VIDEO: True Blood Cast in Paris For Season 2 Premiere
November 7, 2009
On November 5, 2009 Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammell, Michelle Forbes, and Rutina Wesley attended the premiere of Season 2 of True Blood in Paris, France at the Max Linder Cinema. In the video Alex, Sam, Rutina and Michelle do a Q & A session before the screening of episode 1 and 2. Sam has studied in France before yet he was hesitate to give his answer in French. Now my French is a little rusty but I believe the announcer is informing the audience that Sam can speak French and then asks Sam to explain the spirit of True Blood to which Sam states in French, “My God, I don’t speak French very well.”
VIDEO: Sam Trammell Interviewed On HomeTown Radio Station
November 5, 2009
Our favorite shapeshifter from Alan Ball’s hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood, Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) recently returned to his hometown of Charleston, WV, to help support the town’s East End Main Street historic preservation program by participating in the city’s HallowEast fundraising festival and taking part in the “Inside the Main Street Studio” event. While back home Sam stopped by Electric 102.7 FM’s radio station to chat about his success on True Blood, the nude scenes and dealing with his new found fame. Below are the two videos from that session which are incredibly fun to watch. In one of the videos we learn, along with Sam, a new term to refer to fans of Sam’s. The radio host states in the video there are several female fans waiting to meet him as they all have be “Trammelltized” by him. Sam and everyone in the studio had lots of fun with that new word. We must agree that if you do meet Sam in person that you too would be “Trammelltized” by him. Enjoy the video!
SOURCE: electric102.com
Sam Trammell and Rutina Wesley at The Las Vegas Yelloween Party
November 2, 2009
Over the weekend True Blood fans had the chance to party with Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) and Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton) at the Veuve Clicquot’s Yelloween party at the Lavo nightclub inside the Palazzo Hotel and Casino on October 31, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Sam’s costume was probably best described as a “Viking Sorcerer”, wearing a horned viking helmet with long blonde braids, a wizard’s robe and wand. Rutina on the other hand, was dressed in a black and red pirate outfit. Both True Blood stars mingled with guest at the Halloween bash which probably had its fair share of vampires roaming around.
(Photo credit: PRN / PR Photos via exposay.com)
Sam Trammell Honored Guest at Halloween Event in Charleston, WV
November 2, 2009
Since becoming famous from his starring role as Sam Merlotte on True Blood, Sam Trammell has not forgotten where he came from. He returned home to Charleston, WV, for the Halloween weekend to take part in an “Inside the Main Street Studio” event at the Kanawha Players Theatre. He was interviewed by David Wohl, Dean of Arts and Humanities at West Virginia State University.
Sam talked about how he got interested in acting during his senior year at Brown University, after which he moved to New York City to pursue his new passion. He discussed the importance of voice and movement classes to one’s development as an actor, especially in theater. He gave advice to those aspiring to the profession:
“Start acting, no matter where you are. Just do it and don’t stop. It was a long road for me. The business tries to break you down.”
Thankfully, Sam didn’t give up and has found success as the sweet and loyal shapeshifter Sam Merlotte. He had several roles in theater, television, and film before landing his breakthrough part in True Blood. The show has become a life-changing experience for Sam, who vividly recalls what it felt like to get that job:
“I remember exactly where I was, the weather, the gift I bought myself and, literally, screaming. This was the pilot everybody wanted to get.”
The event drew a crowd of True Blood fans from the local area and several states away. Also in attendance were his parents and several of his friends and classmates growing up. At a “meet and greet” before the interview, Sam mingled with all the people who had come to see him, signing autographs and taking pictures. One fan named Kaci recounted the evening with great excitement. She noted how friendly and personal Sam was with everybody. She asked him a question about what happened in the Season two finale of True Blood when Sam drank Bill’s blood to heal and whether he would now start to have some sexual fantasies about Bill like we’ve seen with Sookie and Lafayette:
“You know, that was the first thing I thought of when I got the script! So I went to Alan Ball and asked, and he said, ‘Oh, wow! I hadn’t thought of that yet! We have to explore that in Season three!’ So I don’t think Sam’s going to be attracted to Bill, but he did nearly drain the guy, so Bill will probably always know where Sam is and have some control over him. But that’s up to Alan!”
Jaci also told some of the things Sam revealed in the Q&A session with the audience during the interview part of the evening. He plays the bass guitar and cello and used to be in some bands because music was his first creative interest. Also, Sam still takes acting lessons, currently with a woman who ascribes to Jungian psychology and makes him talk about his dreams. Special thanks to Kaci for sharing her story of the event! It sounds like Sam is an incredibly nice person to meet, and everyone from his hometown really seemed to enjoy having him come back to share his experiences.
SOURCES:
(Photo credit: Chip Ellis / Sunday Gazette Mail)
Sam Trammell Talks True Blood at West Virginia Hometown Fundraising Event
October 31, 2009
This weekend, Sam Trammel returns to his hometown of Charleston, W.Va., to help support the town’s East End Main Street historic preservation program by participating in the city’s HallowEast fundraising festival.
