Alexander Skarsgård

Press & Interviews -EricNorthman.net

Interview with Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam), conducted over the telephone using Blog Talk Radio on September 15, 2010. Click here to download a .wav of the interview.

DEEDEE: Hi, Kristin, is that you?

KRISTIN: Hi! Yes, it is.

DEEDEE: Hey!

KRISTIN: Hi!

DEEDEE: How are you doing?

KRISTIN: I'm doing pretty good. How are you today?

DEEDEE: I'm all right! I'm off work--

KRISTIN: Well, good! What was that? You're off work?

DEEDEE: Yes, and that's always good.

KRISTIN: Yeah, exactly! [laughs]

DEEDEE: Well, to start off with, did you hear that our sheriff lost the Battle of the Fang?

KRISTIN: Yeah! I did! I can't believe this outrage! How did this happen? But I heard that they raised... I don't know, was it $70,000?

DEEDEE: Yeah, about $70,000, so that's awesome.

KRISTIN: Wow. Isn't that great? So now what's the t-shirt that Alex has to wear?

DEEDEE: [laughs] I'm not sure, but--

KRISTIN: SOmething like "Bill's Bitch." Something humiliating, huh?

DEEDEE: Whatever it is, it's gonna be hilarious. It's almost -- I'm almost glad he lost because it's gonna be so funny.

KRISTIN: Yeah, I know. It's gonna be hysterical. I hope it's pink. And I know Stephen. If Stephen has anything to do with it, it'll be hysterical.

DEEDEE: [laughs] So, Kristin, last time we talked, I asked if we would see the beginnings of Sookie and Pam's friendship from the books, and I think that question has definitely been answered "no" for season three.

KRISTIN: Right. Yeah, I think that... you know, since I didn't read the book, I'm not completely sure what it was like, but I'm very hopeful next year, from what I've heard from the fans, you know, that whole storyline happens. I had to go tweet right after the finale. I was in Greensboro, and I had to get up and miss the last five minutes, so - and then I missed Alan's talk. So I've got it Tivo-ed. I haven't seen it yet, but I'm hoping... I don't know if he gave clues, but I'm hoping that next year, we have the witches, Alex loses his mind, and you know, maybe then Sookie and Pam will have to form a friendship to take care of him.

DEEDEE: That would be great.

KRISTIN: Yeah. Did he hint at anything like that?

DEEDEE: Not really. I sort of got the impression that that's what they're gonna do...

KRISTIN: Okay.

DEEDEE: But... yeah, he didn't say anything for sure.

KRISTIN: He is... They definitely don't tell the actors anything, which is very smart because we're all also fans.

DEEDEE: Right. Well, Stephanie has a question for you, and I'm gonna put her through to ask it.

KRISTIN: Okay.

DEEDEE: Stephanie, are you there?

STEPHANIE: Yeah, I'm here.

DEEDEE: Go ahead, Stephanie.

STEPHANIE: Hi, Kristin!

KRISTIN: Hi, Stephanie!

STEPHANIE: I do have a question for you. This season we got to see a lot of that Eric/Pam relationship.

KRISTIN: Yeah.

STEPHANIE: And I was wondering what your impression was of their relationship, and how you as an actress brought that out on screen, showing the emotion and that whole father-daughter thing they have going on.

KRISTIN: Yeah, you know, because Alex and I have been asking them since the beginning, you know, what is their relationship, and how did it start, and what is it now? And they would just sort of... First season, I think because they were developing it too, they would laugh at us and make jokes and never answer us. And then I did the season two Blu-Ray sort of commentary, but I did it as Pam, and they wrote dialogue for me. And it definitely... In that, they started as a romantic relationship. And then, clearly, now, you know, she is bi at the least and seems to be mostly lesbian, and they're really friends. So Alex and I have joked, you know, the first fifty years our relationship was passionate, but now it's cooled. You know? [laughs]

STEPHANIE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: When you've been with someone a hundred years, I don't know if you can keep the romance alive. But I, you know, am such good friends with Alex, and it was so easy to play those scenes because the thought of him dying was horrible to me.

STEPHANIE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: So... and also, it just seemed to me like Pam needs... Everybody needs one person, and he's her one person. So I just... That's how I looked at it. That their relationship has evolved, but it's been many things over the years.

STEPHANIE: That's awesome.

KRISTIN: Yeah, it was really fun to play. I'm glad the fans liked it. I hope they did, because, you know, it certainly was a different Pam.

