The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (45 page)

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Authors: Charlaine Harris

BOOK: The Sookie Stackhouse Companion
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How did you first discover the Sookie Stackhouse series?
—RACHEL KLIKA
 
 
I was early for a dentist appointment and stumbled upon the books at a nearby Barnes & Noble. I picked up the first book and couldn’t put it down. Once I got into the series, I knew it had to be a TV show.
 
 
In Season 2 of
True Blood
, the maenad character Maryann Forrester (played brilliantly by Michelle Forbes) was developed to a fuller extent when compared to her role in the book by Ms. Harris. Why did you decide to develop this character further?
—DEIRDRE BRENNAN
 
 
Part of the challenge in adapting Charlaine’s novels is to create strong stories for the characters other than Sookie and still remain very faithful to the spirit of the books. We loved the maenad attacking Sookie and poisoning her with her claws, and then we looked for ways for her to interact with the other characters as well as being dangerous to Sookie. Ultimately, she gave us something for the entire cast to go up against.
 
 
What was your motivation for having Bill ask Sookie to marry him in the end of the second season when it was so far from the books? Was it that it was a good way to have Bill kidnapped/disappear?
—ADDIE BROWN
 
 
I think the motivation was to give them a moment of happiness, a hope that something they thought was off-limits to both of them was actually within their grasp. They’ve been through so much together during their relatively short relationship, it felt nice to give them a moment of “normalcy” and the hope that they could have a happy ending. Of course, this being
True Blood
, there isn’t much chance of that.
 
 
What inspired you to make the Sookie books into an HBO series?
—KIM MCCOLLOM
 
 
I was so deeply entertained by the experience of reading the books, I just thought it would make a great TV show. The world and the characters seemed too large for just a movie—to me, it begged for the larger canvas of a TV series.
 
 
Your show has resonated with such a wide demographic group of people—many not typical fans of vampires and the paranormal. What [do you think] sets
True Blood
apart from all the other vampire movies/ shows to attract such a following?
—KIM MCCOLLOM
 
 
I think it’s because of several different elements: the characters and the world that Charlaine created; the performances by the amazingly talented cast; the humor, the romance, the scares; the focus we try to keep on making everything, no matter how outlandish, grounded in the emotional lives of the characters. It’s just a really fun show to make and hopefully a fun show to watch.
 
 
What were your first impressions of the people in Bon Temps?
—NADEEN CUMMINGS
 
 
They felt really authentic to me. I grew up in a semismall town in the South (Marietta, Georgia), and the descriptions of the characters, the way they behaved and spoke, it all felt like something I recognized.
 
 
I love the character of Lafayette and am so glad that he survived Season 1 of
True Blood
, unlike his less-fortunate counterpart in the books. Did you decide that his character would go beyond Season 1 from the beginning, or was that decision made after seeing how well he came to life on screen?
—LAURA CHEQUER
 
 
The first scene I shot with Nelsan Ellis in the pilot made it abundantly clear to me that this was a character we could never lose. I am usually not a fan of actors who improvise, but Nelsan doesn’t just improvise, he channels from planet Lafayette. In a lesser actor’s hands, Lafayette could come across as extreme or one-dimensional; Nelsan makes him strong, fierce, and deeply lovable.
 
 
Will you consider casting yourself in a cameo role each season (à la Alfred Hitchcock)?
—TEDDI SMITH
 
 
Never! I allowed myself to be talked into doing that in an episode of
Six Feet Under
and have always regretted it. I think it would just take viewers out of the story.
 
 
Many changes have been made from Charlaine Harris’s books to the show, and I’m wondering why you chose to paint Bill and Sophie-Anne in the light you did, as opposed to the way Ms. Harris wrote the characters? While there are a lot of similarities in Bill, it seems your Sophie-Anne is very modern and not the regal, aristocratic French queen portrayed in the series. Any insight to your decisions would be appreciated.
—SUSAN MOSS
 
 
In
True Blood
, Sophie-Anne appears in the same season Godric appears. We chose not to have two ancient vampires who seem barely older than children in the same season. And ultimately, every nonregular character on our show exists to create conflicts and challenges for our regular characters. Having read all the books at this point, and knowing why Bill appeared in Bon Temps in the first place, we chose to play Sophie-Anne a little differently. We also were setting up a major story line in Season 3.
 
 
In the show, it consistently seems as if you are trying to villainize Eric and sanctify Bill, even referring to Eric as the “bad boy” more than once in interviews. This certainly does
not
stay true to the spirit of the books, as Eric is absolutely not a villain or even a bad boy in the books, and likewise Bill is definitely not a saint, nor is he even a “good guy” half the time. Is there a reason that you try to portray these characters in this manner, and if so, what is it?
—LISA ROWELL
 
 
 
Hmm . . . I am not sure I agree with your assessment. We have purposely shown many darker aspects of Bill, such as his penchant for sport-killing during his years with Lorena, his keeping things from Sookie, his interaction with the state patrolman he glamoured in Season 1, taking his gun and pointing it at him, and his murder of Uncle Bartlett. Likewise, we have shown many of the deeper, more tender aspects of Eric—his love for Godric, his grief at Godric’s true death. We continue with both of these directions inin Season 3. And it seems to me more dramatic to establish certain expectations about a character and then upend them than to just depict everyone as equal parts light and darkness. And when I use the term “bad boy,” I am referring to the kind of bad boy that women are consistently attracted to—a man who doesn’t play by the rules, a man who is a little dangerous, who is going to create more drama and fun than the good guy who does everything right.
 
