Six Feet Under and his Oscar-winning screenplay for American Beauty established Alan Ball's interest in the underside of American life. His feature directorial debut, Towelhead, and the HBO series True Blood furthered his interest in the outsiders under the same roof.
Alan recalls his early career as a playwright, casting projects and his attraction to the novel Towelhead. He discusses his appreciation of the absurd and his avoiding generic-vampire film-directing styles in shooting True Blood, as well as his belief that drama happens when people who are uncomfortable with the truth finally come together and confront their fears.