controlled chaos within the womb of higher education. And at 18, I started performing professionally doing Shakespeare in the summer breaks. But eventually the real world came calling, and I was definitely ready to get out into it.

2. When you booked the part of Arlene on "True Blood", did you know right from the start that her fiancé René was the murderer?

The series is based on the Southern Vampire novels by Charlaine Harris, so there was a blueprint to follow. In the book, Rene is the murderer, so I did know from the start that he was the killer. But the show took liberties with some of the character traits and plot points, so a lot of that was surprising.

3. Your "True Blood" character is very superstitious. Is that something you and Arlene share or do you have something else in common?

I grew up in the south, so I know women like Arlene. I also trust the writers, and I let their words take me where I need to go. We are both strong women. I'm not narrow minded like Arlene, but we have the same work ethic. We both deeply care about what we do for a living.

Source: Full Interview @ myfanbase