So Many Questions: Actress Amelia Rose Blaire gets to the point of 'True Blood's vampires
Vampires.
Love 'em or hate 'em, one thing's for sure: contemporary media and audiences have seen to it that these night crawlers are associated more with misunderstood romanticism than cold-hearted bloodsucking.
Embracing the role of newly turned vampire Willa on HBO's Emmy- and Golden Globe-nominated series “True Blood,” Amelia Rose Blaire has long enjoyed her own love affair with the mythological creatures, their seductive allure proving irresistible.
Don't get her wrong — sure, it's the sexiness that draws you in. But more importantly, she says, the characters on “True Blood” are symbolic of the numerous stereotypes that plague the real world, one that's still at war over cultural differences. For her, the show, which returns for its seventh season this summer, serves as a metaphor for life that everyone can learn from. Just because something is different doesn't necessarily mean it is bad.
Question: Have audiences completely romanticized the notion of a vampire?
Answer: Apparently! Although it seems like vampires have been romanticized for a long time, but it definitely hit a high point in the past eight, seven years. But I remember being in love with vampires when I was much younger and seeing “Interview With a Vampire” for the first time. So, for me, it's been a long journey.
Q: What is it about the introduction of evil into a “good” society that carries so much weight with people these days?
A: Well, for me, and for a lot of the people I talk to, what is so appealing about vampires is not necessarily that they're evil. It's just that they're different and kind of dangerous and otherworldly and seductive. For me, that's the thing that excites me the most about vampires. Not that they're evil — because I don't think they are necessarily evil, per se. It depends on the vampire just like it depends on the person. But there's something really scary and seductive and alluring about a being that can never get old and has these, like, super-human powers and also sucks blood, but does it in this seductive, lovemaking way. It's not like a kick; it's like a very intimate thing to feed on someone, according to old vampire lore.
Q: How much are contemporary issues, such as the intolerance of cultural differences, reflected on the show?
A: I was a fan of the show from Season 1, and that was something that really struck a chord for me and made “True Blood” stick out as a vampire show because of the way that they incorporate that into their story. The vampire is the other, the unknown, they're different — and a lot of people are scared of that and want to push that out and make everything smooth again. And I think that's a very relevant thing. That's what's going on in our world right now and our country, whether it's gay marriage or gay rights, it's very alive and very prevalent in our world right now. So, I think “True Blood” does a very good job of bringing that to light in a fantastical way.
Q: Are shows like “True Blood” meant simply to entertain, or is there a greater message that's being delivered?
A: Oh, I definitely think so. It's HBO, and it's (producer-writer) Alan Ball. So, those two together have always pushed the boundaries and pushed people's consciousness further. I think the whole reason that show even came into existence was because it had a deeper message, because it wasn't just about, “Ooh, vampires taking their clothes off and seducing young, beautiful blondes!” It was about a much deeper issue and that was fear of the other.
Q: Is that what appealed to you?
A: That was one of the many things that appealed to me — you know, Alan Ball! I had watched (“True Blood”) since the beginning, so I was a fan, and I knew everything that had happened in the previous seasons, and getting to work with HBO, I mean, it's a pretty incredible package to be offered. I never expected to book something like this.
Kate Benz is the social columnist for Trib Total Media and can be reached at kbenz@tribweb.com, 412-380-8515 or via Twitter: @katebenzTRIB.
