Rutina Wesley at the 2009 Scream Awards

Rebecca Murray recently interviewed Rutina Wesley, for her online Hollywood movie blog at the 2009 Scream Awards. We all know that Rutina’s character, Tara, has been through more than any one person should be put through this past season on True Blood. Well, Rebecca asked Rutina what she thought could possibly be up next for Tara.

Rutina explained that Tara has a long grief process ahead of her, but that she will, hopefully, find comfort in her friend, Sookie. Rutina is ready for whatever is up next for Tara as long as she doesn’t get killed. Rutina also admits that she wouldn’t mind revisiting the Tara and Sam storyline.

Wesley feels that Tara was really falling in love with Sam, but just wasn’t ready for it. Rutina also discussed the inner aspects of her character and how she has really been able to deeply understand Tara and where she comes from. Rebecca also asked Rutina if she ever gets used to being on a show where you hang out with vampires and shapeshifters all the time. Rutina laughed saying that she never gets used to it, especially when the actors have their fangs in.

We want to thank Rebecca Murray for sharing her awesome interview with Rutina with us. If you would like to see Rebecca’s video interview with Rutina you can go here.

SOURCE:  Rebecca Murray

Photo Credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos

Rutina Wesley Attends The Opening Of The Royal Family On Broadway

Rutina Wesley was recently spotted at the opening night of “The Royal Family” on Broadway in New York City. The play is being presented by the Manhattan Theater Club and is a revival of the 1927 play of the same name written by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber.

The play is about the glittering, drama-filled life of the Cavendishes, a fictional acting family based on the real-life Barrymore clan, headed by famed siblings John, Lionel, and Ethel (and currently represented by Drew Barrymore). The production, directed by Tony Award winner Doug Hughes (Broadway’s Doubt and Frozen), stars several real-life Broadway stars, including Rosemary Harris and John Glover.

If you would like to see the shots taken of Rutina at the show’s opening you can take a peek here. Enjoy!

SOURCE:  Exposay, New York Show Tickets

Photo Credit:  Jill Bednar / PR Photos via exposay.com

Rutina Wesley Talks True Blood at NYC Fashion Show

In a interview with Fashion News Live at a recent fashion show in New York City, Rutina Wesley discussed how True Blood has become such a major hit and how pleased she is to see how fast the show has caught on with viewers.

She also talked about the steamy sex scenes in True Blood. Rutina explained that she is married and she always keeps it professional. She was also asked how much her life has changed compared to her life before True Blood. Rutina said that she still feels like the same girl she was before, but now people definitely notice her and she laughed about how fans run up to her now calling her “Tara”.

Rutina feels good being able to inspire her fans and appreciates that so many are moved by her work. Rutina was also asked about the notorious “black eyes” that we saw Tara and the citizens of Bon Temps had while under the control of Maryann. Rutina explained that they achieve that effect with the use of big contact lenses that she admits are pretty painful the first few times she used them, but after a while was able to get used the them. We all appreciate you, Rutina, and the wonderful work you do on True Blood!

SOURCE: Fashion News Live

(Photo credit: David Gabber / PR Photos)

Rutina Wesley Thinks Grief and Darkness Lie Ahead for Tara

Rutina Wesley recently talked with MTV about her character, Tara Thornton on  Alan Ball’s hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood. We all watched Tara go through a strange saga with her cohorts Maryann and Eggs last season. The question now is, what will Tara do now that the overwhelming presence of Maryann is gone and the love of her life has died? Well Rutina seems to think that grieving and darkness are ahead for her character in season 3, but hopes that the return of Tara’s beloved best friend, Sookie, will help Tara keep it together.

SOURCE:  MTV.com

Photo credit: Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos via exposay.com

Rutina Wesley Seeks to Encourage Black Actresses for Leading Roles

Not only does Rutina Wesley get to star in a hugely popular show like True Blood, but her character, Tara Thornton, also gets to break out of stereotypes for black women.

In an article by the LA Times, Rutina gets very excited and emotional talking about how much she loves working on the show. She also expresses her wish that her role would pave the way for other black actresses to have interesting layers to their characters, beyond playing the common trend of the “BBF” or “Black Best Friend.”

A multidimensional leading character like Tara has given Rutina the chance to utilize her extensive classical training–she studied acting at Julliard and did Shakespeare at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Alan Ball appreciates well-trained actors like Rutina because “they can come in and know instantly how to play a scene.”

For her audition, Alan says she brought something unique and complex to her portrayal of Tara:

“Rutina just nailed the part from the beginning. She traded the toughness for vulnerability. She was really strong, present and funny in her audition. I didn’t see the actress, I saw Tara.”

