Carrie Preston is a true acting chameleon. Her ability to take on characters from every walk of life and make them seem real, believable and incredibly entertaining is bewilderingly impressive. She can seamlessly transform from one role to another- one moment playing a quick-witted and hot-tongued Louisiana waitress with a heart of gold, and the next a brilliant yet odd lawyer who can compliment someone on their fashion choices while telling them how to win a case all in the same breath. I always look forward to watching Preston perform, whether it be as Arlene on HBO’s True Blood or in one of her guest spots on The Good Wife or Person of Interest and it’s clear I’m not the only critic (or viewer) who feels that way. The entertainment industry is abuzz with talk that Preston should be nominated for an Emmy for her recent turn on The Good Wife, but despite all the high praise and compliments, Carrie Preston is still one of the most humble people in Hollywood.

When I spoke with Preston for this interview, I was immediately struck by how down to earth and modest she really is given the over the top characters she is best known for playing. It also quickly became clear that acting is a lifelong journey for Preston. Unwilling to use the words she’s “made it” as an actress despite her many achievements, and always quick to add how lucky she is to be living out her dream, there’s no doubt it’s a journey she’s very happy to be on.

Read on for our exclusive interview with Carrie Preston were we talk The Good Wife, Person of Interest, True Blood and how her beloved dog got the name “Chumley.”

The Daily Quirk: You play so many amazing roles I can’t wait to ask you about them, but first I would like to start with the person behind the characters: you. You have a BFA, you went to Julliard; so clearly you’ve been serious at pursuing acting for a long time, but when did you first realize this was the career for you?

Carrie Preston: Well, I knew I loved acting from the beginning. My older brother, John Preston, started doing plays when we were very small. I was watching him do it and I thought, ‘I want to be in the plays too.” Then I guess I started doing community theater, and around when I was twelve or so I said to my mom, “Do you think that I could do this as a job?” And my mom said, ‘Well honey, somebody’s got to do it. I don’t know why it can’t be you.’ She was always very supportive; both my parents were very supportive, and there are two professional actors in the family as a result. Then we married professional actors ourselves, my brother and I, so we’ve doubled the number of actors in the family.

TDQ: What was your first ‘I’ve made it’ moment?

CP: A profound moment for me as an actor was making my Broadway debut in The Tempest with Patrick Stewart, who was also making his Broadway debut. On opening night, there we were at the very top of the show and the music started. We were in this little enclosed box waiting for our entrance, and that was a pretty exciting moment because I was making my Broadway debut doing Shakespeare, which is what I was trained to do. I went to Julliard and that’s a classical training program. So, that was definitely a moment when I thought, ‘Ok. I’m doing what I’ve dreamed of doing.’ I guess that was my first big moment. I don’t like use the term ‘I’ve made it,’ but I definitely felt like I was on the right track.

TDQ: You’ve also gotten involved behind the scenes, starting your own production company Daisy 3 Pictures and directing several features including That’s What She Said, written by Kellie Overbey, which won Best Film by a Woman Director at the 2012 Nashville Film Festival. Can you tell me what made you want to get involved in working behind the scenes?

CP: I write, direct and produce. I like to get behind material that I feel like highlights stories we don’t usually get to see or characters that we don’t usually get to see in the normal everyday Hollywood world. I’m always drawn to those stories that are a little more on the fringe; those characters that are a little more on the outside. That’s what inspires me a lot to create those films – to speak to an audience that might be a little more under served. We like to say in my production company, Daisy 3 Pictures, that we make gay films you can take your mother to and women’s films with a ‘broad appeal.’ And so That’s What She Said, which was the latest that I directed, is definitely the latter, a movie that is about three very strong, very flawed, very funny, very empathetic and culpable women. You don’t get to see women that messy on screen in Hollywood. That’s what I was drawn to in that piece.

TDQ: Do you prefer any one role over the others? Directing or Acting?

CP: I don’t prefer one over the other. I feel like they both complement each other in a great way because as an actor you’re really only responsible for your one role and it’s just one little part of the tapestry. As a director, you have to get into the skin of all the characters and really bring the entire story, the entire tapestry, to life. So, one feeds the other. I don’t think I would know how to direct if I hadn’t had a lot of experience acting. And also, as an actor, you get the opportunity to watch a lot of other directors working and so you can borrow from them and steal from them [laughing] and learn what to do and what not to do. Whereas, some directors who have only ever directed have only learned from their own experience and not watching other directors.

TDQ: Let’s talk about your recent return to The Good Wife as Elsbeth. I have to say I’m a True Blood fan who tuned into The Good Wife just for you, and I’m so glad I did. The show is great and your character, Elsbeth, is just hysterical. Can you tell me a little bit about how the role originally came about?

