 |
|
The man who plays Samson, the diminutive onetime strongman at the center of an epic struggle, talks about avatars, prophets and life among freaks.
HBO.COM: Tell us about Samson.
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Well, he runs the carnival. And the Dust Bowl, it was a hard world; it was a tough place to survive. A lot of people didn't, and as a result, the ones that did sometimes had to make some tough choices. Samson makes those tough choices...
He does what he does for the benefit of the people of the carnival. But, there is hardly nothing he won't do that in that pursuit.
HBO.COM: Is Samson a mentor for Ben?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Well, Ben is really caught up in greater powers But he's sort of lost and confused. He doesn't know really who he is, or why he has any of these abilities. And neither does Samson But, because they share that degree of confusion, they're able to piece it out together, sharing and comparing what information they have been able to gather So, he's not so much a mentor that reveals the secret so much as he provides a way to discover the secrets.
HBO.COM: How does Samson deal with other members of the troupe?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: The rest of the carnival is a diverse group with many, many differing value perspectives Samson, a lot of the time, is just juggling things, trying to keep one component from smashing into another Keeping it balanced, in the midst of extreme adversity. But, of course, that's, a strong point for Samson, dealing with adversity. That's probably what puts him in the position that he's in---hat he's one of the few people that can move between all these different paradigms without disturbing his own
HBO.COM: When Ben joins the carnival, you guys were originally on a circuit headed north, then this kid comes along, and all of a sudden you're going south?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Well, I take orders from the secret Management. There's a character in the management trailer who only speaks to Samson. And, a lot of people aren't even sure that he exists; they think it might just be a trick Samson uses to stay in control of the carnival. And when we encounter Ben, we know that he has something to do with good and evil avatars.
HBO.COM: Does the carnival serve as a home for Ben?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Yes, but I'd say it's a very tenuous relationship. We always have the feeling that he's ready to light out and disappear, or just stay in the, in the town where we're set up. He seems always ready to leave. But, then, he never quite does.
HBO.COM: So as a leader of this troupe of misfits, what is the most difficult challenge that you face?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: I think when Samson rose to the position he is in, it was greater than a dream come true for him It was more than he had been led to expect he would ever get out of his life. And so he's determined to stay in that position. So don't you get in his way, there's just very little he would not do, because he sees the alternative as unthinkable.
HBO.COM: And does that feeling hold true for the other characters, the freaks, as well?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Exactly, if it not for the carnival, a lot of these people may have found no place in this world at all So I think they cling to the carnival and to each other. It's a clinging to survival; it's a clinging to life.
HBO.COM: What about your background, what do we know about that?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Samson originally joined a circus, as the strong man--hence the name Samson But now, he's a little older, he's not the circus performer type anymore. The mystical background of Samson is still rather in question; there is evidence to support connections to both sides.
HBO.COM: Let's talk about your relationship with some of the carnies.
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: OK
HBO.COM: Lodz. What's going on, what is going on there? You guys seem to have some kind of a back history.
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: He's got his own agenda At times, it corresponds with Samson's agenda, but more often than not, it very much doesn't.
And, on one hand, Samson is able to deal with him because he has the respect and the control of the carnival. On the other hand, Lodz sees things that no man can see, that Samson could never guess. And he uses those things to his advantage.
He trips Samson up all the time, not just with his secret visions, but, because he's a devious strategist. Samson is no dummy, but he's not a political wiz.
HBO.COM: And what about Jonesy? You guys have a little power struggle.
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Well, I see it as a similar to the relationship between Management and Samson. Management sort of pulled him out of a dire strait and gave him something worthwhile.
Jones is an injured baseball player. He's seen some glory days, but as an injured baseball player, there's not much left for him.
And he was a boozer when Samson picked him up and dusted him off. He gave him another chance; he gave him a place to be useful, and a place to be respected, very much like Samson got from Management. And I think there's probably that same degree of loyalty, a clinging to life—an if-not-here-I'm-sunk kind of feeling between Jones and Samson. And Jonesy can get things done, so they're a good team.
HBO.COM: What about Lila?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Lila is, she is flirtatious. She is sneaky. She has a relationship with Lodz which is similar to some of the ones I've described. I mean, it's somewhat erotic; she's elevated by her connection to Lodz. Lodz is elevated by his connection to her. I think that Lila has more options than the rest of the people in the carnival. She could shave the beard and integrate herself, but her wild point of view, her eccentric paradigm won't allow her to live a life a normal life.
HBO.COM: And Gecko?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: Again, he's somebody that's propelled into the life with no choice, but who really loves it and flourishes there. He's one of the few, comedic elements also--he has an amusing point of view, and he is very entertaining in expressing it.
HBO.COM: What has it been like on the set of Carnivale?
MICHAEL J. ANDERSON: It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, and everybody has been really great. And I'm looking forward to doing many, many more. The atmosphere...the ambience and the message. I mean-- aside from the good and evil-- just the diversity. It's something that I really feel comfortable and at home with. I love being associated with it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carnival Fact
Achondroplastic dwarfism is the most common type of dwarfism, and is characterized by an average-size trunk, short arms and legs, and a slightly enlarged head and prominent forehead.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
FATE Game
Try the strategy card game that puts a twist on Tarot!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