Rutina’s conception of Tara has always been that, underneath all of the strength and outspokenness and troubled past, she still feels very deeply rather than becoming hardened to the pain:

“I immediately saw past her anger. You can scream all day long. That would be the easy way to play her. I see Tara more as a flower, a broken woman. People want her to do well, and she doesn’t know how. I try to make her softer. She is tortured, incredibly hard to play.”

Rutina considers herself blessed to get to have this interesting role on such a great series:

“I’m living a dream. I’m so crazy about this show and everything about it. I get so overwhelmed sometimes I cry.”

She also thinks about her situation on the broader scale of the work being done by other black actresses:

“It’s really maddening out there for dark-skinned actresses in terms of the opportunities we get. There’s just so much talent that is being overlooked. Viola Davis should be a household name. So should Angela Bassett.”

Being in the spotlight that True Blood provides, Rutina hopes that Tara would be a stepping stone and inspire other fascinating characters for black actresses to play. For her own future, she wants to continue to work on projects at a level of quality like True Blood has achieved, and to explore new and different roles.

SOURCE: latimes.com

(Photo credit: Kirk McCoy)

Rutina Wesley Interviewed by iF Magazine

Tara Thornton and the other people of Bon Temps may be getting themselves into serious trouble with Maryann, but Rutina Wesley is loving life. She talked with iF Magazine about what her character has been going through and what she likes about her job.

Rutina says that True Blood has been an actor’s dream for her. Tara is so complex and layered that she gets to play lots of different emotions. Rutina is really proud of the work she has done as Tara (and rightfully so!). She says that the cast is like a family, and credits her fellow actors with bringing out the best in her:

“Adina Porter–amazing. Her and Michelle Forbes are two of the most grounded actresses that I’ve ever worked with. They always have my back…I always have to be on top of my game with both of them.”

Of Tara’s story arc this season, Rutina thinks Tara has gotten into this position with Maryann and Eggs because she is being taken care of for the first time in her life. Even though she’s had some doubts about how genuine the whole situation is, it feels good. I just hope Tara wakes up to reality soon because I don’t like seeing her controlled by something that is so bad for her.

One thing about Tara that Rutina regrets a little bit is how scared she is of vampires. As a result, Rutina doesn’t get to work very much with some of her cast mates when they go off into their own separate worlds on vampire business.

She also talked about how uncomfortable the orgy scene was:

“That was the big one for all of us. But we’re all very professional, it’s a safe environment, and everyone really, really likes each other. But it’s hard doing that stuff with fifty people when you’re naked. But we all were there together and we all supported each other, so we made it work.”

As for Tara’s future, everything is very uncertain because Alan Ball could take her anywhere:

“You never know what’s going to happen. They’ve strayed and they’ve done so much stuff with my character that’s different than the books.”

So that opens up a lot of exciting possibilities! But maybe not too exciting…Tara has had enough craziness this season to last her a long time. But for Rutina,

“Life is good and True Blood, it hurts so good…I’m just happy to be a part of a wonderful show that people are receiving in a beautiful way.”

SOURCE: iFMagazine.com
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Rutina Wesley Dishes Out A Helping Of Spoilers

Rutina Wesley recently spoke with the New York Posts’s “Pop Wrap” about her character, Tara Thornton, on the HBO hit show True Blood. While the vampires are all focused on action in Shreveport and Dallas, things in Bon Temps are heating up for Tara. Stuck in the web that has been woven by Maryann, Tara has some real fighting to do.

Happily, Rutina says that the Hunter’s souffle prepared by Mayann actually contained no heart, only tomatoes, other vegetables and meat (I’ll admit I was totally grossed out during that scene). Rutina goes on to compliment her love interest Mechad Brooks (who plays Eggs). She says she has lost count of his ab muscles and jokes that the producers were serious when they told her they’d found the perfect match for her character.

When Pop Wrap asked her why she thought the show’s ratings improve with each episode, Rutina answered:

Rutina: People have latched on to the show in a very amazing way and I think it’s because this season, the story grabs you right away. If you blink, you’re going to miss a lot. Plus, we all have our own storylines this year and it’s much more interesting when you’ve got, like, 25 character floating around. Plus, Anna [Paquin], Ryan [Kwanten], Stephen [Moyer] and I are so into our roles now, we found our beat with these people, so we’re a lot more comfortable.

She notes that the black contacts everyone wears during the orgy scenes were uncomfortable at first, but much better now. She acknowledged the whole crew had a pep talk before filming the orgy scene(s).

We had a big talk about respecting each other because there were about 50 naked people on the set. It’s a very vulnerable situation, so there was no other option than for us to come together. Granted it was freezing when we shot those scenes, because it was like 4 a.m., which made it harder because there’s no shivering in Louisiana!

Rutina also lets us in on a few spoilers for the rest of this season! Ready for some revelations?

