Alan Ball: From American Suburbia to Louisiana Vampires

As we all know Alan Ball is the driving force behind the phenomenal True Blood series.  If you look back into the career of this exceptionally talented writer you will see that it all began with a satirical screenplay, “American Beauty”. American Beauty was Alan’s view on typical American suburbia. Alan explained that the script was meant:

“to be an indictment of the shallowness of American values that [Americans] are basically conditioned from birth to accept as gospel. In that regard, I don’t know if there is any more scathing indictment of American culture than American culture itself.”

Prior to American Beauty, which won Ball the 1999 Academy Award for best original screenplay, Alan had been working on the most American genre: sitcoms. American Beauty threw Alan Ball into the spotlight. Alan had this to say about the new found notoriety:

“It was a strange experience… It’s a place that I’m not entirely comfortable. And all the things that are really, really huge traps for an artist of any kind were all just sprung on me at once.”

After American Beauty Ball created the hugely popular HBO Series, “Six Feet Under”. The show ran for five seasons and chronicled the lives of a family of morticians. In 2008 Ball once again worked with the Home Box Office Company and created the new phenomenal hit, “True Blood”. True Blood is an adaptation of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels. Ball discovered Charlaine’s novels while he was waiting for his dental appointment. At the bookstore he was amused by the tagline of one of her books, “Dead Until Dark” , ‘Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend wasn’t such a good idea after all’. Alan instantly bought the book. Alan admits he couldn’t put it down. As Alan was in the midst of the fourth book he started to envision the books becoming a TV series.

“What I really loved, was that they walked this razor’s edge of tone between romance and the supernatural and horror and comedy and social commentary and Wal-Mart trailer park people… I just found it delightful. It was so escapist and so much fun.”

True Blood has further cemented Ball’s warm relationship with television, in which, it seems, he is content.

“It’s just a lot easier to get interesting, complicated, morally ambiguous stories about flawed characters done on the small screen, than it is on the big screen.”

With such an amazing ability to write about such disparate matters, Alan explains how he deals with such depressing issues:

“One of my ways of dealing with depressing matters, is to make fun of them. It is one of the things that I learned in adolescence, and I’ve never really outgrown it because it has helped me survive a lot.”

As an ending note, Alan Ball will host a screening of True Blood at 10:30 am Sunday, November 8, at UVA’s Culbreth Theatre, 109 Culbreth Road, Charlottesville, VA. At noon that same ay, also at Culbreth, he will introduce American Beauty, which will be followed by a Q&A.  A wonderful opportunity to see Alan in person!

SOURCE:  The Hook

Photo Credit:  HBO Inc.

Nelsan Ellis Talks True Blood At The London MCM Expo

In True Blood, the character of Lafayette has taken on new life beyond his book existence, and Nelsan Ellis couldn’t be more pleased. The Julliard-trained actor is very different from the sassy, cross-dressing Merlotte’s fry cook, but that just makes the job all the more fun. At the MCM Expo in London, Nelsan answered audience questions and received lots of cheers from fans excited about the possibility of some Lafayette-Eric dream scenes.

In the beginning, Nelsan thought Lafayette would meet the same fate as his character had in Book 1 of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Series. He read the books before auditioning, and when he got the part, he signed a one-year contract with the understanding that he would die after 12 episodes. Nelsan says he was “cool with that,” but he was thrilled when he found out that he was surviving:

“[I was] elated! Because I still had a job! Alan Ball told me after we had the table read of the twelfth episode. So, up until that point, I thought I was dead. He went, ‘You know you’re not dying, right?’, and I said, ‘I didn’t, but thanks for telling me!’ “

That turn of events is just a testament to what a fantastic actor Nelsan is and the way that he channels Lafayette. Alan didn’t want to lose him from the show and viewers were overjoyed when they discovered that he was alive in the season two premiere. Nelsan is very flattered when people appreciate his work. I think we can all agree that he deserved to keep his job because he’s so good at it! He really enjoys getting to be bold and crazy as Lafayette:

“Every chance I get to where I could be something that’s not me, I jump at it. Because I’m guarded and I have these rules on how I should behave, but whenever I get to jump out of those rules and go f-ing crazy, I do! Lafayette is a dream role for me.”

