TRUE BLOOD has lots of sex, lots of blood and lots of characters, but Rutina Wesley’s Tara Thornton is in no danger of getting lost in the crowd. One of the few Bon Temps residents with no supernatural aspects, Tara (best friend of telepathic heroine Sookie Stackhouse, portrayed by Anna Paquin) is nevertheless one of the most complex characters on the show, desperate for affection yet quick to push people away, open to new experiences yet wisely wary, she’s a captivating conundrum, and Wesley plays the hell out of her.

iF: Tara has gotten herself into a sort of unusual emotional triangle, with her lover Eggs and the outwardly supportive but supernaturally controlling Maryann …

It’s interesting. I think it’s great that Tara has this romance with Eggs, and she’s also taken under the wing of this Maryann character. I mean, she’s never been taken care of. Her whole life, she’s been taking care of someone else. So I think it’s nice to even have that, yet in the back of Tara’s mind, through it all, she’s very cautious about it. But it feels good for now, if that makes any sense.

iF: Tara is one of the few TRUE BLOOD characters who doesn’t have much interaction with the vampires. Do you miss that?

Tara probably doesn’t miss it, because she can’t stand the vamps, because she’s really scared of them, but I sort of miss playing with them, because [the actors are] all sort of in different worlds, and I really wish that I had a little bit more fun with the vampires. I wouldn’t mind being bitten, maybe [laughs].