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HBO Spotlight: Tell us about your character in Carnivàle.
Nick Stahl: I play Ben Hawkins who's kind of picked up by the carnival in the first episode and starts to travel with them. He's had these powers since he was a kid, but he's been taught in a sense to be ashamed of them. He doesn't quite understand them, like where they came from or why he has them. He uncovers hidden connections to this group of people that he wasn't aware of before.
HBO Spotlight: How do you prepare for a role when the character has supernatural powers?
Nick Stahl: I think to a degree everyone has this certain piece of themselves that they're not quite aware of that's been kind of unrealized. In a sense, I related to the character in that way.
HBO Spotlight: Carnivàle is set in a very turbulent period in history; how does that affect the story?
Nick Stahl: In 1934, not only was there the Depression, there was this massive drought, so there are people in the show that we come across that are actually starving, just suffering. That kind of creates the backdrop to this story. It's a completely different time in history. The research that was done to create this period was really extensive—from the art direction to wardrobe, and locations—it just has a very desolate kind of feel to it.
HBO Spotlight: How do the members of the carnival react to your character Ben?
Nick Stahl: This group of carnies knows that there's something that's kind of mysterious about the kid. In this particular period, any sort of oddity, anything that separates you from the norm makes you even more of an outcast. In a sense this show is about the death of an era. The last remaining people who had these abilities. And, you know, these capabilities that they possess involve the power of their minds, and sort of metaphysical arts.
HBO Spotlight: Can you tell us about some of the other characters in Carnivàle?
Nick Stahl: Samson (Michael J. Anderson) basically acts as Ben's boss and gives him his odd jobs. He has his own sort of story line going on and starts to have a power struggle with another character. It's revealed that the character of Ben Hawkins has this ability, as does Clancy Brown's character, Brother Justin. Brother Justin and Ben Hawkins are destined to come face to face although neither one of them really knows it. Sofie (Clea Duvall) is kind of set up as a character who you think might be a potential love interest. Sofie's grown up in this world where certain oddities are somewhat accepted and Ben grew up where they weren't.
HBO Spotlight: How does your character evolve as the show progresses?
Nick Stahl: In this first season, it's all about realization for my character and for Brother Justin's character. They basically have to discover that these powers exist before they know that there is a struggle at all—becoming aware of these powers, learning to harness them and learning the implications of this battle between good and evil.
Take a look Behind the Curtain in an exclusive interview with series creator/executive producer Daniel Knauf. And beginning September 14, get to know the creative people who bring Carnivàle to life with a new interview each week!
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