Born in Louisiana, True Blood’s Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) spent a large part of his childhood in Charleston, W.Va., and many of his friends and family, including his parents, still live there.
“I consider Charleston home. My mom and dad still live there. I really miss it, and I’m excited to see all my friends and family. It’s great to be coming home. …Downtown Charleston and the East End are just amazing. Today, when you look at the ballpark, the Clay Center and Capitol Street, you understand the revitalization has been great. I want to see it continue.
It’s [the fundraiser event] a good fit for Halloween. If you’ve read the Charlaine Harris books (on which the show is based), you know she introduces a whole host of fantastical creatures. For sure, it’s a Halloween sort of show.”
On Oct. 30, Charleston’s Cultural Center hosted two receptions with Sam. He then moved to Kanawha Players at 309 Beauregard Street, to sit down for an Inside the Actor’s Studio style interview, answering questions posed by David Wohl, dean of arts and sciences at West Virginia State University.
According to event organizers, money raised during the festival will be used to help neighborhood businesses in downtown Charleston to promote and preserve the historic district.
While in town, Sam spoke with Bill Lynch of The Charleston Gazette about his experience working on True Blood. According to Sam, the most difficult aspect of working on a show like HBO’s True Blood isn’t the bloody effects. It also isn’t the late nights, though he says that they start shooting around 5 p.m. for all night shoots that last until dawn and he is sometimes sleep deprived from the schedule. Sam expected all of that since, after all, it is a show about vampires. Sam says that the thing he has the hardest time adjusting to is:
“…the cold, believe it or not. I don’t like the cold.”
Trammell, a George Washington High School graduate, remembers one particular night this past season when they were shooting a scene involving an orgy and a bonfire. Some of the townspeople of Bon Temps (the fictional town where the show is set) were under the sway of an evil temptress. There was a lot of bare skin and everyone had to pretend it was a sweltering, summer night in Louisiana.
Of course, they’re not filming in Louisiana but in a canyon in Malibu, where it gets down into the 30s.
“I didn’t have to be naked or anything,” he said, “but I was in short sleeves. It was pretty cold.”
Sam, 38, is mindful of just how chilly it gets because of the nature of his character, Sam Merlotte. Merlotte is a shapeshifter who can turn from a man into a dog, a bull and who knows what else. The side effect is that he tends to lose his clothes in the transformation and gets to do scenes in the buff.
In addition to talking about last season, Sam also spoke a little bit about working on season three and what it is like to work with Alan Ball. According to Sam, Alan tends to work in advance, so the scripts for next season are probably already finished. This kind of advance preparation isn’t always the case, however, says Sam:
“Most TV shows, you get scripts a week before you shoot them. You might get pages the day before you shoot.”
Often, a show begins its season with only some of the episodes completed. This especially happens with shows like Lost and Heroes, which have broad storylines but are open to making changes later in the season based on earlier rating successes or failures.Ball doesn’t work that way.
“Alan likes to have everything done,” Sam said. “He wants to finish shooting the season before it airs — just in case he needs a re-shoot.”
So what’s coming up next for Sam Merlotte? Sam didn’t give much away, but he did tell the Gazette:
“I think Sam is going to go toward the vein of trying to find his biological parents. That will definitely end in some bad stuff.”
I hate to think that we’ll have to see Sam crying once again. The season finale, “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” was heart rending for his character from beginning to end. Perhaps we will learn a little good news for Sam in season three from this Q & A event but more than likely, we will simply have to wait until June 2010 for the answers we want.
Jessica Ralston from WSAZ had the chance to catch up with Sam and discuss his homecoming and True Blood.
SOURCE: The Charleston Gazette
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)
Sam Trammell at the 2009 Scream Awards
October 20, 2009
Rebecca Murray recently got a chance to interview Sam Trammell on the red carpet of the 2009 Scream Awards for her online Hollywood movies blog. Trammell was nominated for Breakthrough Performance at the awards show but lost out to Twilight’s, Taylor Lautner. During Rebecca’s interview, Trammell talks about how much he enjoys playing his character, Sam Merlotte, and how he is very into where his character is headed for season 3.
Sam will find himself on a journey to discover who his biological parents are and Trammell doesn’t foresee this storyline ending well for Sam. Rebecca also discussed the possibility of Sam eventually finding true love on the show. Trammell expressed that he certainly hoped so because he feels the character is a good guy and deserves that in his life.
Rebecca also discussed Sam’s abilities as a shapeshifter. Trammell admits it was a weird element for him but he has a lot of fun with it now. Trammell was also asked if he had a problem with all the nudity that is involved in the show. Trammell says he has no problems with the nude scenes. He has done it a lot and feels it isn’t a big deal anymore.
We would like to send a special thank you to Rebecca Murray for sharing this wonderful interview with us. If you would like to see the video of her interview with Sam Trammell you can go here.