His favorite scene to play was the AIDS-burger scene, which he thought was really well written and allowed him to show off his toughness. To create the character, he gathered inspiration from a variety of places:

“It was a collaboration. We all threw in some ideas. The scarf thing is ’cause my momma used to wear a lot of scarves. I think there’s some Prince influence in there. We did research, went to a whole lot of gay clubs, we’d go down on the strip, so we just came up with it. We also threw in some ideas into this stew of his wardrobe.”

The most difficult stuff to portray has been the post-traumatic stress disorder of the second season. That was tough for Nelsan because he was used to Lafayette being fun and then had to shift to being broken down by the disorder. Working on True Blood has allowed Nelsan to bond with his cast and crew and to learn a lot, as well. He has a close relationship with Rutina Wesley who plays Tara, especially because they went to school together, and he has also become good friends with Alexander Skarsgard. Nelsan is making use of all the opportunities he can to learn from Alan Ball:

“He’s a god among men. He really is a genius at what he does. I get to rub elbows with him on a daily basis. He writes some of the episodes, and he directs some of the episodes, so I end up being a sponge, soaking up all his genius. When he directs you – and I’m like, this dude has won Oscars – he knows what he’s doing.”

Nelsan adds so much flavor to True Blood with his portrayal of Lafayette! It will be amazing to see what else happens to him season three and beyond, especially since it will be a surprise even to fans who have read the books.

SOURCE: denofgeek.com

(Photo credit: backstage.com)

Stephen Moyer on Vampires and Love Scenes

Stephen Moyer, True Blood’s darkly handsome Bill Compton, shows off his lighter, humorous personality in real life. In Now Magazine’s “Cheeky Questions” feature, he answered several questions about getting naked for work.

In general, Stephen sees nudity as a regular part of acting because it’s a regular part of life:

“When you’re a young actor starting out, usually the young character is the love interest. I’ve done that for 15 years and it’s always like: how long before I get my kit off? It’s a novelty when I get to keep my clothes on! But we all make love, we all kiss, we all have sexual relationships with people and it’s funny to me that people are surprised that those things feature in dramas because it would be strange to me if they didn’t.”

The specific scene that had fans talking was the graveyard scene in Season one’s “The Fourth Man in the Fire.” Stephen laughs about the reality behind that scene, which had him emerging from the ground covered in dirt:

“That was me in the earth–it wasn’t a butt double! I hadn’t really thought about it, to be honest–I was too busy lifting weights in the gym! But you get earth in bits you wouldn’t want it to get into!”

Fans were also curious about what made him fall in love with Anna, and as always Stephen responded with great praise for his fiancee:

“She’s sharp, she’s funny, she’s brilliant, she’s incredibly talented and she’s an ultimate professional. She’s probably the most straight-talking woman I’ve ever met and she’s caring, generous, and kind. And I think she’s beautiful.”

For their intimate scenes together, they are obviously very comfortable with each other. This gives them the freedom to add some variety to how they film those moments between Sookie and Bill. Above all, they want it to be natural:

“I would love to think that, as a professional, if I have to have a love scene with somebody else it would be just as good! There’s a scene in Season two in which Sookie and Bill consume each other in bed. We’d done naked blood sex and romantic sex so we thought: ‘How could we make this look different?’ “

It is certainly no surprise that Stephen would be thrilled about his job! He gushed over how working on True Blood is a dream. The characters are deeply layered, even the vampires. It’s not just a one-dimensional supernatural show. They are able to balance many tones. Comedy, romance, drama, violence, social meaning–True Blood has everything.

Stephen joked that if he could bite someone’s neck, it would be musician Tom Waits:

“If I could get a little bit of his blood it could do something crazy to me…he’s my all-time hero.”

This interview is just another example of what a fun guy Stephen is, and how much he enjoys being part of True Blood and talking about it with the fans who sometimes send him strange items in the mail.

“I get everything from knickers to plasters for covering neck bites.  I was recently send a photo of a naked German lady lying down next to her white horse?”

SOURCE: nowmagazine.co.uk via confuzzledreel.blogspot.com

(Photo Credit: Chris Hatcher / PR Photos via exposay.com)

Nathan Barr Exclusive Interview on Composing True Blood

Mark Morton at Examiner.com Kansas City, had an exclusive interview with True Blood composer, Nathan Barr, which he was kind enough to share with us.