CP: It was a wonderful gift. I didn’t know it was coming. I was blessed with the role as a surprise. I didn’t know about it. I didn’t audition for it. I just got a call saying ‘they want you to play this role.’ I read it and I just got so excited about it. I saw on the page an extraordinary character. I immediately thought, ‘this could be something really special and I have an idea about how to make it work.’ I got on the phone with Robert King; Robert and Michelle King are the creators of the show. So I got on the phone with Robert and he spoke a little bit about how they were envisioning the character. I gave him a little thumbnail sketch of what I wanted to do with it and then they just let me run with it. The writing is so rich and so specific, and then I added my own take on it. The result is a very interesting marriage of those two things.

TDQ: Elsbeth is such a scene stealer; I have to ask what’s been your favorite scene to film so far for The Good Wife?

CP: I have lots of those. I guess in the most recent season I really enjoyed doing the Indian Food Restaurant scene with Kyle MacLachlan, which was such a very strange hybrid between business and pleasure [laughing]. We got to see what Elsbeth is like in a situation where she’s attracted to the person that she’s with, but also attracted and distracted by the food in front of her, and at the same time is able to somehow accomplish what needs to be accomplished work wise. It was a really fun scene to juggle all of those things, and working with Kyle MacLachlan was a real treat.

TDQ: Elsbeth’s distractions and little tangents are some of the funniest things about her, were those traits already on the written page or is that something that evolved as you stepped into the character?

CP: I don’t really add any dialogue, so everything you hear is what was written and then it’s up to the actors to figure out how to connect the dots, and in her case there are lots of dots to connect [laughing]. So that’s the real joy about taking the ride with her, both as an actor and I hope as an audience, is seeing those quick turns and watching how her mind goes from talking about the case to complimenting someone on their suit to looking out the window and getting distracted by whatever might be out there. So, it’s definitely a nice hybrid between the writing and my interpretation.

TDQ: Well, fans and critics have been raving about your performance in Season 3, and rightly so, and everyone wants to know if we’ll get to see more of Elsbeth in Season 4?

CP: Well, I’m definitely hoping for it. There’s been some talk, but nothing concrete has happened quite yet. But I’ve got my fingers crossed.

TDQ: You also just did a guest spot on your husband Michael Emerson’s show Person of Interest. I know you’ve done other projects together, but you haven’t actually gotten to film together. What was it like getting to work with him and play his on-screen love interest?

CP: It was a real treat. Obviously, to work with him is to work with one of the best. He had mentioned to the producers ‘Oh, it would be fun to have Carrie on the show’ and, you know, nobody thinks anything of that. Then one day they called him and said, ‘Would you mind if we cast your wife as your love interest?’ and he was like ‘Sure, if you can get her schedule to work.’ So, luckily they did. It was a really fun experience to walk on set and be in his world, and to see how much the crew appreciates him and loves him, and how comfortable he is in that world. He was very helpful in bringing me into the world pretty seamlessly. And when you’re working with somebody you’ve known for so long and you trust and you love there’s just a real element of ease.

TDQ: I know you’ve mentioned elsewhere that you had to shoot a majority of your [Person of Interest] scenes at once to fit into your shooting schedule with True Blood. What was that like?

CP: It was very strange because the scenes were separate from the rest of the episodes. It was almost like we were doing a couple of little short films and we really didn’t how they were going to be contextualized in the final edit. But it was kind of fun. It was like we were our own little unit; the Grace-Finch unit [laughing]. So it was like we had our own little universe, and I guess the characters feel the same way, so that was fitting.

TDQ: Is there any chance we’ll get to see Michael [Emerson] on True Blood any time soon?

CP: Well, I guess we can only hope, but you know the man is pretty busy [laughing]. I don’t know if it would work out schedule wise, but I know they’re all fans of Michael over at True Blood so I’m sure they would be happy to have him if they could work it out.

TDQ: Speaking of True Blood:For six seasons now you’ve been playing Bon Temps’, and viewers’, favorite fiery redhead, Arlene Fowler. What initially attracted you to the role?

CP: It was really Allan Ball that I was attracted to working with. I was in his film, Towelhead, and we were shooting that before the [True Blood] pilot happened. I asked him on set, ‘What are you doing next?’ And he said, ‘I’m doing this vampire show for HBO and I might have something in it for you.’ I read the script and I really honestly did not even know what character he was talking about. That’s how different I am from Arlene. Then he said, ‘Well, it’s Arlene.’ And I said, ‘Well, great! That sounds fun. I’ll have a crack at that.’ Luckily, they thought that was a good idea and the next thing I knew I’m standing there with a red wig [laughing], fake tan, fake nails, and a crazy accent. There I was in this brand new world that we hadn’t quite seen before on television. I was very grateful that we all took a leap of faith in making that happen.