• Maryann’s chaos is only just beginning – there is much more to her character
• This week’s episode is where the violence begins
• The season ends with an even bigger cliffhanger than last season (OH MY GOSH I am on edge about that!!)
• Tara loses more of herself to Maryann

WOW!!! I can’t wait to see where this is all going – can you? I think Rutina does an amazing job of playing Tara. She’s sharp-tongued, has a wicked sense of humor, and out of Maryann’s clutches she is quite self assured (as long as she isn’t dealing with Lettie Mae).  I’m bracing myself for an explosive season from here on out!!

Source: Pop Wrap

Photo Credit: HBO Inc.

True Blood Season 2 Spoiler: A Glance At Episode 9

True Blood’s Episode 9, titled “I Will Rise Up“, is full of surprising twists and turns. The episode begins immediately after Luke’s detonation of an explosive device while time strapped with silver. You have to love a show that always picks up right where it leaves off!

Apparently Allan Hyde’s character Godric plays a very important role in this episode. Hopefully we will see him really push Godric to his limits and become a larger presence on the scene. Televisionaryblog.com says this of the upcoming episode:

So what is “I Will Rise Up” about then? For one, it’s about the notion of forgiveness, both in terms of the divine and the mundane. None of the characters on the series have been saints (it’s rather hard to do so in a series overflowing with blood-thirsty vampires) but there are several scenes that speak to the redemptive power of compassion and grace.

We should expect to see many secrets revealed – secrets that rock relationships to their core. The dynamics of the show, and more than a few relationships, will undoubtedly be forever altered. Alliances not seen before will emerge, family bonds will be affected, and friendships will end.

And what of Sookie and Eric’s newly strengthened bond? We all know by now that Eric on the surface is never what Eric on the inside is – he maneuvers situations to play out the way he wants them to be. So don’t be surprised if he toys with Sookie a bit. Sookie is nothing if not sometimes blind to the wiles of the mysterious sheriff.

Where do Hoyt and Jessica stand? We know Maxine, Hoyt’s overprotective mother, would never approve of her precious baby boy dating a vampire. Hoyt may just decide to take a stand on this one – he seems to really love Jessica. The two of them together is one of the sweetest relationships on the show. Both are shy, unsure of how to be in a relationship, and nervous about how to be with one another. Both play their characters extraordinarily well.

In the world not exactly related to vampires, Lafayette and Lettie Mae join forces to overcome Maryann’s hold on Tara. Strange alliance there, but nice to see the family coming together for the good of a woman they both love.

“I Will Rise Up” promises to be a game changer this season. Expect twists and turns, major shifts in characters, maybe a few surprising deaths, and an appearance by squeaky clean Nan Flanagan. Exciting, yes?

SOURCE: Televisionaryblog.com

Photo credit: HBO Inc.

True Blood Cast At The Comic-con Panel

Gina McIntyre from the LA Times describes in her article the legion of devoted fans that tuned up at the True Blood’s Comic-con panel on Saturday July 25th to hear Alan Ball and the cast discuss what’s in store for the remainder of season 2.   Here is what Gina had to say:

“True Blood,” HBO’s hit adaptation of the Sookie Stackhouse mystery novels from author Charlaine Harris, has its own legion of devoted fans keen on the show’s sexy, campy aesthetic, and plenty of them turned up Saturday to hear cast members Anna Paquin (on her birthday, no less), Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Nelsan Ellis, Michelle Forbes, Deborah Ann Woll and Alexander Skarsgard and creator Alan Ball talk about what’s in store for Season 2 and beyond. It was Skarsgard, though, who might have earned the most enthusiastic reception — he plays vamp heavy Eric Northman on the Louisiana-set series, and well, there just must be something about those centuries-old former Vikings who become powerful immortals. They make the ladies swoon.”

The audience also got to view a trailer of what is in store for us and were able to ask questions of True Blood’s cast,  Alan Ball True Blood’s creator and author Charlaine Harris:

“After screening a brief teaser reel promoting the second half of the current season, the cast took turns answering questions posed by moderator Kate Hahn from TV Guide and members of the audience, several of whom focused on the tension between Eric and Paquin’s Sookie, who happens to be romantically involved with Moyer’s Southern gentleman vampire Bill Compton.”

Anna responded to the personal growth of her character since last season:

“After Sookie’s experiences last season — when she suffered the loss of her grandmother and was in almost constant danger of losing her own life — she felt that her character had become stronger and tougher, but conceded that she still gets into trouble.”Good thing she has her vampire boyfriend.”

As far as Stephen is concerned regarding his character of Bill Compton:

“Bill intends to make sure that HE remains Sookie’s beau.”I’m not sure Bill’s just going to roll over and let that happen,” he said of any potential developments on the Eric-Sookie front. “He might not be as polite.”

