Carrie Preston is one cool chick. She acts and directs, tweets in her spare time, and is unrecognizable from role to role. She changes characters the way a chameleon changes colors, with dazzling results. We got the chance recently to ask Carrie a few questions in a True Blood News exclusive interview.

TB-News: How does all your years in theater help prepare you for filming for TV and the big screen? Can you talk about your upcoming stage-performance with your husband?

CP: For me, the theater training I got is the foundation for all of the other kinds of acting that I’ve been asked to tackle. When you are on stage, you simultaneously use your mind, your body, your voice, your focus, your collaboration with others, and most of all your stamina. Of course these are required when doing camera work, too. But it’s much more acute on stage. With the technique I learned doing plays, I feel more able to sustain all that is required of me in the fragmented world of camera work. Michael and I are doing a benefit for Charleston Stage in Charleston, SC on July 31st. We are not doing a “performance” per se, instead we are doing a benefit reading of “Love Letters” by A.R. Gurney, which entails reading/acting the play while sitting at music stands. This particular play is meant to be performed this way, it’s a good choice for the event.

TB-News: You worked on two films during the hiatus, A Bag of Hammers and What’s Wrong with Virginia. In both, you also play a Southern woman. Do you credit your Southern roots for playing these roles so well, and do you use real-life models for these characters?

CP: I always feel like I grew up in a place that is so particular and so full of rich history, customs and character. I have travelled all over the world, and there’s no place like the south. I feel a responsibility to give the southern women I play a depth and believability that isn’t always present in Hollywood’s portrayal of Southern women. With that said, I do understand that I am responsible for a lot of the humor of the show, so I must honor that at the same time. I don’t use specific women as reference, it’s more like a patchwork of many different women I grew up with.

TB-News: You have a production company, Daisy 3 Pictures. Do you have any projects in the works? Is it difficult to go from being an actor to  writing, directing and producing? What is more rewarding for you?

CP: Daisy 3 Pictures has produced two features and a short film. Now we are teaming up with Locomotive (Lucy Barzun Donnelly and Joshua Astrachan) to produce a screenplay written by actress Kellie Overbey, and I am hoping to be directing it soon in New York. It’s a comedy called “That’s What She Said”, which I like to call “an east village Sex and the City.” It’s the woman’s answer to all the “bromance” movies that have been ubiquitous these days. Being an actor really helps me communicate with the actors that I am directing. Also, being an actor, I get to experience and learn from many different directors.  I end up using more of my skills when directing and producing than when I’m just an actor. I love it all.

One of Daisy 3 Pictures films is,  READY? OK! (2008) available on DVD.

TB-News: Do you have any acting projects lined up for the break after Season 3 wraps?

CP: “The Good Wife” has inquired about my availability for another episode, so I’m hoping that works out. I’m also doing some workshops and readings of new plays in NYC.

TB-News: So many people have commented that Stephen Moyer is a very technical actor. You write and direct. Kristin Bauer has written a screenplay. Do you think they’ll turn over the reins to y’all anytime soon? What would you do differently if you were calling the shots for True Blood?

CP: Actually Stephen has been shadowing the episode 12 director, so maybe he’ll be lucky enough to direct some time in the future. I don’t write. I direct and produce, and of course I’d love a shot at directing an episode. But I’m happy just to be apart of the cast, of course. I have my own projects outside of True Blood that keep me busy and make me happy. I am very pleased with all of the directors that we have on the show, so I wouldn’t do anything different. I’d just hope to be able to live up to the level of expertise they have achieved.

TB-News: You’ve been involved in some big film projects over the years, and also low budget, independent films, and with some of Hollywood’s biggest name actors. How does the True Blood experience compare, with the work itself, the other actors, and the fans you meet?

CP: With True Blood, it’s a steady gig for now, and that’s rare in this business. I get the luxury of visiting the same character in different scenarios from episode to episode. So I feel like I know her better than roles I’ve played on film. We have a wonderful cast and crew, and the work flows easily. With small films, you work a lot faster and it’s over before you know it. Fans approach me for all kinds of roles that I have done over the years, lately it has been for my roles on True Blood and The Good Wife, mostly.

TB-News: In a lot of ways, Merlotte’s is representative of the world outside of Bon Temps – there’s a little bit of everything topical going on there. Are you mindful of the deeper implications of the show and the characters while you’re acting?

CP: No, when I’m doing the scene, I focus on the little picture. I try to stay mindful of the situation and conflicts the character is facing in that moment. I concentrate on what she wants, what’s getting in the way of that and how she’s going to get what she needs from the other person. I leave the bigger picture to the audience.