STEPHANIE: It's so wonderful. It's... I mean, we - me and my husband - we looked forward to it every week. It's such a beautiful relationship you guys have done.

KRISTIN: Oh, good, good! Yeah, it's really evolved between Alex and I, between the writers, the producers. They said that they figured out a lot of it for this year after watching the Godric/Alex relationship. They realized, well, wait a minute, you know, Pam and Eric would have that relationship as well, that closeness.

STEPHANIE: Awesome. Thanks, Kristin!

KRISTIN: Yeah, thank you!

DEEDEE: Bye, Stephanie!

STEPHANIE: Bye!

DEEDEE: So, Kristin, what was your favorite scene to do with Alex this year?

KRISTIN: You know, there are all kind of different... It's really... It's nice to do a scene that's just the two of us. And, you know, they're faster to shoot. It's more intense. It's... You know, you're working more closely with that other person. When there's five people in the scene and a lot's going on, you know, they split up shooting it. So it takes, you know, the whole seventeen-hour day, and it's very fragmented. But you also have a lot of fun. You know, the more people, the more joking, the more set pranks. So I probably like them all for different reasons.

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: And now that I'm watching... I actually missed a couple of episodes 'cause we were in Africa, but I'm so curious... Shooting it is so different than watching it, that I really... It's... The experience of shooting it, I really loved, you know, that whole "blah, blah, vampire emergency, blah," where then I tell him to get his shit together, and then... But I can't wait to see the whole fight scene put together with Bill. And then I have a scene crying yet when Alex is outside, so I don't know. I'm torn and... not sure.

DEEDEE: [overlap] --good stuff waiting for you.

KRISTIN: What was that?

DEEDEE: I said, you have some good stuff waiting for you, because the stuff you were just saying, that was some of the best stuff Pam had this season.

KRISTIN: Really? Yeah, and I haven't seen it yet, so I'm looking forward to it.

DEEDEE: Well, that fight scene with Bill was awesome and hilarious. And--

KRISTIN: It was?

DEEDEE: Yes, it was so great! We were cheering. [laughs]

KRISTIN: Oh, good, good! Yeah, I know for a minute there, it looked like she might take him.

DEEDEE: Yeah! Well, Diana wants to know if... You know how in the finale, you kill that assassin, Reuben?

KRISTIN: Yeah.

DEEDEE: Well, Diana wants to know if they actually shot a fight scene between you and this person, and maybe it would be on the DVD, or was that not even shot?

KRISTIN: It wasn't even shot. And, you know, when I saw the finale, I thought, "Oh! That would've been fun to see Pam actually save Eric from the cement." And it also would've been fun to see her take out Reuben.

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: But when I heard about them having to film those cement scenes, I was actually pretty glad that I wasn't there. [laughs] They were very long, cold evenings, so - very, also, wet, you know - so then in hindsight I was pretty glad I didn't have to be there. But we never even saw Reuben on screen, did we?

DEEDEE: Nope.

KRISTIN: Wow. Yeah. I would love to do any of those action sequences.

DEEDEE: We love to see Pam fighting.

KRISTIN: Yeah, I thought that was pretty fun. And, you know, when you're shooting it, you feel ridiculous. You know, the director would say, "More snarling." And I would think, "Oh my God, really? Okay..." And then, you know, Stephen and I would go for it. And he had done a few more of these, so I just kind of followed his lead. And I realized you have to just go for it, and feel ridiculous, and hope it looks good in editing.

DEEDEE: Well, tell the writers that we want to see Pam, like, beating up some witches next season. [laughs]

KRISTIN: Yeah, I know! Wouldn't that be great? I was just lying in bed last night, trying to fall asleep, thinking - 'cause I haven't read book four yet - you know, what are the witches gonna do? And how would a vampire fight a witch? And I was getting very excited about the possibilities.

DEEDEE: So are we... very excited.

KRISTIN: Yeah.

DEEDEE: Well, Mary wants to know if you're still finding time for art, and what your favorite medium is.

KRISTIN: You know, my favorite medium... I love to draw. I love to draw in pencil or charcoal. But I really... Pencil was my first love. And then I love painting in oils. And I've had absolutely no time. I'm trying to... A friend of mine is so giving, and does so much more for me than I ever do for her, and I'm uncomfortable with that, and so I'm trying to do a portrait of her. I did a portrait of one dog, and I want to do a portrait of her other dog. And I have not been able to get in there. So I'm hoping that... We're going to Australia in a couple of days, and I'm hoping in October I'm gonna get a little more time to go to the gym, go on hikes with the dogs, and also write and paint. That's my goal for October.

