Kevin Alejandro on the 'True Blood' Finale: 'Eyebrows Will Be Raised'

Wonderwall, Friday, September 9, 2011, 10:53am (PDT)

By Molly McGonigle

• Vampires, witches and humans, oh my! It's all just another day on the "True Blood" set. The series' fourth season has had its fair share of nudity, drama and blood. With the season coming to an end this Sunday on HBO, Wonderwall caught up with Kevin Alejandro (who portrays witch Jesus Hernandez), about what it's like to be a part of such a huge cast, who he wants to meet at the Emmys and what the season finale has in store for fans.

  Wonderwall: What can fans look forward to from the season finale?

  Kevin Alejandro: Well, actually last weekend's episode read as a season finale. It could have very easily been the season finale. It was so good. We all thought when we saw it, and then all of a sudden they gave us the script for the actual season finale and it blew us out of the water. So, you can expect to be completely surprised in all different angles of the show. It's more captivating and will leave you on the edge of your seats. And I guarantee you, eyebrows will be raised.

  WW: Will we be left with a lot of questions or will things tie up nicely?

  KA: A little bit of both. Definitely some things will get resolved and a lot of stuff is going to be left hanging in the air, where you're just going to be like, "What the hell?" Now I gotta wait all these months again; I gotta wait till next year to watch it. But that's what makes "True Blood" great, I think.

  WW: Are you going to hit the Emmys this year? And if you are, who are you most excited about meeting?

  KA: I always get kind of starstruck by everybody because I still feel kind of new, even though I'm not that new to the business. I'm kind of that guy in the corner who is just like, "Wow." I'm from West Texas and I'm right here and I'm looking at all these stars. Pretty much, anyone who's going to be there, I'm going to be like, "Oh my God."

  WW: You were a fan of the show before you joined the cast, what was the most surprising about actually working on "True Blood"?

  KA: I think I think the most surprising thing about it, for me, is just kind of how well I fit in with everybody. I was kind of intimidated going into it because I was surrounded by really talented actors and really good art directors and there was no ego from anyone.cSometimes you walk into a situation where there's a bunch of really talented people … and it's not easy to step into, but these guys made it very easy for me.

• WW: Do you guys hang out once the cameras stop rolling?

  KA: We all have our own things going, but we all really, genuinely, enjoy each other's company. We'll go to a party together or people will come over to my place and we'll just kick it and have a drink. There's a genuine friendship between a lot of us.

  WW: You spend so much time filming -- do you guys ever pull pranks on each other?

  KA: You know when it's been a busy day at work and the hour gets later and later and the delirium starts to kick in? Well, we all have this sort of easiness about us where we just sort of lose the edge and embrace the silliness.

  WW: Who is the biggest prankster of everyone?

  KA: I think everyone has had their moments. Sometimes it will be Anna [Paquin]. She'll be a little goofy and the next day it will be me and then all of a sudden it just kind of spreads like a virus. The crew jumps in and we're all just kind of having this goofy night together. It's great.

  WW: Was it challenging to take on a role playing a gay man?

  KA: In the beginning it was just a little bit strange but, I gotta tell you, my wife is really happy that I'm kissing a man and not another woman.

  WW: How did you prepare for your role as a witch?

  KA: From the very beginning, I did a bunch of research on witchcraft and different kinds of magic. The work that both Nelsan [Ellis] and I do together is great. We will read off of each other and tell each other the different things that we think will work … and we figure where we want our characters to go together.

  WW: What's your favorite special effect that you get to use onset?

  KA: I gotta tell you, even though it's three-and-a-half to four hours of makeup, the mask is really cool to work with -- my demon head. It's always really cool to kind of let your whole person disappear and try to create another being when you're so unrecognizable. It was very fun.

  WW: Do you prefer gore or action in your character?

  KA: They're both so fun. I think gore can be kind of fun because you get to go to a deeper emotional place. And action -- I'm shooting a movie out in New Orleans right now for TNT called "Hide," playing a detective. And my whole day is filled with action and I love it too. It's cool … totally jumping over things. They both have their great aspects to them. I will tell you I am a lot more sore when I do action than [when] I do gore.