True Blood's Rutina Wesley Glams it up in Edge Magazine

Rutina Talks About Her Influences and Making it Big

Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton) talked to Edge Magazine recently about growing up in Vegas, it's effect on her style, her parents and Julliard. Rutina grew up in Las Vegas and credits both her great taste and style to her mother, a professional dancer.  Rutina's style is New York to the core and she admits that she feels like despite some risk taking in her fashion she has a good sense of what makes good and bad fashion.  Some of her favorite designers include: Jean Paul Gaultier, Tadashi, and Stacey Bentley to name a few.

Acting Inspiration

When asked which actresses Wesley modeled herself after she names Julia Roberts, Angela Bassett, Meryl Streep and others.  She respects that they always carry themselves with dignity and class while having mastered the art of acting.

On Tara

When asked about the grit, strength and vulnerability of Tara, Rutina tries to bring it from an honest place.  She says:

"I'll just take myself to these dark places and use my imagination, to picture what it would be like to grow up in a home that was abusive and volatile, try to think of how that would make me feel. I do always try to come from a place of honesty and humanity, because I don't want it to be too over-the-top."

She also credits the amazing writers of True Blood for giving her a sense of where she should be heading with Tara.

Getting Started in Acting

Acting was not Rutina's first love. Much like her parents it was dance (check out The Way She Move for some of her amazing dancing). She chose acting because it allowed her more freedom with options such as musicals and theater.  She later got into Julliard by performing all her Shakespeare monologues! She recounts the time as being hard but rewarding having made lifelong friends, meeting her husband and working on her craft.  He father was also there to help her. She recalls that he was always making sure she was reading what she signed and making sure she had a lawyer.

Her Big Break

Rutina says she was driving out of a Starbucks parking lot when she found out she got the part of Tara on True Blood.  Nelsan Ellis, who plays Lafayette, recommended Rutina for the part and she says she almost crashed her car when she got the call.  Always humble, when asked if it's fun being a celebrity she responded with:

" It's fun. Although I still have a hard time considering myself a celebrity. But in this business if you are being recognized for what you do, it's a sign that you are doing well. And so far, it has been very good to me and I am enjoying it. I consider myself fortunate."

For more of Rutina's interview with Edge Magazine visit their website here. (Source: Edge Magazine) Photo Credit: Rutina Wesley fan page on Facebook.

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