DEEDEE: Have you been to Australia before?

KRISTIN: I have not. So we're going to Sydney and Melbourne. We're doing a show there called The Hub. It's Sam, me, Charlaine, and... I forget who else had confirmed. And so we're gonna spend a few days in Sydney, a few days in Melbourne, and then, you know, gonna take a couple of days off for us, and then come back.

DEEDEE: I bet you're really excited about that.

KRISTIN: Yeah! I think it's gonna be great. I think it's gonna be really... Once you're there. You know, once you get through the fifteen hour flight. 'Cause we've done, I don't know, something like seventy, eighty hours of flying in the last five weeks. So I'm getting pretty good at it.

DEEDEE: Oh my gosh.

KRISTIN: Yeah, I know! Isn't that incredible? I've never been one to want to travel so much, but I have gotten more interested in it, and we found some... a great friend who is staying with our dogs, and we don't worry so much about them. And it's fun to go places with someone. So before I was with Abri, I was more reluctant, you know, going places by myself. It didn't seem as fun. And so... yeah, we've... London, South Africa, which was amazing, and then we went to Atlanta, North Carolina, and now Australia. And then we'll go to Florida in November.

DEEDEE: Wow.

KRISTIN: I know. Isn't that--

DEEDEE: [overlap / phone breaks up]

KRISTIN: --And we're gonna try [?] Utah. What was that?

DEEDEE: Then it'll be pretty much time for filming, just about, by the time all that's done.

KRISTIN: Yeah, that's exactly right. I'm looking at my year, and I go, "Wow! Okay, well, that was... The hiatus is pretty much done!"

DEEDEE: Yeah. Well, on Bloodcopy after the finale, you said something that made the fans really excited: that you would love to do a blog where Pam gives bad advice?

KRISTIN: Wouldn't that be fun?

DEEDEE: It would! And I was wondering if anyone had mentioned to you that in the books, Pam is actually obsessed with reading "Dear Abby" advice columns.

KRISTIN: I did not know that! That's fabulous!

DEEDEE: [overlap] It would be perfect--

KRISTIN: And what's her reaction to "Dear Abby"? Does she think she is on the money, or does she think she's ridiculous?

DEEDEE: Oh, she actually quotes her to Sookie in one.

KRISTIN: [laughs] That's fantastic! Oh, Charlaine. She is so funny!

DEEDEE: So if y'all do decide to put something like that together, just know that the fans would just absolutely love it.

KRISTIN: Yeah, that... I'm hoping HBO is getting that message because... I think Alex was joking about that - you know, Pam's bad advice - on the set. And then, completely independent of that, at Comic-Con, Joe and I were in the back of a car, and he said, "You should do the anti-Carrie Bradshaw blog as Pam and give bad advice." And we started laughing and going over the possibilities, and HBO, some of the PR people there, said, "Oh my gosh, we're gonna have to tell HBO, because that would be hysterical." So I hope that they--

DEEDEE: [overlap]

KRISTIN: --get the message.

DEEDEE: Yeah - if you have time to do it in your busy schedule, we would love it.

KRISTIN: I would love it, too. I think that's hysterical. 'Cause I loved when she was giving Jessica advice.

DEEDEE: Yes! You've mentioned that your husband has read several of the books?

KRISTIN: Yeah.

DEEDEE: Has he said anything to you about Pam that he would like to see on the show? Or just anything in general about Pam?

KRISTIN: You know, mainly I kept asking him about book three, and he said that, you know, when he... He finished book three and he said, "You know, she's only in it twice, like right at the beginning and right at the end. She's not really in it."

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: And this was coming up to season three, and I thought, "Ohhh no, that sucks," you know, "I'm probably not gonna get to do much." And then, you know, it turns out that Alan just wrote in things that weren't in the book, so... no, I kind of feel like I got bonus this year. But he did say that in book four, Pam has a lot more to do. So... And he just generally... you know, he's a typical guy. I want to talk over the endless minutiae and every detail, and he gives me, you know, like two sentences: "Nope, she's in there a lot. Alex loses his memory."

DEEDEE: [laughs]

KRISTIN: [laughs] So that's all I know. He's not a very good reporter. But maybe I'll have to read... I don't know. I'm always torn because I think I should read book four, and then I think, "Yeah, but that's not what the... Alan is necessarily gonna write." So I usually end up opting to just wait for the script.

