Michelle Forbes Reflects Back on Her Work on True Blood

Her arc as Maryann on True Blood may have reached its conclusion, but Michelle Forbes is still talking about what the character and the show meant to her. In a recent interview in France with Generique(s) Magazine, she discusses what she looks for in a role and what statements about society there are to be found even in work that is sexy and fun. Michelle's roles have covered a wide range, from a mythological creature and the admiral of a spaceship, to more ordinary characters. With each, she seeks to challenge herself to relate to their emotions and thoughts.

"I am always looking for roles that will make me push my limits, roles that will frighten or annoy me or make me question my beliefs. Even in my darkest roles, I am having fun. It is also my way of dealing with trauma. Maryann is a child running through the woods, a rich benefactor providing mountains of fruit to guests, a mysterious and disturbing woman, all at once."

What Maryann brought out in the citizens of Bon Temps was their wild and crazy side, but she allowed them to indulge in the very human elements of violence and sex. Michelle likens that energy to real times of the past:

"I see it as a reflection on those periods in history when the taboos are silent to let the body speak in Woodstock, in the Paris of the 20s, in New York in the 80s--periods where people rejected their inhibitions to create something artistic or philosophical. Society is like a pressure cooker. If you do not let the steam to escape, it will explode. In the U.S., we go from eight years of puritanism, we may be on the verge of a new period of physical explosion. As humans, we need violence and sex. Without it, we do not exist. The challenge is how we channel these needs."

It seems like she really enjoyed getting to portray that and working with Alan Ball. Even though he talks about how his reason for creating True Blood was to do something fun, she knows that his work is always going to contain thought-provoking elements:

"Even in the humorous and sometimes grossly excessive re-enactments in True Blood, he is a social critic, but one who never abandons himself to preaching. The show only asks questions and gives the viewer the right to make its own answers. But you should also never forget to have fun!"

As Michelle says, it may be a vampire show, but it's mostly about emotions and relationships. SOURCE: Translated from generiques-mag.net (Photo credit: jamd.com)

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