British born actor James Frain joined the cast of the award winning series True Blood in Season 3, playing the dangerously sexy vampire Franklin.
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Born in Leeds, England, 42-year-old Frain first acted at school and studied at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London. During his final year he was offered a role in Richard Attenborough’s Shadowlands, starring alongside Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger.
One of Frain’s best-known roles was playing Thomas Cromwell in The Tudors, the critically acclaimed historical drama. He is also starring in The Cape, a superhero drama for NBC, and appeared alongside Jeff Bridges in Tron: Legacy.
Frain studied drama the University of East Anglia and later at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London. His films include Elizabeth, Hilary And Jackie, Titus, The Count Of Monte Cristo and Everybody’s Fine. His TV work includes Prime Suspect, Spartacus, 24, Invasion and The Closer.
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Was it difficult to join an established cast playing such an extreme character like Franklin?
“In a funny way, it’s actually better to come in like that because the stakes are very high and it’s a very extreme world, and I didn’t put a lot of thought into it really, other than the part seemed very clear to me on the page and I thought it was exciting and funny and I knew it was going to be a wild ride. So I was more excited I think. I thought it was just a great part, and I thought it was going to be really fun and that’s how it turned out.”
The relationship between Tara and Franklin is extreme. Do you talk about how you will approach it with Rutina Wesley (who plays Tara) or is it all on the page?
“It’s certainly out there but it’s also very familiar because everyone knows what it’s like to fall head over heels in love with someone who doesn’t feel the same way. And how completely disorientating and frightening and infuriating that can be. And so that was the model for this relationship.
“And similarly, everyone has a pretty good idea of what it fees like to have someone not take ‘no’ for an answer. And that every day kind of dynamic is just blown up into extreme proportions. And really it’s all in the script and the characters were very thought through, very well presented in the script and we didn’t have to do a lot of embellishing or digging to make it work.”
But were you a little nervous about joining such a well-established cast?
“Well, first of all, everyone has a storyline that really only involves a couple of other people. And then the writers weave these storylines around each other so most of the time we’re not working with the rest of the cast. Most of my stuff is with Rutina Wesley who plays Tara.
“I would meet the cast when we had read throughs every week for the new episodes but everyone is very experienced and I think everyone in the main cast knows what it feels like to come on to a show as a guest star or as a recurring actor and they were all very, very welcoming. It has the feeling of a theatre company. It’s all about the work and supporting each other.”
Alan Ball was saying that he likes to work with actors who have great technique…
“I heard Alan said that and I was like ‘wow, I should acquire some technique!’ (laughs). Actually, I’m not quite sure what it means.”
When Franklin first appears in Season 3 we don’t know a lot about his back-story. Is that something you have discussed with the writers?
“One of the things that’s so interesting about this character, and one of the reasons, I think, he’s connected with people, is that you don’t know anything about you. You know his behaviour – and his behaviour seems completely credible and incredible at the same time. I had a kind of feeling about the kind of guy he is and I had this sense that he was like a rock and roll star that is used to getting his own way and he’s used to having people throw themselves at him.
“He’s used to manipulating people and he’s used to being in control and he’s now in this situation where he has absolutely none of that and he is ill equipped to handle it. I don’t think he’s ever fallen in love before and I don’t think he’s ever felt any of these things before and it just unhinges him. People have said to me ‘was he crazy in his past?’ and I’m thinking ‘I don’t know..’ I don’t know that I find it particularly helpful to think in that way. I just have more of a feeling than a back-story.”
Alan Ball was saying that people relate to dark, scary stories. Do you?
“I think part of what’s interesting about what’s happening with True Blood is what Charlaine (Harris) did in the first place with the books and what Alan has done with the concept of the show and that is to take something that we are used to seeing in the shadows, something that is in the corners of your mind, and pop it right next door and live in the same community as everyone else.
“We all have a dark side and we all have pain and difficulties and different ways of dealing with it but vampires represent the idea of humanity with none of the limitations. They never die, which is interesting because of our ideas about immortality, and it leads us to ask the question ‘what if I never die?’ Well, vampires don’t ever die and it turns out to be not that much fun. But I don’t know if I think of myself as someone who is particularly only into darker stories.”
How much improvisation is there on the set?
“Very little. When something is this well written and constructed, often it’s best to stick to that because there’s a reason why the line is there. There might be a few beats now and again where we throw stuff in but for the most part, it’s more like doing theatre.”
