Fans of HBO’s True Blood saw a different side of Tara (Rutina Wesley) in Season 4. Tara turned into a lesbian cage fighter!
The Bajan Reporter recently got to interview Wesley about this new direction. The first thing they wanted to know about was how much of the fighting was her, and how much was stunt doubles. Here’s what she had to say:
“I did do a lot of it. We all have stunt doubles but I did do a lot of it, ’cause I like to do that kinda stuff. It is just easier for camera work too, when they can get our faces and get our bodies moving around and fighting… I actually would love to train [in martial arts] but HBO would get mad at me, because it is so easy to get hurt. I mean, we are always taking off our clothes in some form or another, so you have to work out.”
The relationship between Tara and Sookie was then discussed. Wesley summed it up nicely by saying that although Tara can get mad at Sookie, their relationship goes beyond that. This is due to the fact that they were practically raised together since Tara’s mother was an alcoholic.
And being mad doesn’t necessarily mean that she won’t help out either. First she comes back in Season 4 because Sookie returns, then she extends her stay because her cousin Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) is drawn into Wicca. So while she may seem like one tough cookie on the surface, she is, in fact, a soft teddy bear inside.
Wesley also owned up to the fact that she has only read the first Charlaine Harris book, on which Alan Ball based the series. Although, she has a very valid reason for this. And fans who have read the books, will understand also the very different path that the character of Tara Thornton has taken.
Some may not realize it, but for Wesley, True Blood is all new to her. She graduated (alongside Nelsan Ellis) not so long ago from Juilliard, but her area of expertise was theater, not television. While she is loving the experience, she is still finding it all a bit surreal:
“I still can’t believe I am on TV. Even when I watch the shows back, I am like, ‘Wow, that’s me!’ My family is so proud – I’m a Vegas girl but honestly, it still gets to me that I am getting to do what I love to do.”
Truebies, did you have any doubts it was actually her fighting? This is one tough woman!
Source: The Bajan Reporter – RUTINA WESLEY (Tara Thornton), TRUE BLOOD – SEASON 4, HBO {Mild Spoilers}
(Photo Credit: HBO, Inc.)