TB-News: In the books, Arlene often comes off as more of a caricature, and though she does have a lot of really funny lines on the show, you’ve given her some meaning beyond a white trash stereotype.  How much of that depth beneath the fake nails is you, and how much of that comes from Alan Ball and the writers?

CP: On the page sometimes, Arlene runs the risk of being ridiculed by the audience by coming off as a stereotypically racist, ignorant southerner. I like to find the balance between the humor and the pathos with Arlene. On the page, I get a lot of one-liners or jokes, but I try to find the truth behind them. I always try to build a three dimensional woman with responsibilities and cares and woes that are similar to the concerns of our audience. She’s grounded in the real world, which is a nice balance with the supernatural stuff going on around her.

TB-News: Arlene is not falling over herself for vampires, unlike a lot of women (and men) in Bon Temps, yet she’s obviously looking for love. Have you considered why she feels the way she does, and so strongly, about vampires?

CP: I think she expresses a much needed viewpoint on the show, which is this: Vampires might be seductive and mysterious and sexy, but they are also killers by nature, so maybe we shouldn’t trust our children with them!

TB-News: Season 2 left off with Arlene and Terry definitely starting to get somewhere. Will the new season be exploring that relationship? And, because it’s Alan Ball, can we assume that it’s not all smooth-sailing?

CP: The audience is going to see a deeper, more emotional side of Arlene this season. However, it’s not the familiar histrionics that she displayed in the first two season.  Terry is by far the sweetest and most vulnerable man Arlene has ever dated.He’s the first guy who seems willing to drop everything to make her and her kids happy, so even if he’s got some emotional issues due to the war, it seems like she wants to make things work with him. But will it always be smooth sailing? Well, that wouldn’t make for exciting television!

TB-News: You said in the past that with your blond hair, a lot of people (sometimes even other cast members) didn’t recognize you as Arlene. Now that you’ve gone red, are you more recognizable to folks?

CP: I am much more recognizable now that I’m a red head in real life. It is a relief to go to work and not have to introduce myself to people!

TB-News: Do you think Arlene is better off not knowing what went on at Maryanne’s interesting parties, or would you like Sookie to show her what went down?

CP: I don’t think anyone should have to re-live those crazy parties. And I’m sure all of the actors would say the same thing :-)

TB-News: What was your favorite scene to film on the show, and your least favorite?

CP: My favorite was probably the sequence of scenes in Merlotte’s in season 2 when I’m frazzled and unsure what went on with Terry at the party and I finally get up the nerve to talk to Terry about it. It was a really fun day on the set, and I love working with Todd. I guess my least favorite was the orgy scene in the woods, simply because it was 38 degrees in the valley on a night shoot, and we were scantily clad wearing those black contact lenses. It was pretty challenging.

TB-News: How much collaboration do you have with Audrey Fisher, the costume designer the show?  Some of Arlene’s non-Merlotte’s related wardrobe is deliciously trashy – are you involved in that process?

CP: I completely trust Audrey. She has a great eye, and in fittings, she brings so many choices that it’s sometimes impossible for me to pick. She really listens to my ideas about what Arlene would wear in any given situation, she is extremely collaborative. My Merlotte’s uniform may stay the same, but she accessorizes like crazy.

TB-News: Now that Lost has concluded, do you and your husband Michael have any joint-projects in the works? You’ve said that he’d like a spot on the show – is that something we can look forward to anytime soon?

CP: Our latest project is our new dog, Chumley. Right now, I am just enjoying having Michael back on the mainland for a while.

TB-News: You recently started tweeting on Twitter and interacting with Arlene’s Twitter counterpart, @ArleneFowler? What’s that like? Do you write your own tweets and do you have time to read all the tweets you get from fans?

CP: I write all my own tweets, and I read all of the ones from my fans. It’s a great way to get a sense of what people think of the show and my character. It’s quite surreal reading @ArleneFowler’s tweets because they are so specific to the world of the show and to my character, as if Arlene is alive and well, even when I’m not playing her. Plus the person tweeting Arlene uses a picture of me, which makes it even more of a trip. I get a real kick out of it, @ArleneFowler is always very respectful of me as the actor.

TB-News: You kindly do many interviews – what questions do you wish people would ask you?

CP: I’m happy to answer whatever questions come my way, especially from people who are so appreciative of what we are doing on the show!

Carrie. along with her husband Michael Emerson be doing a benefit for Charleston Stage in Charleston, SC on July 31st. The performance will be done in reading style of Love Letters by A.R. Gurney. Love Letters – tells the story of a lifelong romance between Andrew Ladd and Melissa Gardner beginning when they are in elementary school and continuing as Ladd becomes a powerful United States Senator. For more information click here: Love Letters

Posted in Arlene Fowler, Carrie Preston, Exclusive Interviews