True Blood

While we’re counting down the days until True Blood makes its return to HBO (June 12, in case you were wondering), Carrie Preston gives us a few tantalizing hints as to what’s in store for the folks in vampire-infested Bon Temps, Louisiana. In an exclusive Wetpaint interview, Carrie discusses the trouble with Arlene’s baby, her upcoming movie — and how she’s finally going red for real.

We don't feel like we got see enough of Arlene last season. Will her storyline be more prominent in Season 4?

"There are so many characters in the show that the writers do an extraordinary job of touching down on each of the storylines and bringing them into the forefront. We all kind of trade off along the way. So you might have a couple of episodes where the concentration is more on Sookie and Bill and then a couple of episodes concentrating on Karen and her dilemma. They really do keep all the balls in the air and they juggle them quite well. I wouldn’t ever use the word “prominent” for any of the storylines, because I feel like they all are. I’m very happy where my storyline has gone and the journey that Arlene has taken. And, yes, this season there will be just as much as we’ve seen before of Arlene."

Terry (Todd Lowe) has been super supportive of Arlene during her pregnancy, even though the baby isn't his. Will the birth of the baby change their relationship?

"There’s a lot of stress around the baby. Arlene is very conflicted about the baby coming. Obviously, she made a very difficult decision to try to stop the arrival of the baby. It did not work, but her feelings are still ambiguous about what that means — bringing the child of a serial killer into the world. In her mind, Rene is evil and she is afraid that the baby might turn out to be evil. There’s a lot of stress for any couple expecting a baby, but especially this couple. But Terry is such a soulful, supportive, and lovely man that he will do anything to make the relationship work."
 
So, we're dying to know. What will the baby’s name be?

"[Laughs] What I will say is that the baby’s onboard, and that the conflicts that arise around that will grow exponentially."

Fair enough. Let's talk about Arlene's trademark fire-engine red hair. Is that your real hair dyed red, or a wig?

"Well, I’m finally not using the wig. It was always a wig for the first three seasons because I’m a blond in real life, but I decided to take the plunge and dye my hair. We’re actually using my real hair this season. Which is really liberating for me because the wig confined me a little more than I wanted — I got a little tired of it. So did the hair department. There’s only so much you can do with a wig. It’s fun to be a redhead in real life."

Another big question: Are you Team Bill & Sookie, or Team Eric & Sookie?

"Oh, I don’t think I can pick. I think what makes it work is that there is a triangle. So to pick one over the other would maybe not serve the story as well. You know, when you see shows like Friends, when Ross and Rachel finally get together it kind of loses the tension. Same thing with Cheers. When Sam and Diane get together, the tension falls out. So I think it’s important to have that triangle and not ever land on one side or the other."

People love seeing you and your husband, Lost's Michael Emerson, together on-screen. Does he have any interest in guest starring on True Blood?

"We try to keep our careers separate. I mean, we are always incredibly supportive of each other and obviously I did a little turn on Lost, but the guest stars that come in on our show do an entire arc on a season, and I think he would want to just sort of let me have my show. If he were to come and do something on True Blood he would want it to be a one-episode kind of thing."

What are you working on when you’re not doing True Blood?

"I have a production company and I just finished shooting a film that I directed called That’s What She Said. It’s my second feature film [after 2005’s 29th and Gay]. This one’s written by Kellie Overbey and it stars Anne Heche, Alia Shawkat and Marsha DeBonis. We just finished post-production on it and we’ll be submitting it to festivals and getting it out into the world this summer."

What’s it about?

"Three women, one day, New York City. One of the women is getting ready for a date and everything goes wrong. It’s a gritty East Village answer to all the “Bromance” movies that are out there. We like to call it a chick flick that’s not for pussies."