TDQ: While we’re talking about Allan Ball, this was your first without him as showrunner. Has it been a different experience than previous seasons?

CP: We had a few little growing pains because we were saying goodbye to the daddy and he was suddenly not there anymore and we had a new daddy. But our new daddy has been there since day one too, so it wasn’t that big of an adjustment. The writers, the tone of the show, the actors; all of that has remained consistent. And I think it’s also been a little bit of a breath of fresh air, a new take on some things. Not that it needed it, but it’s always fun to kind of shake things up a little bit and I feel like that happened in a really positive way.

TDQ: We actually spoke to one of your new co-stars, Amelia Rose Blaire, who plays Willa Burrell, and the word she used to described Season 6 was ‘revamped;’ and after watching the first few episodes I thought that was a great analogy.

CP: [laughing] Yeah, that’s a good way to put it. Yes, it does feel that way and at the same time it feels like it’s getting back to its original roots. The human storylines are kind of being brought to the forefront this season in a way that we haven’t seen in awhile. I think that was the original intent in the First Season and it’s kind of nice to have a full circle.

TDQ: This season picks up right where the last left off and Arlene and Terry are in a rough spot right now, with Terry having a hard time in the wake of killing Patrick to protect his family. So far Arlene’s been able to help him hold it together when Patrick’s widow came calling and at home with Andy’s girls reading his mind about the murder. Is it going to be difficult for her to keep doing that? It looks like Terry is starting to fall apart a little…

CP: Yeah, I mean what they did last season is really tough for somebody who suffers from PTSD to stomach. Arlene’s doing everything she can to hold on and keep him grounded and protect him and help to ease his pain.

TDQ: It’s really been interesting watching Arlene transform from the first season till now, almost going from feeling like she needs someone to protect her to being Terry’s protector.

CP: They do seem to have a relationship that seems to work very well that way. When one of them is starting to slide or spiral, the other one comes in and steadies them, and vice versa. And that’s certainly not any different this season.

TDQ: Well, as you mentioned, the human story is starting to be back in the forefront of the show, but I have to ask: do you have any hopes that Arlene becomes some kind of supernatural in future seasons?

You know, I used to feel that way until they started turning everybody into supernaturals, and now I feel like I’m the unique one because I’m one of the only humans that’s left really [laughing].

TDQ: That’s very true.

CP: You know? I feel, kind of feel more special than the supernaturals. So, no. I’m very happy to be holding down the supernatural fort.

TDQ: I know you’ve previously mentioned that there were some real tears wept during filming this season, which sounds pretty ominous. A big death has been teased with all those “No one lives forever” ads, and the internet went nuts when Episode 7’s original title, ‘The Funeral,’ leaked. Can you give us any hint of what to expect?

CP: I’m sorry I can’t talk about that, but luckily it’s coming up pretty soon!

TDQ: There’s been a lot of talk about an Elsbeth spinoff, but if you had a choice would you prefer to do a show about Arlene or Elsbeth?

CP: [laughing] What an embarrassment of riches that would be! What I would love to see is a scene between the two of them. Can you imagine Arlene and Elsbeth in the same room? That would be hilarious. I guess if I had to pick I would say Elsbeth, only because we haven’t seen her as much as we’ve seen Arlene. It would be fun to see her in more situations, conflicts, and crazy obstacles for her to overcome.

TDQ: You have to be one of the busiest women in Hollywood, but what do you like to do when you’re not filming?

CP: I love to spend time with my dog. He’s a real joy in my life. Whenever I feel myself getting too overwhelmed with all these projects that I’ve taken on, happily I might add, I always find solace and comfort in spending some quality time with my dog. So I do that as much as I can every day. He grounds me.

TDQ: Since you mentioned your dog, I have one more question I just have to ask. Where did his name, Chumley, come from?

CP: So there’s a very old speakeasy in New York City, it’s very famous, where all the writers hang out, and it was one of the original speakeasys in New York, and it was called Chumley’s. When I first moved to New York, my great uncle used to take me there. He lived in the West Village when he was still alive and he would take me there. It just was a very special place. And one day Michael and I were walking in the West Village, and we had been talking about getting a dog for a long time, and we walked past Chumley’s. And Michael said, ‘You know what? Chumley would be a great name for a dog.’ From then on, we had the name; we just had to find the dog [laughing]. And then we finally did. So, we just knew we were going to name the dog Chumley.

The Daily Quirk would like to thank the incredibly humble and amazingly talented Carrie Preston for taking the time to chat with us! To find out more about Preton, visit her Official Website, check out Daisy 3 Pictures, Like her page on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

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