This season we’ve seen Jesus played by Kevin Alejandro come into the light of his powers as a Bruja, especially last week when he was able to break through Marnie/Antonia’s force field spell.
We have also learned that his boyfriend, Lafayette is a medium and that even with all this upheaval in Bon Temps, their relationship has continued to get stronger. The two have been together for about a year now (since we have the year lapse between the seasons), and we’re all hoping that before Season 4 ends, together they will be able to help those trapped in the Goddess Emporium.
In the interview with Collider below, Kevin talked about how cool it is to be a part of a show he was already a fan of, that he feels this season has found a good balance between all of the stories and characters, how much he enjoys playing scenes with Nelsan Ellis, how flattered he is by the fan reaction to the show, and that everyone is sure to be amazed by the craziness of the season finale.
How did you originally come to the show? Did you just audition for it?
KEVIN ALEJANDRO: Yeah, actually. But, it was something that my wife and I had been watching from the beginning, so it was cool to get to go in there and be part of a show that I was already a fan of. When it happened with True Blood, I was like, “Yeah, this is so cool.”
Did the fact that the relationship between Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) and Jesus is not in the books and therefore wide open in its development, help in making this role less nerve-wracking, since there were no preconceived notions about this character?
ALEJANDRO: I think so. And the way they’ve written both Jesus and Lafayette, just leaves more room for people to form an audience relationship with them and grab onto the characters.
In the same way that it must have been intimidating to be one of the new cast members last season, was it equally validating to be asked back and told that your role would be expanded with the focus being on the witches this season?
ALEJANDRO: Absolutely, yeah! When I found out, it was at the season wrap party last year. Alan Ball told me and I just hugged him and said, “Thank you!” It’s a great show to be a part of. It was intimidating at first because the show is surrounded with amazing character actors. There’s so much going on and there’s so many different story-lines going on, but I think there’s a pretty good balance. I think they’ve balanced it out pretty well this season, as far as everyone getting something really meaty to do. This year was crazy! And, it’s the season of the witches, so the witches had a lot more to do this year.
With the year jump in time this season, did you talk about how the relationship between Jesus and Lafayette changed and evolved over that year?
ALEJANDRO: Yeah. It’s one year later, so a lot happened during that year. Also, Nelsan and myself are comfortable with each other as friends now. We’re a lot closer as Kevin and Nelsan, so we play off each other more and we just feel a little freer. I’ve learned so much by working with that guy. He is a genius, when it comes to our craft. He’s one of the best at it. I love working with the dude. I might be a little biased because I had a lot more to do, but the writing was really good this season. The stuff that Nelsan and I got to go through together was really great this year.
Now that you’ve gotten to play this character for a little bit, how do you see Jesus? What kind of person is he to you, especially after this season?
ALEJANDRO: Without giving anything away, Jesus is considerate, kind and loving, and he’s so in love with Lafayette. But, there’s a darkness in him, too. He’s a well-balanced character. With everybody, there’s good and bad. It’s to-be-determined which one prevails.
In learning about this character, what aspects of him have most surprised you?
ALEJANDRO: It was not necessarily surprising, but getting into his back-story, figuring out where he came from and who he was as a child, and the different parts of the world that he lived in, was intriguing to me and interesting to learn.
Did you ever think you’d be breaking ground on TV, getting to play a male witch who is also a male nurse?
ALEJANDRO: I had no idea. If you had asked me a year and a half ago whether I’d be doing this on TV, I’d have said no. I would have had no clue. But, I’m loving every moment of it. I just love being there. It’s one of the biggest ensemble shows I’ve ever been a part of, and it’s great. It’s a great time.
Has it been fun to see the witches become this unexpected and very real threat to the vampires?
ALEJANDRO: Absolutely! It’s so cool. It’s very fun. With this show, in particular, it’s not very often that you get to play with everyone. This season, everyone has been all over the place. There are relationships with everyone now. I get to go through all the Bon Temps people.
With such a large ensemble, is there anyone that you haven’t gotten to work with much that you wish you could have some more scenes with?
ALEJANDRO: They did a good job of putting me with everybody this year. I really like Ryan Kwanten. He’s a good actor and he’s really funny. I would like to do more stuff with him. But, I’ve loved every moment of it, with everyone I’ve worked with.
In being a fan of the show, along with being a part of the show, are there any of the other characters that you wish you could be for a day?
ALEJANDRO: I don’t know. I like Jesus. I must say, it would be really cool to be a vampire. That would be a fun thing for me to do.
To read the rest of this interview, go to: collider.com
