Wetpaint ha intervistato Aaron Perilo, interprete dell’antico vampiro Blackburn chiamato a Bon Temps da Bill. Del suo personaggio sapevamo già che fosse antico e assetato di sangue. Da questa intervista, scopriamo che vedremo Blackburn per cinque episodi, che è amico di vecchia data di Eric, che il fatto che Bill -vampiro non vecchissimo- sia re è una cosa che si fa andare giù per forza, e che la resa dei conti tra streghe e vampiri sarà davvero intensa. E poi, sarà Team Bill o Team Eric? Per saperlo, leggete l’intervista e scoprite anche quali sono i suoi progetti futuri:
Wetpaint Entertainment: What can you tell us about your character, Blackburn? What’s his backstory?
Aaron Perilo: I’m very old and I’ve been an acquaintance of Eric and Bill’s for quite some time, but I’m not from Bon Temps. I have a pretty vicious attitude when it comes to people messing with our kind. And that’s, I think, all the information I can actually give out right now.
What’s Blackburn’s relationship Eric exactly? Do they have a history?
We were friends. We definitely go back and we have a good relationship.
What about Bill?
Well, I’m a little bit resentful of Bill just because he’s not really as old as the other sheriffs and he’s now the key. So there’s a little bit of resentment but I respect him because he is the key.
True Blood is notorious for cast members getting naked! Do you know if you’ll be showing some skin?
I do know because I’ve shot everything, but I can’t say anything. I can’t tell you whether I am or not. [Laughing] Because if I did it would be a huge spoiler, and if I didn’t it would be a huge disappointment. I don’t want either of those. You’re gonna have to tune in and find out.
Are you Team Bill or Team Eric?
That’s a really good question, because I used to be Team Bill and then I switched to Team Eric and now this season it’s a toss-up because there’s so many things going on. Eric is obviously more likeable now that he’s lost his memory, but it’s not him … I feel sorry for Eric at this stage. And Bill — here’s the thing. I try to stay out of the scripts as much as possible when we first start reading the scripts, aside from just my storylines and what I need to know for my scenes. So there’s a lot of information that I don’t know. I’m still interested to see what Bill’s motivation is for life, what his deal is.
What can we expect from the upcoming war between the witches and vampires?
Well, I’ll just say it gets ugly. We’re not friends.
Were you a fan of the show before you got cast?
I’m a huge fan. When I got called to audition I had already done research for the last three years. It was really great going in and just diving into it, really knowing the style and Alan Ball’s wonderful, sick sense of humor. I think it really helped me.
How many episodes will you be in this season? Is there a possibility you’ll continue on next season?
I’m in five episodes total this season and I can’t really say whether in next season or not. Because it would be bad for me.
What was the set and the cast like? Was everybody welcoming? Any wacky experiences on the set?
They are super nice and humble and they’re a big family. They all really, truly care about each other. I think everyone feels grateful for being a part of it. Which is just really nice to see because that’s not always the case, a lot of times people take things for granted, and that’s not the case with True Blood. Everyone from the hair and makeup to Stephen Moyer really appreciates what they’re doing.
What’s your approach to playing this character? Do you have an inspiration for Blackburn?
I love tapping into darker characters. I guess the inspiration is just loving to play dark roles and being able to let the aggression out on the screen.
Do you get to play a lot of dark characters?
There’s actually a movie coming out next year called Sassy Pants where I play a southern kind of redneck hick, which is kind of close to Blackburn except Blackburn is just ancient and a lot more aggressive and devious. I’m in it with Ashley Richards who’s on the new show Awkward, and Haley Joel Osment from The Sixth Sense and Diedrich Bader fromOutsourced.
Who are your favorite dark characters?
Malcolm Macdowell. His role in A Clockwork Orange is one of the best dark roles of all time. And Al Pacino in Scarface and Jack Nicholson inThe Shining. Those are the ones that really stick out to me. Stanley Kubrick is my favorite director of all time. I love Kubrick and I wish he was still alive—for selfish reasons.
You’ve got several projects coming up. Tell us about Luck. What’s it like working with Dustin Hoffman?
It’s a dream come true, I would have to say. He’s one of my favorite actors of all time and a legend in my mind — I think in most people’s minds, actually. It was definitely surreal to work with Dustin and a great experience. Once I actually started talking to him, he reminded me of my dad. He’s got that kind of dad humor, which was really pleasant. We were singing Sinatra songs in between takes and he was always surprised that I knew the next line. He was like, “How do you know that song?” and I’d say, “Well, I like good music.”
Tell us about the movie In Time … looks like it has a great cast: Justin Timberlake, Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried …
I got to do a scene in that movie with Justin Timberlake. It was really cool to my first big studio movie experience. Justin was really nice and eager, professional, and it was very quick thing. They really were on their game. Luckily, there were no screw-ups and we got it down, and it was really fun to do.
What are your guilty TV pleasures?
I would say that True Blood is actually one of them. I love It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Entourage, I would say is a guilty pleasure.Boardwalk Empire, love that. Shameless, Curb Your Enthusiasm. But do you know what’s a guilty pleasure? Archer. I freaking love Archer. It’s one of the most amazing shows, I think, that’s ever been made.