It was in the first series of True Blood that Kristin Bauer first came to the @rcade’s attention. Her performance as sweet but deadly Pamela Swynford De Beaufort has captured fans of the series and Kristin has found herself playing one of the most popular characters on HBO’s smash hit show.
Kristin is an American actress and artist, who after studying Fine Art in St. Louis, New York and Boston decided to get into acting and moved to Los Angeles. She has featured on a lot of television programmes and movies; with her best known film role in Michael Radford’s ‘Dancing at the Blue Iguana’.
She has also featured on Star Trek: Enterprise, Dark Angel, Desperate Housewives and was the voice of Mera in the Justice League cartoon.
If you haven’t been watching True Blood then let’s get you up to speed first about Kristin’s character. She plays Pam, the bouncer and part owner of ‘Fangtasia’ a club for vampires and vampire lovers in Shreveport and Louisiana’s first vampire bar. Pam has a very dry sense of humour, a clever fashion sense and is the loyal progeny of Eric Northman.
We catch Kristin for a chat just after she’s gotten her script for the first two episodes of Season 4 of True Blood…
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? how did you begin your acting career?
By accident really, I was, and still am, an artist, but was just looking was a way to pay the bills.
Aside from acting, you are also an artist, with your work displayed on your website and you credit your sister for getting you into art. What inspires your work?
I have always just liked to paint and draw. it is very relaxing to me. I have also wanted to learn piano and guitar but somehow just couldn’t be disciplined enough to put in the time, but with art I never had that problem. I just enjoy it. and I am very drawn to beauty, contrast and how light plays on an object. That is why I like to draw and paint, I can look at how the light is playing out on any structure for hours and that is what art is – looking.
On your website you highlight your environmental responsibilities – have you always been conscious for the need to protect the environment?
The more I know the more I want to take responsibility and be part of the solution, not supporting things I think are just wrong. I want to pick my team and live that decision. I grew up in nature and with animals. I feel pain at the thought of unnecessary suffering, which is too common and doesn’t have to be if people just don’t give those causing the suffering their money! Don’t buy puppies at any pet store – their mommies and daddies are incurring huge suffering. Don’t buy cosmetics and cleaners that still animal test: Lancôme, Chanel, Olay, tide, crest, SC Johnson etc. – don’t support the circus or sea worlds! Animals were put here not just for our entertainment. I am an entertainer by choice that is the difference. Everyone should have choice!
You’ve had many acting roles over the years and you are probably best known for your role as Pam de Beaufort in HBO’s true blood – how did you get the role? Pam isn’t exactly… a very warm character… what’s it like to play someone so unique?
It was an audition for all of us; we all auditioned for the parts. P
Playing Pam is plain old great fun!
Can you tell us or give us an idea what’s in store for Pam in the next season of true blood? We started to see a different side to her in season 3; will she continue to share her feelings?
I have no idea! I just read the first two episodes and had my first wardrobe fitting this season. I can’t wait! All I know is it’ll be great as always.
You’re a vegetarian and Pam is a connoisseur of blood, do you think you could survive as a vampire? Would you have any similarities to Pam?
Sure! I could eat people, just not animals!
That is a joke! And I do still eat animals sometimes, but only free range. There are two issues with eating animals – how there life was and that they were killed for your food. And it would be great if people really looked at it and made a choice. Suffering only ever continues because we don’t look. I will never support suffering once I know about it. All non free range anything suffered horribly. And the earth suffers horribly to bring people meat at every meal. Earth can’t feed 8 billion people meat every day without dying. I love Earth. I am trying very hard to harm her as little as I can to also respect whatever incredible force or event created her.
With your work as an actor, artist, your commitments to environmental groups and spending time with your husband, you seem to constantly be on the go. Do you ever get a chance to just relax? And what do you do with your spare time?
No, I do not get a chance to relax right now and I’m trying to figure that out and schedule in relax time but I just have way too many passions. I don’t think in 20 years I’ve relaxed. I always feel like there’s more I can do. Poor Abri, he married a work-a-holic.
Like any good vampire series, there’s always a line drawn between characters, twilight has Edward and Jacob and True Blood has Bill and Eric.
So are you on team bill or team Eric, while out of character mind you?
I am afraid I am very confused and unbiased here as I love Alex and Stephen – and I love standing next to Alex! Pam’s feelings get confused with Kristin’s feelings and of course we know which flag Pam flies.
Finally, if you were stuck in an arcade for eternity, what one game would you play to pass the time?
Pacman…no, just kidding! My life doesn’t give me time to play games, what is a game again? I liked chutes and ladders I remember, is that what you mean? Monopoly was cool, chess is great, and scrabble is fun. Solitaire rocks but stuck in an arcade for eternity? Sounds horrible!
If you would like to learn more about Kristin’s work as an artist, environmentalist and actress then be sure to check out her website: www.kristinbauer.com
You can learn more about the True Blood series, by click here: True Blood Official Page
