Carolyn Hennesy plays Rosalyn Harris on HBO’s True Blood, a character she describes as big hair, big heart, and big teeth.
“She's got a wonderful and wicked sense of humor and would be just as at home in a saloon as in a private box at the opera” explains Hennesy, diving into her character’s psyche. A member of the Authority, Rosalyn is what we’d call in the Buffy-verse, a big-bad. The villain’s sass and style is executed flawlessly by Hennesy who describes the vamp as “a grand broad.”
“It's a diva-less set; full of humor, professionalism, generosity from my fellow thespians,” says Hennesy who makes the True Blood lot sounds like something close to heaven. “I would get excited just to drive onto the lot for a wardrobe fitting,” she admits rather unabashedly.
So what makes being a vampire so special? “Vampires are just the ultimate bad boys. Also…undead is sexy.” Yeah, especially when the undead is played by Alexander Skarsgard.
“To be able to bring a spark of emotion in an otherwise heartless creature is very exciting if you can pull it off. And these vampires, in addition to being extreme–almost brutally beautiful–eye-candy, are all about heart, soul searching, love and mega-lust. They’re the complete vampire package,” she says.
Hennesy really debunks the vampire craze when developing Rosalyn Harris’ character. “Well, women love vampires to a greater degree than men (usually) in general for the very same reason that women love bad boys: the hunt for the deep, soft, caring soul underneath,” she explains.
For those of you who are over the whole vampire phase, you may recognize Hennesy from Cougar Town or General Hospital. She’s been acting since she was four years old! “My father was a production designer and I was a bit of a studio brat…only not a brat. Let's change that to devotee,” jokes Hennesy. “I loved what when on in those dark, cavernous rooms and knew instinctively that I needed to be a part of the going-on.”
Yet out of her incredibly impressive resume, True Blood stands out for Hennesy. “There has not been, to date, a better professional working experience for me,” she says.