Working on the score for True Blood was Nathan’s first experience working for television, though he’d done several films in horror (Hostel, Cabin Fever, 2001 Maniacs) and comedy (Club Dread, Beerfest, Dukes of Hazzard).  It was that combination of experience which landed him the job, one that he’d never expected:

I wasn’t seeking out television at all. I haven’t deliberately stayed away from it, it’s just that it never really came into my life. And that’s partly okay with me, because I don’t watch much TV at all. So really, what brought me to TV was just [show creator] Alan Ball. It was one of those really lucky twists of fate. He shot the pilot and was cutting it together, and somehow my score for Hostel wound up in the cutting room, so they used it as temp. Even though it wasn’t exactly right, there was enough of something in it that they liked, so they called me in for an interview. So, they narrowed it down between me and another composer (who happens to be a dear friend), and Alan went away on vacation after shooting and took a stack of each of our CDs. And I guess he just felt that the match was better with me. So I got the Ball call saying he wanted me, and there was no way I was turning that down!

Luckily for True Blood fans, he accepted the job.  The score sets the tone for the action as the story unfolds, so Nathan’s job is crucial in helping the audience feel the emotion that the actors are trying to get across and in giving hints about aspects of a character that have not yet been revealed.  Nowhere in the True Blood score is this more obvious than in Bill and Sookie’s theme, which is tentative, romantic, tragic, and adds a depth to their scenes together, hinting at things they have not said out loud to one another and at some deep past sadness.

That hint of sadness is something that Nathan admits he does very well:

I think again, it’s the strength of the writing and the story. A lot of the time, I don’t even consciously push for it. It’s there in the story, so it naturally comes out in the music. I get tuned into the story and what’s going on. Alan is very clear and concise about what he wants the music to say in each scene. But for whatever reason, I think I do “sadness” well. I really relate to that part of True Blood. I love the sadness, the angst of the romance – that’s a place I am very comfortable enriching.

After watching Season 1 and bawling my eyes out every time I heard Gran’s theme, I can agree. Nathan definitely does sadness well.

Nathan says that his focus when he’s composing is deeply personal with each of the characters on screen:

It’s absolutely 100% about the characters. Alan doesn’t speak in musical terms. He’s always speaking to story and character, and as a composer for TV, the job is to enrich the lives and storylines of those characters. And so everything I do for the show is based around the characters – what a character is thinking, what his/her motivation is, where the character is headed in the story. And of course, there are essential themes, like Bill and Sookie’s love theme, and things like that. But it is definitely all character-driven.

For whatever reason, when those characters are vampires, you can bet there are going to be some strings used in the composition. Though he admits that strings are a prerequisite when composing for the undead, Nathan’s not quite sure why that is.

I don’t really know why strings work so well for vampires. The basic storyline behind most vampire stories is beautiful, immortal people who are struggling with a world that is moving on without them and getting involved with people who will grow old and die. There are these big themes of romance, lost love and tragedy – those are big threads that lend themselves well to something a little more epic.

So how exactly does he do it? Nathan explains the nuts and bolts of the job by saying that he has to look at each episode scene by scene and then coordinate with Alan, the editors, the producers and music supervisor Gary Calamar.  Together they decide where the songs go and where Nathan’s scores should be placed and then he returns back to his studio to create the scores for the various scenes.

And where did he learn the tricks of the trade?  Nathan credits the Academy and Grammy Award winning German composer Hans Zimmer (Rain Man, The Lion King, The Preacher’s Wife, As Good As It Gets, The Prince of Egypt, The Thin Red Line, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, The Da Vinci Code, and The Dark Knight) as one of his early teachers.

I was under his wing for only eight months, and then I flew the nest. It was such an amazing experience. It was like being thrown into the deep end of the pool and learning to swim. I didn’t even understand what MIDI stood for when I began working for Hans. I had no knowledge of the technology behind film scoring; I had no knowledge about the creative process behind writing music-to-picture. So he was very gracious in the sense that he would let me sit behind him while he wrote and actually watch him write-to-picture, and that’s really where I learned that. And more than anything, he taught me the importance of technology. So when I walked in there, I knew next to nothing about any of that stuff, and when I left eight months later, I had a very strong foundation to work from.

When composing, Nathan likes to use acoustic instruments first, seeking out unusual sounds to inspire him such as going out and buying several new instruments instead of just settling down on the piano.  Nathan explains that creating a piece on a piano is going to “sound” different from creating the same piece on a string instrument or on a wind instrument.  Therefore, he is able to think about the melody of the piece in different ways which in turn would affect the feelings that it will present in a scene.

