CITYist

‘V’ heads rejoice! After a long, cold, 10-month wait, True Blood returned with its weekly dose of intrigue, horror and, above all, sex. Also returning was actress Mariana Klaveno, better known as Bill Compton’s villainous vampire-maker Lorena, who’s one of the few actors entering their third season on the show, and whose mortality rate hovers somewhere around the national unemployment percentage. With all questions regarding this season of the hit show off the table, Klaveno spoke about her childhood, getting her big break and life in Bon Temps.

Born the youngest of four siblings in rural Washington, Klaveno spent her youth on a family owned and operated farm far from the bright lights and glitz of Hollywood. With no obvious outlets for her acting, she found her own ways to keep in practice with her newfound passion. “I remember that as a small child I never watched a movie all the way through. I’d watch half of it and then run upstairs to my room and act out what I’d just seen using my stuffed animals as co-stars,” Klaveno says. “Then, when I was about 10 or 11, I would run around outside privately acting out scenes from films I’d imagined in my head. They weren’t good films, mind you — in fact I’m sure they were downright atrocious — but they kept me quite occupied.”

Mariana also found time for her studies, graduating as the valedictorian of her high school class before heading to the University of Washington in Seattle to major in theatre. While one would think going from valedictorian to theater major would be a surefire way to draw the ire of the parental units, Klaveno says it was the exact opposite. “I’m sure my parents were concerned about me in the sense that they didn’t want me to struggle or suffer the disappointments that go along with being an artist, but they’ve been nothing but supportive.” She eventually graduated with her B.A., but it was a chance meeting with acclaimed Alias creator and director J.J. Abrams that eventually landed Klaveno her big break.

Like most aspiring actresses, Klaveno was working in the food service circuit as a hostess when she met Abrams. Needing to be seated near an outlet (the notorious workaholic liked to write on his laptop throughout his meal), Mariana made sure to always save his requested table. This kind act led Abrams to encourage Klaveno to send him her headshot and resume. “Although I had to wait a few months until I got my SAG card, I absolutely sent him my picture, along with a cleverly constructed cover letter. It was full of Alias inside jokes and listed the many reasons why I should be on the show. For example: I look good in an orange wig, I can easily imagine that Burbank is Bangkok. A few months later I was offered a small part in an episode of Alias.” The transition from rural Washington to Hollywood was finally taking shape.

Klaveno followed up her Alias appearance with stints on shows including Standoff and E.R., but it was True Blood that became her first major role. Following her audition, however, she was convinced that she didn’t land the role of Lorena. “I read for it twice and I remember being extremely nervous on both days. I could tell it was going to be an amazing part and the idea of working on an Alan Ball show seemed like an incredible opportunity, all of which turned out to be true. Luckily my nerves didn’t derail my auditions, but I did leave the final read thinking that I wasn’t going to get it.” Lucky for Klaveno, her premonitions were wrong.

More than three years later, Klaveno is still a part of one of television’s most popular shows, and this past January she walked the red carpet of the SAG Awards (“It was surreal to be in that room with so many incredible, and in some cases legendary, actors”) where she and the cast celebrated their nomination for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series. Outside of work, she says she manages to stay under the radar and sadly has no crazy fan stories to share, though she does admit some fans are surprised to learn she is not, in fact, as evil as her television persona. As for this season of the show, she can offer no details other than to say she will be appearing. Given Alan Ball’s tendency to utilize the quieter characters of the show, however (remember how silent and sweet Maryann was before she began feeding the townsfolk human hearts and transforming into a Maenad), it seems likely Klaveno may find herself at the center of a rather juicy storyline this season. That is assuming no flat screen televisions derail her ascent again.