Lauren Bowles : TV Chick

The big season finale of True Blood is tonight and I am so excited about it. The season has had a lot of crazy twists and turns, including more supernatural beings and the introduction of witches. I think this season is probably overall the strongest of the three, although I could have done without crying Tara and bad-ass Sam. However, I have really enjoyed all the new characters that have been introduced. One in particular, Holly Cleary, drew my attention the minute she appeared. She has a very strong presence in the books, and I look forward to seeing what direction Alan Ball takes her in. I recently had the chance to chat with Lauren Bowles, who plays Holly, about relating to her wiccan counterpart, what makes this show so special for her (hint: she’s a big fan!) and what’s coming up in the big finale.

 

What originally drew you to the role of Holly?
Quite frankly, that I got cast as her. (laughs) I was a huge fan and so when the audition came in, I was over the moon. But I was such a big fan of the show, I thought “Well, I’m not going to get it,” but it would be fun to go in and meet them all. So I was just focused on doing a good job, and it never really quite occurred to me that I might book it just because I was such a huge fan and it just seemed to good to be true. And then when I got the call, I can’t even tell you, it’s like I spontaneously combusted. I was so excited.

Well that’s good to hear. Obviously, there’s a lot more to Holly than we’ve seen. We’ve only met her a few episodes ago, so talk a little bit more about what we don’t know yet. I know you can’t spoil too much.
Exactly. I’m signed, sealed and delivered not to reveal other than what’s already out there. But as we know from the episode a few Sundays ago, she’s a wicken and she’s definitely dabbled in the witch world. She’s definitely a very intuitive person and a very grounded person. I think that’s why she and Arlene get along so well. And other than that, there’s not much else I can say. The joke is, I’m not really being coy either, I have really no idea where they plan to go with her. I haven’t had a sit down with Alan Ball or anything. The joke is that I don’t know more than all of you.

She also seems like a very empathetic person.
Very much so. I think she really relates to people and their problems and has a really huge heart.

Obviously the big reveal was that she practices wiccan. You as far as I know don’t practice wiccan, so how are you able to relate to her?
This is true. However, I did just move into my first house and I did burn sage. And that’s no joke. That was right before I got cast, so listen, maybe it had something to do with it. Maybe that cleansing of my new house space did something to me as well. But I am not a practicing wicken.

Are you anything like Holly? Do you draw upon any of your personal experiences to play her?
Yes, I think I am in many ways. I’d like to think I’m an empathetic person. I love her faith in sort of the other worldly elements. Because though mine not be wicken, I absolutely have a strong, spiritual side and I think we all rely on sort of faith to get us through the day and I think she has a lot of that.

Will we see more of her witch like powers before the end of the season?
It is entirely possible. (laughs) How’s that for a good answer?

How is her relationship with Arlene going to continue to develop in the last episode, after the big incident?
I think their experiences just bring them closer together. They’ve got a lot in common, both being moms and working moms at that, so obviously as people they’re very different, I think they have a lot to offer each other, and I think you’ll see relationship further bloom.

And as you said, you were a big fan of the show before you were cast on it. So what has it meant to you to become part of this pop culture phenomenon, that I think True Blood is.
It really is! It’s just taken off. I was a huge Alan Ball fan long pre-dating True Blood, starting with American Beauty which is just one of my all time, hands down favorite movie.

Oh, me too!
I think he has such a brilliant, dark but hilarious sensibility. He can just depict the human plight so well with humor and with depth. That’s a fine line without just going caricature. It’s just so hard to do that I think as a writer, and he does that so well. So I think just becoming a part of something that he’s at the helm of, was really just an absolute dream come true.

And you are no stranger to television. You’ve been on a lot of shows.
This is true.

So what makes this show and this role in particular so special to you?
Oh, that’s a good question. I’ve done guest spots on a gazillion different shows. And when you just come in to do the one show for a week and then you’re gone, you’re really more of a literary device than you are a real person or character. It’s hard to develop something quickly, and so that’s what great fun about her. I really think they’ve got a good vision of her and where they want her to go and so that’s been great fun to just sort of play a more fleshed out character. And then on top of it, I know this is a boring sound byte and you’ll think it’s just bullshit, but it’s the coolest set and I’m not just saying that. It truly is. Because trust me, I’ve been on plenty of sets that just are like “Oh God, get me out of here.” This is just the opposite of that. It really is. Everyone from wardrobe to makeup to hair to the cast to the writers and producers, everyone just seems really happy to be here. That’s rare.

