Συνεντευξη της Candice Accola

Διαβαστε μια ενδιαφερουσα συνεντευξη της Candice Accola...

Q.  We had the opportunity to interview before season one of "The Vampire Diaries," how do you think your character Caroline has grown since that time?

A.  Oh man, Caroline has grown leaps and bounds!  What's really fun about the idea of playing characters in high school is that everything regardless of vampires and werewolves is extreme anyway.  You know your first love is your one and only and a fight with your parents is World War III and everything is at its utmost dramatic heightened level.  Even in the sense of all of the insecurities that you carry along with you throughout high school and the fact that this character Caroline has throughout season one into season two just shed so many insecurities and having a different perspective on what's important and who's important and how you expect others to treat yourself.  Even though there is this backdrop of this supernatural world of vampires and werewolves and witches, what I find so beautiful about what our writers are able to do is they still convey very personable storylines that are relatable to anyone in their own experiences of having been in high school or teens who are in high school.

Q.  At the beginning of season one it seemed like all Caroline had to worry about was who would take her to the Cotillion, or what guy would like her, and now she's a vampire!

A.  I think it all comes down to your actions and taking responsibility for your actions, and Caroline just didn't have much to take responsibility for in the first season.  The only thing that Caroline really, really wanted, and what I think that anyone really wants, is the idea of being loved.  For Caroline the most important thing in her world was who was going to take her to a dance or which guy was going to like her or which friend would be there to go out and do things with her.  That's all she had to worry about, and when she has more responsibility on her plate, she's accountable for bigger actions at that point.  The idea of someone else's life being taken because of her is a very big responsibility.  The idea that she is responsible for killing innocent people will obviously change her perspective on what's important and what she's capable of and how big her mistakes can feel on her shoulders.  So, yes, there has been a lot more added to Caroline's plate.

Q.  Was Caroline's transformation something that the writers had hinted at, or was it something that you at least would hope to come for her?

A.  Yes the writers on our season one hiatus had given me a hint, but we've all learned to take everything that the writers say wonderfully but with a grain of salt because everything is subject to change.  I was very excited to see when it came in on the script that they were going to move forward with that storyline.

Q.  A lot of fans have commented on what great chemistry Caroline and Tyler have together, would this be something to explore in season three?

A.  Yeah I think that Caroline and Tyler's friendship, I think this whole season has left plenty of room for exploration for seasons to come.  A question that I've been constantly asked is Tyler or Matt, Team Tyler or Team Matt, but what I find so funny is we've almost forgot that not a lot of time has passed in Mystic Falls.  From season one to season two it was a continuation and a lot of our episodes are the next morning or are a continuation.  So what feels like two years has actually been like six months to eight months in Mystic Falls.  I think there is just so much still to learn about these characters and the kind of woman that Caroline is going to be and the kind of men that Matt and Tyler are going to be.  As their friendships and relationships grow that's when we're going to start to have a clear definition of who everyone should be with.

Q.  What were your thoughts and feelings when you read the script for last weeks episode specifically involving Sara Canning's character Jenna?

A.  On a personal level obviously it wasn't the most happy, cheery moment of the script.  Sara Canning is one of the most epically beautiful, kind hearted, and smart person.  She has killer instincts and amazing, boundless perspective on what it means to be a woman and what it means to be an actor.  She just has such a high level of professionalism, so in that regard, it's very hard to say goodbye.  I think she did a wonderful job in the episode.  From day one we've all been told that we're a part of a vampire show and that's just how it is, that characters are going to go and we could probably say goodbye to a character every single season that the show is on, if not more.  It definitely keeps everyone on their toes at the workplace!  Even knowing that in the back of our minds it still doesn't soften the blow when you have to say goodbye, especially the fact that we are in Atlanta and we've all relocated for a job, and I always call it the traveling circus that doesn't travel anywhere.  We've all become this close knit family and each other's security blanket while we're out there.  So it is really hard to say goodbye to someone who has been such a significant part of that.  I am a huge fan of shows that take risks and that when you're watching it you genuinely don't know what's going to happen next and characters do go and big shocking moments happen.  That's entertainment and that's why we watch television; for the unexpected.  So from the TV audience perspective it's a shocking, crazy moment and I'm going to be interested in seeing what happens to the Gilbert family from this point on.