You worked with Robert Pattinson on Water For Elephants. Did you compare vampire stories?
“I don’t know that Robert is so excited to talk about vampire stuff right now. It’s irresistible to think of a True Blood/Twilight thing going on (laughs). I wish I could give more, but sorry…”
You’ve had a very successful career before joining True Blood. Do the younger actors on the show ask you for advice?
“No. Like I say, most of my work on the show is with Rutina. Rutina came out of Julliard and usually if you come out of Julliard you spend more time in New York doing theatre. I know she did a Broadway show but True Blood was pretty much her first job after that but she is very secure in her training.”
What about the violence in the show? How do you approach those scenes?
“The weird thing is that it doesn’t feel like how it looks on screen. And when it’s something sexual it certainly doesn’t feel sexual. It’s only when they cut it together that it creates this impression. When something is violent it just seems kind of silly and fun. It’s only when you look at it afterwards where it’s like ‘whoa! That looks real!
“Those people look like they are hurt and that guy is angry..’ But when you are doing it, you are creating an illusion with props and that’s what you are most aware of – you are trying to make the illusion work, you are trying to sell it. It doesn’t feel violent.”
Can some of those more extreme scenes be funny, too?
“Yeah. I had a really good time making this. I had a lot of fun.”
Have you met Charlaine Harris?
“Yes, I met her at Comic-Con. She’s thrilled with the show. She couldn’t be happier and she loves it. She’s very happy with the adaptation and it must be so exciting for her.”
Even though there are changes that Alan Ball made?
“If you are a writer you know how it goes. It’s a different medium and there are different requirements. And it seems to be that Charlaine isn’t excluded from the process. She said to me that she was very happy with the changes. Someone said to me that in the novels Franklin is Italian and in his 50s and he’s described as a sugar Daddy. Well, it’s a bit different in the show but I know Charlaine approves.”
You mentioned the special effects they use on the show so well. Can you give me a specific that impressed you?
“I’m trying to think of something I can say that isn’t a spoiler (laughs). The special effects guys are amazing and in one sequence they made a fake head of me – it was sort of split with the brains coming out (laughs). It was for a scene where Tara bashes his brains in and there’s blood and stuff flying around. And actually, it was very funny. It’s absurd and extreme and it looks creepy and frightening but it was actually very funny when we did it.”
Did your character get a good reception at Comic-Con?
“A big reception. And I didn’t see that coming. But I think there’s something about his character that’s really connecting with people somehow. So yeah, a very big reception at Comic-Con, which was great.”
True Blood seems to get a bigger critical and audience reception with each season. Do you feel like your character and the other characters have developed significantly in season three?
“I don’t know. I’m not really qualified to speak on anyone else’s character and my guy is all contained within this season. But, I think sometimes that can happen with shows – a show takes off and it goes into it’s second year, it’s third year, it expands and enriches and the writers get more space and get more confident.”
There’s so much stuff online about the show, about your character. Do you feel like you are part of some sort of micro society?
“Well, Franklin is kind of in a society of one! (laughs) Franklin-land is a lonely place. He’s in a world of his own, is poor old Franklin – until he gets a spin off series and I’m working on that (laughs).”
How has the series changed your life?
“It’s all just changing now I think. But it’s weird, because all these movie stars and TV stars live here in LA and it’s extraordinary and completely normal at the same time. People recognise you and go ‘oh you’re the guy from that show. I like your show..’ I appreciate that. People are usually very generous and very happy to see you – it’s very nice.”
OK, you’re playing a vampire who won’t ever die. Does immortality appeal to you?
“Not really. I think it’s just a bit of fun. I think people are having fun with it and the success of True Blood is because it’s fun. I think its sense of fun keeps people interested.”
As we’ve said, the show has become more and more popular with each season. What were you expectations when you first joined the show?
“I just thought, ‘please don’t kill me!’ (laughs). I didn’t really have a take on it. I can’t think of any TV show or theatre production that I’ve worked on that hasn’t essentially become, very quickly, about going to work. Because there are so many practical challenges that have to be met every day and that’s what keeps everyone engaged. Whether this show is successful or not, the challenges of the work are still the same. And that’s what you are busy concentrating on.”
The Complete Third Season of True Blood is released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 23rd May 2011 by HBO Home Entertainment.