Nathan also tries to make sure that he doesn’t write music that is immediately identifiable as his work but rather tries to give each score it’s own unique sound. He does not want to become known as “that horror movie guy” or “that TV show guy” and to be flexible and true to himself:

…And I think that goes back to what we were discussing with musical identity and having a unique voice. I think it can become a little bit of a curse sometimes. I haven’t experienced it too much, but a couple of really big composers come to mind who are so known for a unique sound they’ve created that they get asked over and over and over again to recreate that same score. I think that is a blessing and a curse, when your style is so distinct, to keep it fresh, and what they really want is the score you wrote for another movie. I think to some degree that I can’t help but to repeat myself; I am who I am. But I think True Blood is a good departure for me from the sound I’ve established with other horror films.

So what can we expect musically in the next season? Nathan says that he only has a vague idea as to where Alan and the writers are going to take the storyline.  However, he is excited about creating new themes and new musical ideas as the characters in True Blood continue grow and expand.  One character in particular that Nathan mentions is Eric Northman who seems to have grown from season 1 to season 2 with the introduction of the theme of loss (in reference to Godric).  For season 3, Nathan states that Eric is becoming more a complicated character then when he was first introduced to us in season 1 and therefore, he will have to “figure out how to make his theme follow that journey or else come up with another theme for him.”

As fans, Nathan hints that we might have the opportunity to see his music performed live:

I actually just spoke recently at a TV signing with Bear McCreary, who does Battlestar Galactica, and he had done just that. He decided to start doing live shows with his music. And it got me thinking about doing something similar, because the score to True Blood is very small, very organic. I perform the entire thing myself – the guitars, pianos, cellos – and it would be very easy to find just three or four other musicians, teach them the parts and do some live performances. That is certainly something I’m thinking about.

As for the awards and accolades he’s received since taking on True Blood, Nathan is truly grateful to the audience for the wonderful response he’s gotten.  He got his first hand glimpse at how big True Blood has become when he recently attended the SCREAM Awards and while he was on the red carpet two girls were screaming his name and told him how much they loved his music and listen to it all the time.  That, as Nathan put it, was “my little rock star moment.”

In addition to preparing for True Blood’s Season 3, Nathan has several new projects that he’s working on including Peep World, Open House (which is actually directed by Anna Paquin’s brother, Andrew which Anna and Stephen Moyer both have cameos in that movie), Mother’s Day (which Deborah Ann Woll stars in) and Cotton.  It seems that even with the other projects he still has a bit of True Blood close to him.

I’ve only hit the highlights of this in-depth conversation where he discusses his work on True Blood. For more of this wonderful exclusive interview where he discusses other work throughout his career, check out more of his Q & A with Mark Morton.

SOURCE: Examiner.com/Kansas City

(Photo credit:  Nathan Barr and HBO Inc.)

Anna Paquin: Life, Love And True Blood

True Blood star Anna Paquin has worked hard to get where she is today, but she has balanced that with a personal philosophy of living in the moment. She is only 27-years old and already has a decade of successful work in film, television, and theatre, including an Academy Award at age 11 for The Piano, and a Golden Globe earlier this year for True Blood. Outside of her career, she has found love and happiness with her co-star and fiance Stephen Moyer. In a cover feature in the Australian magazine, MiNDFOOD, Anna talks about enjoying life, one day at a time.

A fan of Alan Ball’s previous television series, Six Feet Under, Anna pursued the role of Sookie Stackhouse when she heard that he was doing True Blood:

“He’s extraordinary, smart, funny and unpredictable in his humor, and he’s kind and approachable. The best boss you could possibly have.”

And then there was meeting Stephen and having their relationship grow as they worked alongside each other:

“Steve and I had a certain instant connection. We read Bill and Sookie opposite each other for the very reason that there needed to be a strong connection between the two actors playing those characters. Then that’s the person you’re working with all the time. It doesn’t hurt when the relationship on screen, which you’re trying to create, is one of attraction and fascination. Somewhere the line gets a little blurred.”

True Blood fans can definitely see that chemistry between them! And, as a viewer, knowing that those feelings between Bill and Sookie are based on real love between Stephen and Anna makes the story come to life even more.

Prior to life on True Blood, Anna had already been working as an actor for 15 years. Even though she was catapulted into the spotlight at an early age because of her Oscar win, she has always been a grounded young woman, with a good upbringing and realistic outlook on life that she attributes to her family:

“I came up through the ranks before the tabloid media became what it is currently. It wasn’t as much of a feeding frenzy. I guess that’s more good luck than good management. There was very little time to be affected, and my family didn’t value [fame] and weren’t interested in it. It was more about doing well in school, getting an education and doing something with your life.”

