Although Ball will still consult on the show, he is handing the reins over and taking some time for himself. After working so hard for so long he needs to take a step back:
“I feel like the show is in very good hands, and I look forward to watching it next year. I just look forward to not working as hard. I’ve been a workaholic for a long time, and I’m sort of looking at that and addressing that and seeing what exactly was behind that that wasn’t healthy and maybe trying to just sort of open up some space in my life a little bit.”
One of the cornerstones of True Blood is the way that Ball subtely makes political and religious references all in the context of telling a story. He acknowledges that the hatred of vampires on the show does draw a parallel to the prejudice against gays and lesbians in today’s society, but his goal isn’t to argue politics.
“For me, that’s mostly just window-dressing that makes it contemporary. I feel like if the show was 50 years ago, it would be civil rights; if it was 100 year ago, it would be women’s rights.”
As a gay man growing up in the South, Ball says he had some difficulties. Although he realized that he was gay when he was in his 20′s, he didn’t come out to his mother until he was 33. Her reaction had Ball laughing:
“she grabbed her head like it was going to fly off her body, and said ’Oh, God has dealt me some blows in this life. Please don’t tell anybody in my family until I’m dead, which won’t be much longer now.’ I started laughing at that point, because it was like, ‘All right, that’s farce.’”
Although it may not have been immediate, Ball’s mother did accept him and he says that telling her was the best thing he could have ever done for himself.
To listen to the interview with Ball, click here to go to the NPR website.
What are your thoughts about this being the last season for Alan as the show runner? How do you think the show will go once he is gone? Tell us your thoughts below.
Source: NPR.org – “Alan Ball On Leaving ‘True Blood’ Behind”
Image Credit: Bauer Griffin/ Getty Images