Alexander Skarsgard talking of the development of his character and his advances toward Anna’s Character Sookie had this to say:

“Eric’s most likely not going to drop his advances toward the plucky cocktail waitress   any time soon.”Eric’s been around for a very long time. He’s kind of over humanity, then she comes along and there’s something different about her. For the first time in a long time, he’s curious. Which means things could turn ugly, and fast.”

Skarsgard also went on to say:

“He’s enjoyed working on the series’ second season, as it’s allowed him to develop the character: “Eric was misunderstood. People would say, ‘You’re the bad guy,’ and I had to defend him. He is a bad ass, but as an actor, you have to have layers. . . . He doesn’t care for a lot of people, or vampires either, but the ones he does, he’s very loyal to.”

For another tidbit show related, which we already shared with you:

“Ball announced that TruBlood (an all-natural blood orange soda sold in replica bottles that look just like the props on the show) will be available for purchase Sept. 10, just in time for the Season 2 finale. Fans will be able to place orders at hbo.com.”

For all Charlaine Harris fans she had this to add:

“She revealed during the panel that she’s signed a contract to write three more, which should take her up through 2014.”

Obviously good news for all True Blood fans as Alan Ball gwill have more then enough material to wrk with to keep the series going for many more seasons.  Gina McIntyre’s article can be read at:
latimes.com

(photo credit: screenrant.com)

Season 2: Episode 6 – “Hard-Hearted Hannah”

In Dallas Isabel’s human boyfriend Hugo offers to accompany Sookie on her mission to locate Godric at the Light of Day institute. They leave for the church under the guise as a good Christian couple looking for a new church. On reading the minds of Sarah and Steve Newman Sookie discovers that their cover is blown and Steve has more sinister plans for the two.

At the Light of Day camp, Jason Stackhouse decides to live a life of righteous celibacy then has those plans hijacked after a matter of hours. Jason provides another beautiful example of how easily impressionable young men can be – especially where sex is involved.

Eric brings Bill’s maker Lorena to the Vampire hotel in an attempt to drive a wedge between Sookie and Bill. We are treated with an extended flash back to the 1920s showing how violent, passionate killing used to be Bill’s forte. Lorena prevents Bill from coming to Sookie’s rescue resulting in Sookies imprisonment in the basement of the Light of Day institute.

Daphne continues to court Sam with sickening innuendo, and ends in the ultimate double cross in the whole season so far. Tara and Eggs head out to get parts for the hot water system only to detour onto something disturbing. And for something completely different – Maryanne throws another orgy of Dianic proportions, the shock value is (not at all) high. The town folk fornicate as Maryanne dances her Shake-n-Bake routine and to mix things up a bit – this time she puts on a mask.

Top 5 of “Hard-Hearted Hannah”

1. Hoyt’s courtship of Jessica. Their innocent awkward interaction is too cute beyond words.

2. Eric’s growing interest in Sookie – lets face it, after that hair cut he may just trump Bill in looks department.

3. Jason Stackhouse’s cringe-worthy attempt at song writing.

4. Sookie, Hugo, Steve and the body guard trapped in the basement with Godric. What has happened? Will Jason help them? So many exciting conclusions to wait for.

5. Love a good 1920s speak easy, “Maybe after your guests leave we can F*** prohibition together.” And in a way, they did.

Editor’s 2 cents:

1. We agree on Jessica and Hoyt.  They are just totally sweet.
2. The scene in the kitchen with the hot water heater broken.  Maryann can’t hide her hedonism, Eggs was being over-easy again in that outfit and did Tara actually apologize for being snarky???
3. Anything Sam.  Seriously he keeps forcing me to forget he’s cute and notice he’s talented.  Great job Sam o’ the Sam.
4. The Andy, Terry, Lafayette triage in the kitchen.  I’m just not sure if I was supposed to be laughing so hard at the ‘hallucination’ but I was loving the Terry-care.  Hug Lafayette once for me!
5. “Do Bad Things With You” intro.  Seriously, Every week I enjoy the heck out of this sequence and find it impossible to sit still!
   

Favorite Line: Lafayette to Pam, “Are you real?”

Favorite boy or girl friend: Hoyt Hoyt Hoyt!  He provided the only ‘feelgood’ moment of the show.

Biggest Sneak Appearance: Who noticed Nathan Barr playing the piano at the start of the roaring 20’s scene?

Least Favorite Scene:  I swear I’m not a prude but the orgy scene had me saying, ‘More is NOT always Better’.  I could have done with a lot less detail.  In fact, I felt like this episode didn’t give me any breathing room at all.

Biggest Surprise:  Was that Stephen singing???

Be sure to share your favorite top 5 in the comments below.

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