VIDEO: Charlaine Harris Talks True Blood, Dead in the Family and Vampires

Charlaine Harris has been a busy bee during her European Book Tour. While in the UK, Charlaine was interviewed by Brit television channel Sky TV to talk about her Sookie Stackhouse series, True Blood, the upcoming release of Dead in the Family, and the current popularity of vampires.

In the first clip of the interview, Charlaine discussed her reasons for writing the Southern Vampire Mystery novels. She stated that she was at a crossroads in her writing career-having written more conventional mystery novels, she thought it would be fun to write mystery stories involving supernatural creatures, and add a “dash of explicit sex.” However, Charlaine did not want to write from the vampire point of view, but rather thought it would be more entertaining to write from the perspective of a young woman trying to date a vampire and the problems she’d face.

Regarding True Blood, Charlaine had nothing but glowing remarks to say about Alan Ball’s direction with the show and treatment of the characters. Charlaine mentioned that she’d received many other offers to develop the books into a series; however, she admired Alan’s work and it was a thrill for her that he wanted to work with the Sookie books.  She trusted him and felt comfortable with him. For that matter, Charlaine remarked that she has enjoyed what Alan’s creative team has cooked up to “amplify the characters and bring them forward.” Charlaine was particularly envious of the creation of the character of Jessica, and said, “I wish I’d thought of that.”

As for casting, Charlaine stated that not only do they have to cast people who look good, but who can also act, and “Ball got ‘em right.” Charlaine was quick to mention that Chris Bauer who plays Bon Temps’ police detective Andy Bellefleur looked exactly as she imagined the character in the book. Additionally, Kristin Bauer, who plays tough-as-nails Pam, is very close to the Pam from the novels and that both Chris and Kristin were fantastic casting choices!

When asked about the next installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series, Dead in the Family, Charlaine commented that it’s all about family – Sookie’s “strange and extended family,” Bill’s family, and Eric’s. It will be a complicated book and involves a lot of history.

When discussing the rise in popularity of vampires in pop culture, Charlaine observed that in today’s culture we worship youth and fitness – eternal perfection – which while unattainable to us mere humans, vampires can possess these qualities. Additionally, the economy has played a role in the type of entertainment people consume. Charlaine added that people traditionally turn to fantasy when there is an economic slump like the one that most of the world has been experiencing for the past couple of years.

Inevitably, the question of how Charlaine’s novels compare with other series such as Twilight and The Vampire Diaries came up. Charlaine offered that her books pre-date Stephenie Meyer’s books, but more importantly, target a different kind of audience. Although she’d never read or watched The Vampire Diaries, Charlaine pointed out that the series, much like Laurel K. Hamilton’s series, target different audiences as well. People can read all the different series and come away with different entertainment experiences.

To watch the interview with Charlaine with Sky TV click here.

To enter Sky TV’s competition to win one of five signed sets of Charlaine’s books click here. (Note: This promotion is open to all UK, Isle of Man, Channel Islands and Republic of Ireland residents only).

SOURCE: SkyTV

(Photo credit:  charlaineharris.com)

True Blood’s Carrie Preston Talks Broadway, Acting, and Arlene

Carrie Preston, known to True Blood watchers as everyone’s favorite redhead, Arlene Fowler, has a lot to say about her acting career thus far. She’s been in numerous films and TV shows and even appeared on Broadway with Patrick Stewart in the Tempest. Recently, she sat down with Lance Carter of dailyactor.com and spoke about how her career began.

Carrie started acting when she was very young, back in Georgia, after watching her older brother in plays. She loved it so much, she started her own theater company when she was in 7th grade, putting on performances with neighborhood kids in her front yard. And even at a young age, her talent was recognized by a local director.

The director who was running the community theater, he pulled my mom aside and he said, “Your child’s an actor”, and my mom said, “Oh thank you, she’s having a good time.”  And he said, “No, no, no, no. You’re not hearing me.  Your children are actors.  That’s what they are.”

After this encounter, Carrie’s parents supported her decision to pursue acting as a career. She attended Julliard for four years before landing a role with Patrick Stewart on Broadway.

Carrie discusses her current preference for working in television as apposed to theater and how she can chameleon herself into roles. And when asked who is the most influential actor in her life, her first answer is Michael Emerson… her husband.

Just watching him and watching his work.  He’s sort of similar in that he really does transform from role to role.  And he happens to be playing one role right now that he’s most recognizable for.  But he played Oscar Wilde off Broadway in one of the biggest New York hits in the 90s and couldn’t be more different than Benjamin Linus.

Finally, Carrie gets to talk some True Blood. She worked with Alan Ball in Towelhead, a film he directed. He already had Carrie in mind when casting for True Blood, even though Carrie didn’t see the role at first.

