William Sanderson
"Interview with 'True Blood' Star William Sanderson" - BuddyTV
June/08/09 21:26 Filed in: Off-Site
/ BuddyTV spoke to William Sanderson about his career and the new season of True Blood. Sanderson talked about vampires, his guest appearance on this season of Lost, and an upcoming Starz documentary about character actors he'll be appearing in.
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If you get one of these new scripts do you pour through it right away and say, "Uh oh. Am I gonna die in this episode?"
WS: Absolutely. I hate to admit it. Some of these wonderful actors admitted they wanted to see how long their characters' survived. But one stays ready for the inevitable and in spite of having nightmares of inadequacy I'll be alright. I worked with Tommy Lee Jones a lot - six jobs I survived . He said "We'll be alright if we die tomorrow." He also said I had a lot to be humble about.
Well at least if you died on this show, theoretically you could come back as a vampire. Would you want to play a vampire on the show?
WS: I'll do anything to be on TV, John. My wife should get a residual either way. I just love working for HBO. I think they hire good people - especially the writers and creators - and stay out of their way. They've certainly been good to me. /
Full Article:
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/exclusive-interview-with-true-29151.aspx
"William Sanderson: Soft-Spoken Sheriff of True Blood's Bon Temps" - The Trades
June/01/09 20:37 Filed in: Off-Site
"TT: Throughout the first season of True Blood, your character -- though we didn't see an awful lot of him -- seemed to evolve from a character a bit like your "Larry" character in Newhart, to someone who's a lot more wise and competent than we were first led to believe. Was there talk of developing the character as the season wore on?
WS: I'm grateful for the time I got on it, and not to be arrogant but I'm keeping the money. I think the second season will even be better with some new vampires and more craziness, if you will.
But, no, that was all on a need to know basis, and I'm still learning. When I get to work with Alan Ball, the creator, I really try to be a sponge, but, for me it was a thrill to play what was -- at least ostensibly -- a normal person: I'm clean shaven and I don't wear dirty clothes. But if you read the books, there's not a lot on Sheriff Dearborne, but people have told me he's a voice of reason (and that's another irony with me). But it's fun to play a normal person.
TT:And this is on a series filled with vampires and, as we later learn, other sorts of beasts, and Bud Dearborne seems to somehow ground the whole series in reality, while everyone else is interacting with the supernatural. Is this your first role in this kind of show?
WS: No... but it's the first one anybody will see without staying up 'til 4am, I guess. The supernatural [element], it's set in the near future, if you can imagine, where the vampires have "come out of the coffin." But, I can't recall -- I've done a number of sci-fi projects, and one was a great thrill and still a cult film. But I've never done anything like this. I look at it as providential, or a gift from God. I'm a greybeard, and lucky to get this job. "
Full Interview:
http://www.the-trades.com/article.php?id=11117