Anna has also had the opportunity to work with great professional role models, with her favorite being the first, Holly Hunter:

“I’m still in awe of her. The Piano was my apprenticeship. I had no idea what I was doing and I absolutely adored her. So I just followed her lead. She can just walk on water talent-wise.”

Anna loved being part of the theatre community in New York City, where she lived since she was 18. She has since relocated to Venice Beach where she and Stephen have a house:

“It’s incredibly nice down here. It’s really relaxing; I can ride my bike everywhere and I like being by the ocean.”

In her spare time, one of her favorite hobbies is playing Scrabble. She also keeps her body fit through all different kinds of activities, from kickboxing to yoga. She loves playing a strong character like Sookie:

“She’s her own little action star. I get bloodied and vomited on and beaten up — everything that the girl doesn’t often get to do in a show or a film because they’re usually the girlfriend. Sookie’s the center of all the action or trauma.”

Another big interest of Anna’s is fashion, which you could guess by just looking at all of the fabulous dresses she has worn on red carpets:

“I love anyone who cuts for women’s bodies, not boys’ bodies — designers who actually take curves into account. I absolutely love beautiful clothes and dressing up for red carpet stuff. The whole Cinderella thing: the dress, the shoes, the hair, the makeup and the jewelry.”

Her true passions though, are about the bigger things in life. She’s looking forward to starting a family someday. She’s enjoyed her experiences maintaining the production company, Paquin Films, with her brother Andrew, and hopes to one day direct a film. She also wants to travel and see the world. But Anna doesn’t have a set plan in mind for all of that:

“I go one step at a time. I’ve never really thought too far ahead because then you’re never disappointed if it doesn’t happen the way you thought it would. There isn’t a lifestyle or job where there are any guarantees. I’m happy living in the right now.”

That’s certainly an admirable point of view to have and it has served her very well in life. Anna talks about having everything she could possibly want and about enjoying what she has. She is one of the few young actresses in Hollywood who seems worthy of all the success she has been blessed with.

SOURCE: MiNDFOOD.com

(Photo credit: Pamela Hanson / MiNDFOOD)

Charlaine Harris Talks About her Sookie Stackhouse Series

Take one look at Charlaine Harris with her three teenagers, her three dogs, and her duck and you would never think that she was the creator of a series of novels about a dark, sexy, and mysterious world of vampires and humans. Yet Charlaine Harris is that woman. She is one of the leaders in a new genre that has taken the world by storm. Over her career Charlaine has written over 30 novels and numerous short stories. She is currently working on the tenth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series, “Dead in the Family”.

Now that Alan Ball has taken the spirit of Charlaine’s books and turned it into the phenomenon we all know as True Blood, Charlaine has really hit the big time. Recently Charlaine did an online interview talking about her Sookie Stackhouse series. Charlaine was asked if she ever felt like her characters took over her writing and took her to places she didn’t expect. Charlaine answered saying:

“The writer should always be in control. Those sudden moments when everything falls into place are the best reasons to be a writer. Of course it’s not the characters taking control; it’s another part of your brain, a part that knows the characters so well it’s suggested a plot twist.”

Charlaine was then asked if she consciously writes without taking into consideration current events. Charlaine said:

“Yes, because I didn’t want to pin the series down in time. However, with Hurricane Katrina, I simply couldn’t ignore its devastation out of respect to the people of the Gulf Coast, so I did incorporate it into the books.”

Charlaine was asked if she keeps track of plot arcs and character details for her novels in a database. Charlaine explained that a database had been created but as of yet was not finished. Charlaine doesn’t see herself as much of a plotter or outliner but admits that there are three main threads in each book. Charlaine was asked if she dresses up and works at it as a strict job or if she wears 3 day old pajamas while trying to make a deadline.

“Both. There’s a lot more to the business of writing than actually writing. Interviews, for example! I work at the job with regular hours, unless I have to do publicity stuff, which takes a huge amount of time. I never work in pajamas. I wear nightgowns.”

Charlaine was then asked what she thought of the television series inspired by her books, True Blood. Charlaine answered saying:

“It’s all good with me. I’m delighted with the show, and the time I’ve spent with the actors has been very interesting.”

