So often in TV, when you have an antagonist who's supposed to be the 'big baddie,' it's so easy for them to become cliched.

I've never had a plan. You look for different actors you want to work with or different subjects you want to explore, or sometimes it's just a momentary fancy.

At one point I had a stretch where it was working on 'In Treatment,' then 'True Blood,' then 'Durham County,' then 'True Blood,' then 'In Treatment' again. If I didn't have that little dose of 'True Blood' in the middle, I might have lost my mind.

There's a feeling of immortality you have in youth. You just don't see the dangers around you, or, if you do, maybe you're even excited by them.

That's what I think is smart about 'Durham County.' It's not derivative of anything American. It's more in the vein of the BBC miniseries I grew up with.

I had so many offers after 'True Blood' for things that were someone in the same vein, but nowhere near Alan Ball's vision. Or something that was over-the-top and fantastical. And I've always wanted to play the regular, working-class mom, and I've never really had the chance to do that.

So often in TV, when you have an antagonist who's supposed to be the 'big baddie,' it's so easy for them to become cliched.