SOURCE: Rebecca Murray
Photo credit: Rebecca Murray
VIDEO: Alan Ball And The True Blood Cast From The 2009 SCREAM Awards
October 20, 2009
ET Canada was able to catch up with Alan Ball and the cast of True Blood and talk to them about their wins at the Spike TV’s 2009 SCREAM Awards and the reasons behind their success. Alan teasingly stated the reason behind their success is to “get as many people as you can naked and rip as many people while they’re naked” as the rest of the cast nodded their heads in agreement. Then both Alexander Skarsgard and Anna Paquin jokingly mentioned that although other shows may have ripped bodies perhaps the other shows are ripping the wrong people or the wrong people are doing the ripping. Stephen Moyer was only able to share the facts that in Season 3 there will be werewolves and more flashback scenes. However, Sam Trammell joked how he is still waiting for his invite to Stephen and Anna’s wedding. A great clip of how much fun the whole cast had at the awards!
SOURCE: ET Canada
True Blood Wins at Spike TV’s 2009 Scream Awards
October 18, 2009
At last night’s 2009 Spike TV Scream Awards, held at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, True Blood took away four awards, including Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) for Best Male Horror Actor, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) for Best Female Horror Actor, Alexander Skarsgård (Eric Northman) for Best Villain, and HBO’s True Blood for Best TV Show. A full list of all the winners from the event is available at BloodyDisgusting.com.
SCREAM Award winners are chosen by fans, and though the 4th annual awards ceremony will not be broadcast until October 27th on Spike TV, there are some wonderful pictures of the True Blood Scream Team at the event.
Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton) was absolutely stunning in her little black dress as she walked the red carpet.
There are some great shots of Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) on the red carpet before the event.
Alexander Skarsgård accepted his award for Best Villain from his Straw Dogs costar, Kate Bosworth. The microphone was not built for Vikings, apparently, and there are some very cute photos of him having to fold himself in half during his speech.
Anna Paquin was radiant and beautiful as she accepted her award for Best Horror Actor Female.
Stephen Moyer accepted his award as Best Horror Actor Male, walking with a cane, apparently having done something to his knee.
The entire cast took the stage when True Blood was announced as Best TV Show, and both Alan Ball and Sam Trammell spoke to the audience while the rest of the cast looked on (and occasionally acted up in the background).
SOURCE: Bloodydisgusting.com
(Photo credits: JustJared and AP Photos/Chris Pizzello via TrueBlood-News.com)
Alan Ball and Sam Trammell Talk Tolerance and Romance at GLSEN Respect Awards
October 12, 2009
True Blood HBO’s Alan Ball, Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), and Michelle Forbes (Maryann Forrester) attended the 5th Annual GLSEN Respect Awards, held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
GLSEN (which stands for Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. HBO was honored at the awards ceremony for their movies and series which stand as an example of diversity and which set an example for the positive portrayal of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered) community. Also honored at the event were Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice producer Shonda Rhimes for incorporating diversity into her shows and David Bohnett who has been a long time supporter of GLSEN’s work.
Sam Trammell spoke with AccessHollywood about the GLSEN organization, the importance of tolerance, and about the opportunities he sees on True Blood and in Hollywood for strong LGBT characters. According to Sam:
I think we’ve come a really long way. I mean if you look just 15 years ago, I mean, there were very few main characters who were gay or even supporting roles who were gay, and now there’s all kinds of shows…On our show, we’re equal opportunity for straight, gay, lesbian, all that, you know, so everybody…everybody gets naked, and everybody sucks blood.
Producer Alan Ball spoke to People Magazine at the event and revealed that he knew about the budding romance between costars Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) and Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse) long before they officially revealed their relationship to the cast and crew of True Blood.
I know that they think that nobody knew about it until the end of the season, but I knew about it by episode two.
Stephen comes into the bar, and takes [Anna's] hand, [and] I thought, “Wow, they have chemistry!” But sometimes actors have chemistry when they’re acting together, but they cannot stand each other while off set.
When I found out that they were dating, my reaction was, ‘Uh-oh! I hope that this doesn’t blow up in our face.’
But this has been happening long enough that it’s very clear that it is the real thing. They’re very, very happy, and I’m just thrilled for them.
That off-screen chemistry between Stephen and Anna showed in their work on-screen, adding heat to an already intense character-driven script, and, interestingly, the scene which Alan describes as tipping him off to their secret is the one which was featured at the Emmys for True Blood’s award-winning Breakthrough Performance.
SOURCES: People.com, GLSEN.org, Blog.glsen.org and AccessHollywood
(Photo credit: HBO)
Sam Trammell And Rutina Wesley Host “Yelloween” In Las Vegas
October 9, 2009
Calling all True Blood fans!! Sam Trammell who plays our loveable shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte and Rutina Wesley, who plays Tara Thornton on the True Blood, will be at the LAVO Nightclub in Las Vegas on October 31st to host “Yelloween”. Who wouldn’t want to hang out with Sam and Tara on Halloween!! We also have a little tidbit for those Twilight fans out there. Ashley Greene and Kellan Lutz, who play Alice and Emmit Cullen in the Saga, will be at the TAO Nightclub in Las Vegas hosting their own “Yelloween” bash. Both clubs require you to be 21 and over and both parties should be a great time! So be sure to catch these awesome vampire Halloween parties if you dare!
SOURCES: Tao Nightclub, Going Las Vegas
Photo credit: Lavo Nightclub