Charlaine then discussed the fact that certain elements of True Blood differ from the storyline of her series and how she felt about that. “It’s more of an amplification of my story. In the books, we know Jason is promiscuous. On the screen, we see that, and it’s a very different experience. But of course a lot of plot developments were necessary to balance the screen time of the actors. Anna couldn’t carry the whole story.”

Well we all know that both Charlaine and Alan have done an amazing job with this series. At the heart True Blood would not be what it is without the inspirational series that Charlaine has so beautifully written.

SOURCE:  A Writer Goes on a Journey

Photo Credit:  Charlaine Harris

Charlaine Harris and Her Dogs

Shapeshifter Sam Merlotte usually transforms into a collie because people like dogs, so it should be no surprise that Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, is a dog lover. In an interview with the blog, “Coffee with a Canine,” Charlaine shares stories about her dogs, Rocky, Scrunch, and Oscar.

All three are adopted. Rocky is an 8-year old boxer-spaniel mix who came from some lady’s car trunk. Scrunch, a 3-year old terrier, was kicked by a horse, crushing her hip. Charlaine adopted her when the former owner didn’t seem to want to deal with all the surgeries Scrunch needed. Oscar is a dachshund from a local animal shelter. Charlaine isn’t sure how old he is but says he’s “a grumpy old man.” One time, her kids tried to dress Oscar in a sweater and he wouldn’t take a step, just falling to the ground–”Passive resistance at its finest.”

Charlaine is very close to her dogs, and they are very loyal, always following her around at home:

“Every day is Take Your Dog to Work Day at my house. They’re my constant companions in my office, and the dogs and a cup of coffee are the way I start my day.”

She says that they influence her writing by being a “constant interruption.” On an ordinary day, they do the usual dog things, plus barking at the enemies that threaten Charlaine’s home, like the UPS guy and her goose. When asked what are the best qualities in her dogs, she responds:

“They can’t talk, and they love us. Oscar sticks close to home, Scrunch is very loving, and Rocky has a very soft coat.”

That’s all you could really want in your furry, four-legged friends.

SOURCE: coffeecanine.blogspot.com

(Photo credit:  coffeecanine.blogspot.com)

Ryan Kwanten On Jason Stackhouse and Dating

During the hiatus from True Blood, Ryan Kwanten has been filming the movie Red Hill and spending time with family. Soon he will be back in L.A. to begin work on Season three of True Blood. In the meantime, though, he helped promote the show’s first season as it airs on Channel 4 in the UK by doing an interview with OK! Magazine.

When Ryan has to get naked for one of his sex scenes as the womanizing Jason, his first concern is making the actress feel comfortable:

“I’ve always been comfortable with my body and I think Australians have a fairly liberal and open-minded point of view when it comes to sex and nudity. More often than not, the girl is going to be far more nervous than me, so I’ll approach the girls beforehand and say: ‘Any questions, qualms, concerns that you have, just come to me.’ The more comfortable they are, the more comfortable I am and the scene will work better.”

As for what he thinks about the vampire obsession, Ryan offers an insightful reflection:

“Albert Einstein said the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious, and for many people vampires represent the absolute epitome of mystery. They have these other worldly qualities like a sixth sense–and they’re apparently fantastic in bed, they have years and years of experience.”

Clearly, the thoughtful and down-to-earth Ryan is drastically different from the character he portrays, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t found qualities in Jason that he can use in his own life:

“I tend to be far too cerebral and totally over-analyze things. But he is the polar opposite in that there’s no will power of thought, he jumps off the cliff without thinking, he dives into any situation with no recourse whatsoever. So I’ve learnt to loosen up my mentality and go with the flow a little bit.”

Still, Ryan admits to being a quiet, observant person as opposed to a highly extroverted actor. He prefers interacting with others one-on-one, but says that he’s “pretty terrible when it comes to women.” He’s not really dating at this point in his life:

“That concept has always eluded me, that whole dating thing. What I’m amazed at more than anything is marriage, the lack of thought that goes into marriage. Maybe it’s just like going to buy a sandwich: ‘How about we just get married?’ And then the next week they break up, like it was nothing.”

That’s an interesting comparison to make… Perhaps one day the woman will come along who changes his mind. For now, though, Ryan appears to be wholly invested in acting, saying that work is his number one priority. He never intended to move to Los Angeles, but now that’s where he belongs:

“The passion for the business and the craft is cemented in my veins.”