 
Sex, death, food, and violence play a large role in
True Blood
. Americans have a possibly unhealthy relationship with all four, and yet we are fascinated by them. Is this the secret to the success of the books and series?
—SARA FOSTER
 
 
Honestly, I have no idea. I think the success of the series is because these stories and characters are so much fun.
 
 
It is not a common thing for the vampires in
True Blood
to be young and beautiful, as it normally is in other vampire television shows and movies. Why did you choose to go in this direction?
—ANNE FELDBAK
 
 
Well, I think while we have plenty of vampires who are young and beautiful, I like the idea that one can become a vampire at any point in his or her life. This is exactly as it is in Charlaine’s books—and I thought that was clever and unexpected. Also, I generally chafe at doing something the same way everyone else does it.
 
 
What plot point (so far) has been the most difficult to write, act, and film?
—MISTY PADGETT
 
 
Hmm—the storming of Merlotte’s by the black-eyed zombies . . . the final Maryann sacrifice/marriage . . . the storming of Steve Newlin’s church by the Dallas vampires.
 
 
What is your gauge to keep elements in the series that are in the books?
—KERI MCCOY
 
 
Instinct. And input by the other writers on staff.
 
 
Since art imitates life, explain what
True Blood
has to say about the American viewing public. What does our “bloodlust” say about the current cultural climate? The archetype has been used throughout history in many cultures, but what do
you
see this archetype revealing about us?
—JESSICA OHMAN
 
 
I leave that to the academics. Anything I say about why vampires are such potent symbols is just going to be me trying to pretend like I know why when I don’t. I’m just glad people are intrigued by vampires and other supernatural creatures because working on this show is the most fun I have ever had.
 
 
Did the real-life relationship of Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have an impact on the decision to diminish the role of Eric in favor of Bill in the
True Blood
series?
—LINDA J. KERLEY
 
 
I don’t really buy that the role of Eric has been diminished in favor of Bill. Eric has his own very strong story line in Seasons 2 and 3. Maybe you mean in terms of his relationship to Sookie . . . ? You have to remember we’re in the middle of
True Blood
. It is an ongoing story.
 
 
I noticed the episodes have different writers. How do multiple writers come to write something continuative? Is there a sit-down session for each episode that you drive? Do you say, “I would like so-and-so to write this particular scene”?
—CYNTHIA MEIER
 
 
I work with six other writers. We break stories and outline episodes as a group, then a single writer writes the script. We give notes as a group, then that same writer writes a second draft of the script. Sometimes I do a polish if I believe it is necessary. Writers generally volunteer for the episodes they want to write.
 
 
What is it about the show
True Blood
that represents you in some way?
—AARON HARRIS
 
 
I guess I would say the irreverence, the humor, the fascination with the bizarre, the romance, the fun.
 
 
What do you find to be most challenging when depicting a fictional world from book to screen (besides the fans wanting certain story lines)?
—EMILY MELONAS
 
 
Hmm . . . keeping everyone’s actions motivated and based in their emotional needs and desires. In the case of Charlaine’s books, keeping the characters who are not Sookie active in their own stories.
 
 
What inspired you to bring in characters on the show that were not in the books, such as Jessica and Daphne, as well as to keep Lafayette? (We are grateful for these characters, as they are awesome; just curious.)
—KIMBERLEE TUCKER
 
 
Again, it all comes down to creating stories for characters who are not Sookie, and in Lafayette’s case, loving what Nelsan Ellis was doing so much that I wanted to keep him in the show.
 
 
My question is regarding the character Bill Compton. I really liked the character in the books and hated to see him pushed to the side so often, so I must say I really enjoy him being a front-burner character in the show. What was it about the character on the page that made you connect with him? What were you looking for in the actors who auditioned for the part, and how did you feel when you finally found the talented and gorgeous Stephen Moyer to fill the role?
—BARBI BARRIER
 
 
Well, just like you, I loved the idea of a man who had basically lost everything ; who, because of his and Sookie’s circumstances (him being vampire, her being telepathic), is suddenly given a second chance at love and meaning in his life. When casting, I kept looking for a man who seemed like he was from another time, who knew how to play that undercurrent of sadness, and also was dashing and handsome, like a true romantic hero. When we found Stephen, I was thrilled, because we had been looking for a long time prior.
 
 
I really enjoy watching the show, but never watch the opening credits, as I find them unnerving. How and why did you come to decide on such a thought-provoking opening sequence?

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