Newsblaze: "...I think Halle opened the door for all of us. As black women, we should all stick together, and if someone gets there first, you're setting an example for those behind you. So, I definitely look up to Halle Berry. And Angela Bassett is my role model. And Viola Davis is another actress who I love and adore. For me, I've gotten away from feeling I'm too dark. We're all women of color, and a lot of us are doing some great things. I think it's important the great things that we all do instead of asking, "Why didn't I get this?" or "Why did the light-skinned girl get that?" instead of focusing on the positive. That what I and some girlfriends of mine are doing, celebrating all colors and all ethnicities of women of color. That's a better way to go, rather than bringing all the negativities into it. It so much easier to smile and have fun than it is to hold grudges...I feel incredibly blessed. I'm happy, but all of this movie business, and working as an actress is really hard. When you're not working is when you have to stay positive and remind yourself that you're talented. What's due for you is due for you, and you don't know when that's going to come. That's something I struggled with after I got out of school, wondering how long I was going to have to wait. Then beautiful jobs started coming to me. Now, I feel that my path is going to be what it's going to be, and as long as I relax and breathe, I can enjoy it. I think that an actor shouldn't work from a place of fear, because it'll show in your work. You should work from a place of contentment, relaxation, and coming from your heart, and from the truth of yourself..." (Rutina Wesley "How She Move" Interview with Kam Williams)
Rutina Wesley (born February 1, 1979) is an American film, stage, and television actress best known for her role as Tara Thornton on the HBO series True Blood. In December 2006, Wesley was featured in David Hare's Broadway play The Vertical Hour. In 2007, Wesley also appeared in The Public Theatre production of In Darfur by playwright Winter Miller, co-starring Heather Raffo, Aaron Lohr among others. Wesley had a minor role in 2005 film Hitch, which was edited in the final cut. However, she made her on screen debut in the lead role in 2007 film How She Move, from British director Ian Iqbal Rashid. The character Raya Green, who enters a step dancing competition to secure funds for her education, was inspired by Tony Manero, portrayed by John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. Prior to the shooting of the film, Wesley underwent a five-week dance rehearsal period. Portraying a woman of Jamaican descent, she also took dialect coaching for the role. Wesley auditioned for the role Tara Thornton in the HBO series True Blood in 2007 and secured the part after creator Alan Ball chose her because "[she] was the first person who showed [Tara's] vulnerable side". In June 2011, it was reported that Wesley will star in the biopic Left To Tell based on Immaculée Ilibagiza's bestselling memoir about the Rwandan Genocide (Wikipedia).
True Blood is an American television comedy drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, and details the co-existence of vampires and humans in Bon Temps, a fictional, small town in the state of Louisiana. The series centers on Sookie Stackhouse (played by actress Anna Paquin), a telepathic waitress at a bar, who falls in love with vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer). The show is broadcast on the premium cable network HBO in the United States. It is produced by HBO in association with Ball's production company, Your Face Goes Here Entertainment. It premiered on September 7, 2008. The series has received critical acclaim and won several awards, including one Golden Globe and an Emmy. The show's second 12-episode season had its premiere on June 14, 2009 and the third season on June 13, 2010. On June 21, 2010, HBO renewed True Blood for a fourth season (Wikipedia).
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Facebook: Rutina Wesley
Official Web-site: True Blood
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Facebook: Rutina Wesley
Official Web-site: True Blood
'True Blood's Rutina Wesley Lands Lead In Harrowing Rwanda Tale 'Left To Tell'
Flesh and Blood in a Town of Vampires
'True Blood's' Rutina Wesley Talks About Tara's Lesbian Love
Vibe Magazine Online - Rutina Wesley Interview (Video)
‘True Blood’ stars film It Gets Better PSAs (Video)