True Blood’s Fiona Shaw has already captivated the fans with her wonderful performance of Marnie/Antonia in Season 4. Her transition from the meek and mild mannered Marnie into the agressive revenge seeking Antonia has been nothing less than amazing making her a welcome addition to the cast. Below is part of an interview that Fiona did with New York Magazine where she talks about what it’s been like to be a part of this great show.
Season four of True Blood is the season of the witch, i.e., the season of Fiona Shaw. In her role as the sorceress Marnie (who is possessed by the spirit Antonia), the actress is wreaking havoc among the vampires of Bon Temps: erasing Eric’s memory, melting Pam’s face, and generally bringing unwanted sunlight into their lives. It’s all great fun for Shaw, who didn’t get to do much in the way of magic as Aunt Petunia in the Harry Potter series. Now she even gets to levitate. Vulture phoned the actress in London and talked to her about spotting witches on the subway and trying to conjure the dead.
Were you a fan of the books or the show before you signed on for this?
Alan Ball discouraged me from reading the books, which I don’t regret; I don’t want to hanker for material I don’t have. But when I started reading the scripts, and the first lot of Latin came my way, I knew there were challenges ahead! [Laughs.] And when we had the first read-through, and suddenly seeing all these vampires in person, that was very stunning. I had to adjust and remind myself that they’re all just actors. Nan and Pam, they’re my favorites. Both vampires, both very sour.
Were you disappointed they didn’t offer you a vampire role?
I’m glad I’m not a vampire, but I never thought about it beyond that! And you know, I’ve never seen a vampire show before this one. Can you believe it? [Laughs.] So I was very excited to play a witch. It puts the vocabulary of witches back on the imaginative scale, and it gives you a new eye for them. I’ve been playing at casting them when I’m looking at people at bus stops, on the subway: Who’s a vampire, and who’s a witch? That’s one of the delightful things about the series. Everyone looks normal in Sam’s bar, and then you look again, and you find they have more gifts, and more drawbacks. True Blood celebrates the fact that we should never underestimate anyone.
Did you talk to any Wiccans or attend any coven meetings to prepare for the role?
I did, a lot. I actually spent weeks going to meetings and visiting witches. I liked the idea that with some covens, if it gets too big, the members can move on and form a new coven and be like bees, swarm elsewhere. Rituals can be self made. You can make up a ritual. I watched them conjure the dead, and it’s very moving. It’s all to do with their beliefs, and how they call upon a family member, and you see the comfort they give to people.
Did you participate in any of those rituals?
I’m too busy trying to contact the living to try to contact the dead! [Laughs.] I’m happy not to do that.
Even though Marnie is the villain of the season, she considers her actions justified.
Oh, they’re very justified! She’s just getting on, practicing her little religion, and in comes this big thug who says she can’t practice it. What happened to democracy?
To read the rest of this interview go to: nymag.com