Definitely. It comes through in the show.
Yeah, exactly.

What do you think so far has been the most challenging aspect to the role?
Probably just learning to honor the tone in the world that I’m entering, and wanting to feel like “Okay, I’m here and I fit and it looks like I should be here.” Just because when you’re new to the party, there’s always that wallflower in all of us that’s sort of like “Oh wait, how’d I get here? Wait, I want to do good.” And so I’d probably say that element. Because just like I said, I’m such a fan, so I really wanted to make sure that I honored the world.

And Alan Ball has said next season will be the season of the witch. And we may meet Hallow. (laughs)
Yes.

Do you think they will stick to the books in terms of that, or do you think they will branch out?
I think he’s been pretty consisnent with the theme of the years. This being the year of the werewolf, and [last] year with Maryanne’s storyline. I think it’s sort of the intricacies of the book that he feels sort of free to kind of play with and take whatever sort of doesn’t fit his narrative to play with. I think with the seasons he’s sort of stuck to what the main themes are of each of the books. Fingers crossed, because that would do quite well for me if it is the year of the witch.

Has Alan Ball given you any specific insights into your character?
No, he has not. Other than just really at the audition, because I haven’t yet worked one on one with him, because I don’t think he wrote any of the ones I did, so it’s usually the writers that are there and the director, so the most I worked with him was during the auditon. And I think he was really wanting me to just focus on her groundedness, what she’d lived through having taken her to where she is right now.

And is there anyone who you’d love to have a scene with in the fourth season?
Oooh, good question. Well, I’m a huge Jason and Hoyt fan I have to say. So they would be great fun to play with, in addition to all of the vampires. I mean, come on! It doesn’t get better than Eric and all those guys. But I would say probably top of my list would be Hoyt and Jason. And they’re easy on the eyes as well.

Oh yeah, definitely! For sure! (laughs)
(laughs)

And obviously, you don’t know much beyond what you’ve filmed already, but what would you like to see happen with Holly?
I would just love to see her integrate with everyone more, and it would be great for her to [form] a blooming relationship with Sookie, and obviously Sookie’s quite intuitive, and I feel like they would meld well together as friends. And just be as integrated into the world as possible.

I sort of picked up on something perhaps between her and Sam. I don’t know if that was just me, or if that might happen in the future.
You know, it’s so funny, people have asked because I think in the books Holly is matched with Hoyt. And him and Jessica are such fan favorites, I don’t know if you’re going to want to break them up. I have no idea what their romantic plans — if any — they have in the works for her, quite honestly. I’m not sure. But listen, all the boys are pretty hot on the show, so you’ll hear no complaints from me if it happens with anyone.

So true. That’s good to hear. In general, in the world of vampires and the supernatural, witches and vampires don’t generally get along. But Holly seems a little different, she seems to be a different sort of witch.
Well, she’s very open minded. Whereas a lot of people might be sort of anti- I think she’s pretty open to what she gets from people. So she bases it on that, as opposed to “Oh, they’re a vampire, BAD” kind of thing.

So obviously, I know you can’t spoil anything at all, but can you give us a little teaser of what’s coming up in the big finale, especially for Holly?
I can just say that I think as spectacular a season as it’s been — and I swear to you, this has nothing to do with me being on it, because this was before I even entered, I don’t think I even came on until episode 8 — it’s really been my favorite season so far. So I can quite confidently say people will not be disappointed. Things are spiraling in a way that is going to be quite deliciously spectacular for fans.

Well good, I look forward to it certainly. And my site is all about TV, so I like to ask what you are watching on TV and loving?
My husband and I are total TV heads. We are obssessed with Mad Men. That’s another one that’s having a season unlike any it’s had before. I’m a huge AMC fan. We just discovered Rubicon. Really my all time favorite shows on TV right now are Breaking Bad and Mad Men. Actually, I have a really weird old-school random one. My husband and I have discovered on Netflix, old episodes of Soap. It’s classic and I highly recommend it. They make jokes that would never get on the air today. In the way that All in the Family would never be on the air today. It’s so un-politically correct and hilarious.