DEEDEE: Have you thought about going back to read the books when the show's over? Is that something you plan to do? Or do you just kind of want to stick with what you know of the show and your experience playing Pam and, you know, that...?

KRISTIN: Mmhmm. I keep intending to read them, and when I was reading book one during season one, I was going back and forth, and I started getting confused. And so then season two, I said, "No, I'm not gonna do that. I'm gonna read book two after season two." And then I was really more curious about what would happen in season three.

DEEDEE: [laughs]

KRISTIN: And then, you know, they diverged so much, I thought, "No, I'll read book three." And now, you know, I'm thinking this... So I have no idea what I'm doing. But it looks like when the show is done is when I'll probably... Because the show may end before Charlaine is done with this world. So then I'll probably need to go to the books because I'll be missing it.

DEEDEE: Well, you'll love it when you do read them because Pam is - well, I mean, as you know just from the show - Pam is awesome. I think Charlaine said somewhere that Pam is her favorite character?

KRISTIN: I heard that! I saw that! And also when I saw her at Comic-Con, she said she just wrote a short story that is... Maybe that's where "Fuck a zombie" came from. But it was--

DEEDEE: Well, "Fuck a zombie," that one is from book ten, I think.

KRISTIN: Okay.

DEEDEE: I think it's from book ten. Well, speaking of "Fuck a zombie," we've been using that as a sound bite so much, and it makes us laugh every time. And--

KRISTIN: Oh, good, good! [laughs]

DEEDEE: I asked people on Twitter if there were any more Pam quotes from the books that they wanted to hear you say, and I've got two really popular ones here.

KRISTIN: Okay.

DEEDEE: The first one is - this is from book ten - it's "Back to earth, monkey girl."

KRISTIN: [laughs] What's the other one?

DEEDEE: The other one is "You son of a misbegotten whore."

KRISTIN: Ah ha ha! Charlaine is a bad person. "You son..." - I'm writing these down - "of a misbegotten whore." All right, let me do them one at a time.

DEEDEE: Okay.

KRISTIN: "Back to earth, monkey girl." And then the other one would be... "You son of a misbegotten whore." [says it to herself and laughs] "You son of a misbegotten whore."

DEEDEE: [laughs] That's great. I just have one--

KRISTIN: That's just hysterical.

DEEDEE: I have one question to ask you to kind of clear up. You know, you were talking earlier about the commentaries you did for the Blu-Ray?

KRISTIN: Yeah.

DEEDEE: On one of them Pam talks about how she tried to be a maker once, but she got tired of the guy.

KRISTIN: [laughs]

DEEDEE: [laughs] But then in season three, Eric says something that... It sort of implies that you've never been a maker. So I was just wondering if he... the meaning was that you just needed to get serious about being a maker, or did they decide to change it so that Pam hasn't actually been a maker yet?

KRISTIN: I bet you it was the latter. I bet you that, you know, 'cause the writers that wrote the season two Blu-Ray, you know, they were writing all of that before we got into really looking at Pam and Eric's history for season three. And so there were a couple of things, I forget what else, that I did in the Blu-Ray that didn't end up on... you know, that they edited out because they were starting to think ahead. But I bet you anything that they went, "Nooo, it's better for that scene." It makes more sense, you know, more powerful if it's that she's never been a maker, and she needs to start. 'Cause I really, though, I see why they wrote that in the Blu-Ray because I just can't... She just has no tolerance for needy.

DEEDEE: Right.

KRISTIN: You know how in the wild those animals have to be born and within two hours run? [laughs] Or die? I think that would be Pam.

DEEDEE: Yeah. [laughs]

KRISTIN: She's definitely more primal.

DEEDEE: Oh no!

KRISTIN: [laughs]

DEEDEE: Do you think Pam would turn a man or a woman? What do you think?

KRISTIN: Yeah, that's a good question because I wonder what they're gonna do with her romance in the future because, you know, we've all fallen in love and done things against our general character. So I could see her sort of finding someone who really got to her heart, and she would then want to turn that person. And right now, it looks like that would be a woman. And then she'd, you know, have a real dependency on her hands. But... yeah, you know, then I could also see her basically creating a slave, you know, like turning someone who could wash her car and do her laundry. [laughs]

DEEDEE: A pet.

KRISTIN: Just to have help at home.

DEEDEE: Yeah. Do you know if Yvetta is gone for good, or have they not decided that yet?