This is evident to us True Blood fans who have seen how talented Ryan is an actor! He manages to play a frequently dumb character like Jason and make him endearing to us. I am looking forward to seeing more of Ryan, in future projects and on True Blood!

SOURCE: ok.co.uk

(Photo credit: Cory Sorensen / Muscle & Body)

True Blood Season 3 Spoiler News: Alan Ball Reveals a Little Fresh Blood

As we all know Alan Ball has done a phenomenal job creating the hit show we all love and adore, True Blood. Alan continues to win over the hearts of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transvestite) audiences as well. Alan recently spoke to Lesley Goldberg from Advocate.com about how he will be staying true to the source material, Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels, and why gay audiences are so attracted to his work. He even gave out some spoiler information and discusses about some new gay characters that will be joining True Blood in season 3. So you have been warned there is spoiler information in this post.  If you do not want to know do not read any further.

Lesley began by asking Alan why he was so attracted to Charlaine’s novels. Alan answered by saying:

“It was an impulse purchase and it was just so much fun. The minute I finished the first book, I wanted the second one; it was like crack. I got addicted. I guess it was somewhere around the third or fourth book where I thought, This just really holds up, I think this could be a great TV show.”

True Blood has certainly proven to be just that! Lesley went on to ask Alan if the gay metaphors were something he envisioned right from the start, when he read the books. Alan agrees that there is a lot of that in the books due to the fact that the books contain numerous gay characters. Alan went on explain that we would be introduced to some of these characters in the upcoming season 3 of True Blood. Wait, new characters!! Lesley asked Alan which new characters would we see and Alan answered saying:

“We’ll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion — and by long-term I mean really long-term – Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she’s certainly got a lesbian vibe — I don’t know that that’s all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.”

Lesley also asked Alan what he thought it was about vampires that attracts so many LGBT fans. Alan responded by saying:

“I think it’s certainly not a huge step for LGBT people to identify with any group of characters that are, as a group, outsiders, that mainstream society feels threatened by; that are fabulous and powerful and sexy and all of that stuff.”

Lesley went on to discuss a possible storyline between the lesbian vampire queen, Sophie-Anne and Sookie. Since Sophie-Anne is romantically involved with Sookie’s cousin, Hadley, is it possible the queen may want that same relationship with Sookie? Alan does see the queen taking an interest in Sookie, but not in a romantic way. Alan explains that he thinks Sophie-Anne’s interest in Sookie is more about what makes Sookie so exceptional. Alan promises that we will learn more about that in season 3 as well. Lesley went on to ask Alan about the new vampire king, Russell Edgington, and if his character would remain gay, which is how he is portrayed in the novels. Alan answered:

“I think the kings and queens of the various states are aware of each other, and yes, he definitely knows who she is. Whether or not they end up in a scene together I can’t really say; it depends on actors’ availability and scheduling and those kinds of things. But they definitely are aware of each other.”

Lesley then asked Alan about how true the True Blood writers remain to the original novels. Alan responded by saying:

“I think we try to stay very true to the spirit of the book series. We have made changes. The books are all narrated by Sookie, so the books are basically all Sookie’s story. We definitely have — in fleshing out the other characters — been creative. I think where we may not stay true to the books entirely, we do try to stay very true to the spirit of them.”

Lesley asked Alan if he discusses changes he plans on making with Charlaine. Alan said no, they don’t discuss it, and that Charlaine said it best at Comic-con when she explained, “I don’t tell Alan how to write his show and he doesn’t tell me how to write my books.” Alan goes on to say that him and Charlaine have a great working relationship and an admirable respect for each other. He feels the books have helped the show and the show has helped the books, but they are two completely different mediums.

Lesley then brought up the fact that Alan had said a character would die in season 3, and asked if this storyline would follow the third book. Alan answered by simply saying:

“I’m a little leery to answer these questions because if I say yes it just gives it away. For people who read the books, some things will not come as a surprise. But for people who don’t read the books, it will be a surprise.”

Lesley ended their interview by asking Alan a huge fan question, will we see Jason Stackhouse scantily clad in season 3, since he was a bit modest last season? Alan said:

“Well, he was at church camp! [Laughs] There’s no shortage of man candy on the show and Jason is back in Bon Temps and he may be up to his old ways. I can tell you that you’ll definitely get to see a lot of Jason in the first few episodes, and by a lot, I mean a lot physically. [Laughs].”

Oh, I can hardly wait! Alan always knows how to leave us wanting more, and I definitely want more!!