Q.  Is there anything that you can tease about season three or about tomorrows season finale?

A.  Honestly going into next season nobody knows anything.  Last year we all knew tidbits and this year nobody knows anything and everyone is in vacation mode at this point and the writers are as well.  We know they are all brewing up ideas but they are keeping them to themselves.  For this weeks finale we're going to see completely different sides of characters that you wouldn't expect.

Q.  Another relationship that fans would love to see explored more is the friendship with Caroline and Stefan because there have been some really wonderful scenes together for them.

A.  Obviously that's left up to the writers, but personally I really enjoy seeing those scenes.  They come across wonderfully on the page and wonderfully on the screen.  I always get a kick out of working with Paul and it is really fun when you get to work with people you don't usually get to work with on a day to day basis and there are new nuances to find.  I also think the banter between Caroline and Stefan is a really fun friendship.  I'm excited to see if the writers do any expanding on that in season three.

Q.  Can you talk about your charity with for Lyme Disease and your project for Show Me Your Mumu?

A.  Yeah, I'm really excited, May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month.  There are so many great opportunities now on the Internet to create platforms for organizations and means of educating yourself and others on things that you really wouldn't know about.  A friend of mine growing up, we went to grade school, middle school, and high school together, and I had moved out to LA and she had gone to the University of Miami and we had kept in touch via text.  A year after I returned and she was back home and she was sick and another year went by and another year went by and another year went by and she still had been sick.  Eventually through an unfortunate length of time and misdiagnosis after misdiagnosis she was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease, but unfortunately by that time it had reached its most chronic form.  I am embarrassed to say that I really didn't know what Lyme Disease was, and I know that a lot of people don't, and when I really started punching it into Google and researching it it just really opened up my eyes to a whole community and world I just knew nothing about.  Since then I've just wanted to make it a point to educate myself and educate others in honor of what she's going through, her family's going through, and what the Lyme community is going through.  Her mom has become a board member of Turn the Corner Foundation and that's how I got affiliated with them.  What I appreciate about their efforts is not only do they focus on awareness, but more importantly they focus on educating the medical community and researching various ways to diagnose Lyme Disease earlier, more accurately, and various methods of how to treat it so that people with Lyme are able to reclaim their life back and prevent it from getting to its most chronic form through misdiagnosis.  With my own efforts I am so impressed with The Crowdrise Project and I've created a Crowdrise Page which is just an avenue for whoever wants to donate to Turn the Corner and their efforts and their researching efforts.  What is so wonderful is that you can donate a dollar or donate as much as you want and all of that is going to Turn the Corner. 

Then another thing is I have a friend who I have known for years named Cammy and she and her business partner Cologne have a clothing line called Show Me Your Mumu.  This idea of a Mumu is this old lady, baggy dress but of course these two young, Hippie sisters from Venice have these beautiful vintage prints and really great fabrics and they are airy and comfortable and they are fitted for the summer and they make skirts and pants and these really pretty dresses and shirts.  My friend Terry has always been into fashion, she had a fashion blog when she was in Miami, and so I thought it would be just a great way to honor Terry and raise funds for Turn the Corner.  So we partnered together and created a special addition Mumu for Lyme Disease Awareness Month and it has a splash of lime and it's this really fun print and it's named for, and by, Terry.  Her nickname in her family is bird so it's the Bird Mumu and all of the profits go straight to Turn the Corner.  It's eighty dollars and that's doing it discount and it's a special edition.  If you go to showmeyourmumu.com you can find it in the shop section.  I understand that not everyone can buy a dress for eighty dollars and that's why what's so cool about The Crowdrise Project is that you can donate anything. 
Those are the projects that I am working on for the month of May.  When we're in Atlanta there is not a lot of time to jump out of the city and be a part of different events and really Turn the Corner.  It's been really hard to get out of town or find time in our work schedule because everything changes so last minute.   That's what's so wonderful about this month is that it correlates with Lyme Disease Awareness Month and everyone should really take the time to support a great cause that's really important to me.  I'm turning twenty-four so twenty-four dollars is the ideal amount and it would be such an honor.  I would appreciate it so much and just even donating twenty-four dollars would make such a difference and it would just mean leaps and bounds and the whole wide world.



Q.  What would you like to say to your fans and supporters?
A.  Just thank you, and honestly they should be sending just as much support, thank you, and love to the writers because they've really given the character Caroline such an opportunity within these past couple of seasons to be such a vulnerable yet strong and relatable, even though she is a vampire, kind of character.  I've enjoyed the ride of getting to know this character just as much as the viewers have.  Thank you for enjoying it just as much as I have.