Carolyn Hennesy Speaks on "Great Dame" of a True Blood Character

at .

Joan Crawford and Betty Davis, move over. Make room for Rosalyn Harris.

This Vampire Authority member will make her first appearance on True Blood Season 5, and Carolyn Hennesy recently described the character to me as a "great dame," one in the mold of the aforementioned legends.

"She's just a grand old broad," the actress said. "She's someone who thinks pearls go with everything and hair can never be too high. She has a tremendous sense of humor."

Carolyn Hennesy on True Blood

That's not how I would have pictured an Authority member, but Hennesy said fans of this HBO series are in for a few surprises when they meet who she describes as "the Pope and the Cardinals" of the vampire world. (Chrisopher Meloni, as Roman, would be the Pope in this analogy.)

"There are two principle factions within the Authority," Hennesy explained. "There are those who believe in mainstreaming, who wish to assimilate the humans and those who… do not. They simply view humans a never-ending buffet."

And on which side does Hennesy's Rosalyn fall?

"Rosalyn is of the mindset that humans developed Tru Blood, they landed a man on the moon, they discovered Penicillin. What other miracles can they pull off? What else can they do for us?"

So it sounds like Rosalyn will be on the side of Eric and Bill when they inevitably clash with the Authority. Right? It won't be that simple, the actress teases.

"We are very skeptical when we meet them," she said. "Relationships become very convoluted and confused. There will be tremendous shenanigans within the Authority and Bill and Eric will become part of that. Whose side are they on? That will be revealed as time goes on."

Hennesy, who also promises "huge battles" to come on season five, admitted that she never saw True Blood before landing this part.

But she then sat in her office for 10 days and gave "the best Christmas present to myself that I ever had" by watching all four seasons in a row.

"I became addicted," she said. "This show is the modern opium. You get everything: blood, fore, violence and sex. On a much deeper level, even, you get subtle, layered performances with brilliant writing. And it's just beautiful to look at. It's a skinny dip into a multi-colored pool."

True Blood returns with new episodes on Sunday, June 10.

Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.

Show Comments
Tags: , , ,

True Blood Quotes

Pam: Thanks for the suggestion but we prefer to do things the old fashioned way.
Elijah: Yeah you and Blockbuster Video.

Eric: You surprise me. That's rare in a breather.
Sookie: You disgust me.
Eric: Perhaps I'll grow on you.
Sookie: I'd prefer cancer

True Blood Music

  Song Artist
Good Behaviour Powersolo iTunes
Pistol Whip Me Acumen Nation iTunes
Crazed Country Rebel Hank Williams III iTunes