SOURCE: Advocate.com

Photo Credit:  Albert L. Ortega/PR Photos via monstersandcritics.com

Alexander Skarsgard Discusses Fame, Generation Kill, and True Blood

With his role as Eric Northman on True Blood, Swedish heartthrob Alexander Skarsgard has been catapulted into the spotlight, with a passionate group of fans to rival any other. On the show, he plays an 1,000-year old Viking vampire with a bad boy edge, a cool sense of humor, and a whole lot of hotness. In an extensive interview with the UK blog Unreality Primetime, Alex discusses his acting pedigree and his work on two major HBO projects, True Blood and Generation Kill.

The oldest son of renowned actor Stellan Skarsgard, Alex began working in Swedish films and television at age 7. Uncomfortable with the recognition he received, he gave up acting until he was 20. Feeling more prepared for fame, he began studying theatre in New York and got hooked on the profession. In addition to his father, two of his brothers are also actors in Sweden, so it seems to run in the family!

Like some of his True Blood costars, Alex didn’t know what to expect from a vampire show, but he was very interested to work with a talented storyteller like creator Alan Ball. He probably had no idea what he was getting himself into when he took on the role of Area 5 Sheriff and Fangtasia owner, Eric Northman. With it, he inherited an entire team of shippers from the books who want Eric to be with Sookie and bring to life some favorite scenes from Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series. Alex has read the first few books and intends to finish the rest during the break from filming.

Alex explains how Eric’s 1,000 years as a vampire have made him very confident and somewhat bored with humanity:

“I think he’s got huge confidence, and also he doesn’t waste time. He’s been around for that long, so he cuts to the chase and gets down to business. And it’s hard to impress a guy like that, because he’s seen it all. That’s why he’s intrigued by Sookie because there’s something new here, something interesting and different about her that he can’t really put his finger on.”

From his point of view, Alex thinks that vampires are so fascinating to people because of their complex natures–they are beautiful and eternal, while dangerous at the same time:

“Immortality and eternal youth are so attractive, yet the fact that vampires are also lethal predators who could kill you in an instant creates great platforms for drama, I think. You have that duality. An encounter with a vampire could let you live forever, or you could become vampire food.”

Alex also talked about getting immersed in his Marine character, Sgt. Brad Colbert, in the HBO miniseries Generation Kill. He had some personal experience to inform him about the role, having been in the Swedish Marines to fulfill his country’s mandatory service requirement. The goal in making Generation Kill was to have it be as true-to-life as possible, with Marines consulting and involved in the process every step of the way:

“One of the actors is a real Marine, and plays himself on the show. We had two other guys from First Reconnaissance with us for the duration of the shoot, which was seven months in Africa. They were behind the camera for every single take every single day, making sure that everything was legit and was real, and what we say and what we do on the show happened for real. It was very important to us to show exactly what happened, and not make it into a Hollywood series or movie where everything is dramatised, and things are added or removed. We just wanted to tell it exactly as it was, and I hope we succeeded in doing that.”

Alex did not have the opportunity to visit with the real-life Brad Colbert before filming to gain insights, but that actually enabled him to create his own unique portrayal. When they returned from Africa, a fellow soldier of Colbert’s arranged a meeting for them. Alex calls it an amazing experience:

“I was with that character for a year. It’s his life. All the quotes and things I say on the show are his life. When I talk about my ex-girlfriend, and hookers in Australia, these are things that he actually said. And he never asked for this to become a huge HBO series, so I didn’t know how he would react when I met him. But I have a tremendous amount of respect and love for the man, so it was very important for me that he would be proud of what we did and how I portrayed him. And he didn’t kill me, so I guess I did okay.”

The camaraderie between the actors helped create that group dynamic crucial to true Marine life. Spending so much time with those guys and working together translated into the finished product of Generation Kill. It probably contributed to the miniseries going on to receive great critical acclaim and award nominations. Alex seems very proud of what they accomplished with the show, and is pleased by how the Marine community embraced it for its gritty realism.

The decision to portray such distinctly separate people like Sgt. Colbert and Eric Northman was intentional on Alex’s part. The challenge of a new character makes him excited and helps his creativity. Hopefully, after his recent work on Straw Dogs which he spent the last couple of months filming in Shreveport, LA, he will be ready to return to True Blood in December and throw himself back into Eric. Alan Ball will surely have many new challenges in store for him!

SOURCE: primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk

(Photo credit: fanpop.com)

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