Fans Mingle with Stars and Give Blood During EyeCon’s True Blood Convention
November 17, 2009
During the EyeCon True Blood Convention in Orlando last weekend, Central Florida News Channel 13 caught up with the stars in attendance, including Todd Lowe (Terry Bellefleur), Ashley Jones (Daphne), Allan Hyde (Godric), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds) and Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte).
No Season 3 secrets were shared with the newscast, though Ashley caught herself nearly giving away something that happens to Lafayette, saying, “He’s gonna get…a lot’s gonna happen to Lafayette.” Todd also was careful about the next season, telling interviewers:
I’m incredibly tight-lipped. I can tell you I got the first two scripts just before I came here to Orlando and I poured through them veraciously. They’re great and I’m dying to tell someone.
Lucky fans who attended the convention had the chance to talk to their favorite actors with photo ops, panel discussions, a buffet banquet, and Masquerade Ball. A blood drive was held during the convention as well at Florida’s Blood Centers.
Click here to be taken to Channel New 13 for an exclusive video about the event.
SOURCE: Central Florida News 13
(Photo Credit: Central Florida News 13)
Sam Trammell Radio Interview in Florida
November 16, 2009
Sam Trammell recently did a radio interview in Florida shortly before EyeCon. The interview opens with the playing of our favorite theme song, “Bad Things”. Sam is asked how he came to be involved with the show. He explained that there had been a lot of buzz about a new show that Alan Ball was creating with HBO and his agent got him a copy of the script for the pilot episode, then he went and auditioned for the part. It was about a week and a half long process of auditions and call backs and then he found out he had received the part.
Sam was then asked if he had been a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books before he started working on the tv series and Sam admits that he was not familiar with the books at all but he did start reading them after he got the part. He said the books helped him to better understand who his character Sam was. He also goes on to talk about performing nude scenes and the rigor of trying to stay in what he calls “nude shape”.
Also, Sam spoke a bit about his past acting performances and his background in theater before talking about EyeCon and his appearance for the first fan convention for True Blood. Sam explains what an amazing feeling it is to get to meet the fans face to face and to see just how many people love and enjoy the show. We sure do love our True Blood and Sam is one of the reasons why we love it so!!
SOURCE: EyeCon
(Photo credit: Tina Gill / PR Photos via monstersandcritics.com)
VIDEO: Sam Trammell Interviewed By HBO Hungary
November 15, 2009
Sam Trammell who plays our favorite shapeshifting bar owner Sam Merlotte on Alan Ball’s HBO TV vampire series True Blood conducted an interview with HBO Hungary who will be launching Season 2 this week. Enjoy this great interview with Sam!
SOURCE: HBO Hungary
VIDEOS: Sam Trammell Q & A at the EyeCon True Blood Convention
November 15, 2009
The following is a series of videos taken by a True Blood fan named TammyDevil666 on YouTubeSam Trammell’s question and answer session during the EyeCon True Blood Convention being held this weekend, November 13 -15, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. In the videos Sam discusses various topics including doing nude scenes and tidbits about season 3. Thank you so much TammyDevil666 for the videos so all those True Blood fans who could not attend can take in a little bit of the convention. Enjoy!
“True Blood’s” Unsung Heroes
November 11, 2009
HOLLYWOOD—Nelsan Ellis, who portrays the flamboyantly gay Lafayette Reynolds in Alan Ball’s and HBO’s hit vampire series True Blood, is a distinguished actor who attended the prestigious acting program at Julliard and in 2008 the actor won the Satellite award for Best Supporting Actor for his work on True Blood. Ellis also won raves when he wrote a play called “Ugly,” an almost autobiographical piece about the devastating effects of domestic abuse, after his sister Alice was shot by her husband in 2002. Nelsan staged the play while a student at Julliard and received the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Martin E. Segal Award for his efforts.
Sam Trammell, Sam Courtesy: Link 81 Collection
Today Ellis is involved with a film called “Secretariat,” which involves the life story of Penny Chenery, owner of the racehorse Secretariat, who won the Triple Crown in 1973. Nelsan is also producing and acting in the film, which is set to be released next fall.
From “The Soloist” to “The Express,” Nelsan Ellis is making his mark as an actor and performer in films and has made many television appearances on hit shows like “Veronica Mars,” “Without a Trace” and “Lost.” Fans, however, have come to love Ellis in the over-the-top fem role as the gay queen of Bon Temps. Ellis embraced the role and throughout his character’s troubled storylines, which have included selling V [vampire’s blood], which is used as an illegal drug in the True Blood series, being kidnapped by Eric and used as food for the vampires for weeks before being saved by his childhood friend Sookie, who is played by Oscar winner Anna Paquin, to dealing with the Maenad Maryann and her coven of evil doers.
Nelsan Ellis, Lafayette, Courtesy: HBO
Fans can always count on Ellis’ strong performance and comedic delivery of lines, which even helps to break the tension of the sometimes overly intense yet incredibly written drama. When cousin Tara, played by Rutina Wesley was being abused by her boyfriend Eggs, you could see the pain in Ellis’ eyes and know that because of the tragedy of his sister due to domestic violence, Lafayette would never tolerate his cousin being treated that way.
In a show with hunks like Ryan Kwanten, Alexander Skarsgard, and Stephen Moyer, unsung heroes like Ellis and Sam Trammell, who portrays shape shifter Sam Merlotte, are important as supporting actors on the cult classic series. Trammell’s career and training is also very prestigious. Trammell made waves and received raves early on in his career when he appeared on the New York stage while building a maverick career in mostly independent features. Sam also attended Brown University where he caught the acting bug in his senior year.
While doing “Ah, Wilderness!” on the Broadway stage in 1997, he received a Tony award nomination the following year for the revival of the great Eugene O’Neill play. His TV work includes,“Numb3rs,” “Judging Amy,” “Cold Case” and Medium,” to name just a few of the prolific actor’s appearances.
However, on the HBO series True Blood, Sam is a shapeshifter, able to turn into any creature once he sees it, then imprints on the species, which came in handy a lot last season when the evil Maryann was chasing him down the dark road ready to devour him, but he was able to see an owl, imprint on it and quickly change to one and fly away for his own safety. Still battling Maryann, he was able to turn into a fly while in a jail cell, before Maryann could get to him.
Outlandish plots is what Alan Ball’s True Blood is all about. Though these two actors, Sam Trammell and Nelsan Ellis, are such capable and brilliant thespians, they keep the show popular as the unsung heroes who not only save the day, but make fans laugh and cry every week while rooting for them to win over evil.
“True Blood” airs on HBO.
[Editor's Note: Interestingly both of these guys along with Tommy's friend Ashley Jones (Daphne), Allan Hyde (Godric) and Todd Lowe (Terry Bellefleur) will all be at Eyecon next weekend! See you there!]
Source: Tommy Garrett at Canyon News
(Photo credit: HBO and Link 81 Collection)
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.)