KRISTIN: I haven't heard anything on that. I'm really curious about who's gonna be back next year and where the storyline's gonna go. You know, I have no idea about the King of Mississippi. I mean, they didn't kill him.

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: And I... Denis O'Hare is probably the best actor I've ever worked with. And Zeljko as well, the magister. And... but the magister definitely can't come back. But, you know, I'm hopeful that Denis could, because boy, he was quite something.

DEEDEE: He was. We're so glad that they didn't kill him.

KRISTIN: Aren't you glad? I mean, he's so phenomenal. He's just an incredible actor and also one of the most lovely people I've ever met.

DEEDEE: Oh, really?

KRISTIN: Yeah, he's an incredible, incredible guy. Just such an amazing man. I love him.

DEEDEE: Well, Kristin, I know that you have to go in a minute, so last of all, I was wondering if I could talk Miss Pam into recording a message for our show.

KRISTIN: Yeah!

DEEDEE: Do you think she would do it if I ask really nicely?

KRISTIN: Sure! Let me go back to my computer, 'cause is that the one you sent me?

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: And I'm going to... I've got the window open, and I can hear the gardeners out there. So I close the window, I'm back in my office, let me look here on my email so I have it in front of me... Aha! All right. Let me try to do this, and if I screw it up, I'll just do it ag... you know, actors, we're used to getting a few takes.

DEEDEE: [laughs] Okay. Take one!

KRISTIN: Okay, good. "So you're tuning in to Dead Air. As much as I admire Eric, you'd think these fangbangers might have better things to do than sit around and talk about him every Monday night. Then again, what can you expect from a website called Eric Northman dot net? At least they have the good taste to talk about Eric instead of that pathetic excuse for a vampire, Bill Compton. Well, enjoy your little show. I have someone to go eat. Ta-ta." Was that good?

DEEDEE: [overlap] That was awesome. Yes. That's gonna make me laugh every time I hear it now.

KRISTIN: Wonderful. Oh, good! Laughter is the best medicine.

DEEDEE: Yes, it is. Kristin, you are the best.

KRISTIN: Well, thank you! Thanks for taking your time.

DEEDEE: No, thank you. I have all the time in the world, you don't. So...

KRISTIN: [laughs] Yes, it's been a little busy lately!

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: But that's good.

DEEDEE: You're so much fun to talk to.

KRISTIN: Yes, you too. And thanks to the fans for the good questions as well.

DEEDEE: Yeah.

KRISTIN: And I know we'll be talking again and again.

DEEDEE: I hope so!

KRISTIN: Wonderful. Well, you have a good day.

DEEDEE: You do too, Kristin.

KRISTIN: Awesome. Thank you! And thanks to everybody. Oh, and you know, what else I wanted to tell people is I'm doing, through my website, or I can send you the link too, do you have... We're selling Abri's CD, and with the CD purchase through Amazon, I'm doing a free autographed photo. [Click here to visit Abri's website and listen to tracks from his CDs]

DEEDEE: Yes. [overlap]

KRISTIN: So I can get you the links through my... What was that?

DEEDEE: When I post the interview, I'll be sure to post the link to that.

KRISTIN: Okay, good! I'll send you one if you don't have one.

DEEDEE: Oh, I have it, 'cause I've been seeing it on Facebook and everything, so yeah, I'll be glad to post the link. And I want to get one of those myself.

KRISTIN: Yeah! Let me send you one. Hold on, let me see... Let me just give you one. Let me put in your address here.

DEEDEE: Are you sure?

KRISTIN: Yeah, of course! So where should I send it?

DEEDEE: Oh my gosh! So I don't say it on the air, let me... Can I just email it to you?

KRISTIN: Yes, please! Email me your address, and I'll send one off to you as a thank you for all you do, and... yeah, great!

DEEDEE: Kristin, you are so nice! [totally giddy and girl-crushing here]

KRISTIN: No worries. You're so nice.

DEEDEE: [laughs] Well, thank you so much. And have a good time in Australia. And have fun reading the scripts for season four.

KRISTIN: Yes, I will, I know. I feel guilty even telling the fans I'll know what's happening as of November, but yes, I will definitely enjoy that.

DEEDEE: Yes. Enjoy that for us.

KRISTIN: Yeah.

DEEDEE: Well, I'll talk to you later, Kristin.

KRISTIN: Okay, take care.

DEEDEE: All right, you too. Bye!

KRISTIN: Bye!