I called my agent, I was like “I don’t know which part he’s talking about.  There’s nothing for me in here.”  And he was like oh it’s Arlene.  And I was like okay.  Alright, I can try that.  So, I went in and I know that woman.  I grew up with that woman.

And as we all know, she landed the part.

Now into the 3rd season, Carrie knows Arlene Fowler in and out. And while she says the True Blood plot uses the Sookie Stackhouse novels as a blueprint, the writers always can come up with something a little different.

…we just started shooting the 5^th episode of season 3, but we’ve gotten scripts through the 6^th already.  So it is nice to have sort of the sense of where your character is going.  But you know we’ve got some great writers that we can trust are gonna take someplace.

Carrie also talks about her production company and how to get started as an actor. It’s amazing to see what these familiar faces do when they’re not telling the story in Bon Temps. So don’t let that red wig fool you. Carrie Preston is clearly a multi-talented actor who can hold her own against vampires and Broadway.

SOURCE:  dailyactor.com

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Alexander Skarsgard Talks About Fame, Celebrity, and Not “Going Hollywood”

Alexander Skarsgård, who plays vampire sheriff Eric Northman, is definitely not the type of celebrity we’re use to in America. No entourages, no outrageous on-set demands, no tabloid exploits… no “going Hollywood”. Alexander sat down with Leslie Gornstein from the LA Times Magazine at a recent photo shoot to discuss his childhood acting career, his “Skarsgårdians“, and how he keeps a level head about his growing fame.

Alexander is the son of a Swedish actor, Stellan Skarsgård, and began acting as a child. At the age of 13, he grew uncomfortable with being recognized and written about.

It can be really, really tough being a child actor. A lot of them have huge problems growing up. I didn’t like being famous when I was 13. I didn’t like people recognizing me.

After telling his parents that he no longer felt comfortable being an actor, his father told him that he “only become an actor if you feel like you don’t have a choice” and at the age of 13, Alexander quit. It wasn’t until he was 20 that he returned to acting.

I missed it—being onstage or in front of a camera. I thought, All right, I’m 20 now instead of 13. Maybe I’m a little different from how I was seven years ago, and I owe it to myself to try it now, and at least I can dismiss it if I’m still not comfortable. I will know for sure, and I can move on. But it was just like my father said: I felt like I didn’t have an option.

Now at the age of 33, Alexander has become a sexual icon- 6′4″, striking features, and muscular body, he is constantly recognized, written about, and idolized. With a multitude of fan sites, Alexander has found that he is no longer uncomfortable with this attention, but flattered.

So, how does one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors remain sane while also not “going Hollywood”? By doing things the way he’s always done them: going to the movies alone, parking his own car, and volunteering to help his crew members.

I’m not a “Hollywood” actor. I am a social guy, but I’m not one of those actors who will show up to a shoot with 15 agents and managers and publicists. An entourage like that just makes me uncomfortable.

While flattered by all the attention he is getting from fans he admits that in order to stay sane he stays away from fan sites, blogs and Twitter.  Which to answer everyone’s question: Alex is NOT on Twitter.  So that person who says they are Alex on Twitter is a fake!  While Alexander’s character, Eric Northman, may ride the line between good and evil, Alexander proves to remain levelheaded during his rise to fame.

Check out Alex’s amazing photo shoot in LATimes Magazine here.

SOURCE: LATimes Magazine

(Photo credit: HBO)

Stephen Moyer Says Vampire Bill Wouldn’t Mind Biting Bon Temps Redheads

At Cosmopolitan Magazine’s “Fun Fearless Male Awards” in New York City on March 1st, True Blood’s Stephen Moyer was asked a loaded question by HollywoodLife.com.  Besides co-star and real-life fiancee Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), who else’s blood would he like to suck, as vampire Bill Compton of course.

“I’ve always had a thing about Carrie Preston who plays Arlene. In that long red wig, she does things for me.”

Additionally, regarding the young vampire that he was forced to sire on the show, Stephen said, “My own daughter Deborah Ann Woll, Jessica, I think she’s pretty sexy!”

Hmmm. Both Arlene and Jessica are redheads.  But Bill/Stephen has proposed to blonde Sookie/Anna.  Interesting.  Any indication of strange bitings in Season 3? We will have to wait and see.

SOURCE:  hollywoodlife.com

AUDIOS: True Blood Cast Interviewed for UK Premiere

As True Blood continues to gain international popularity, UK fans can let out a collective sigh of relief – season 2 finally premiered on Friday, February 26th!

Alexander Skarsgård (Eric Northman),  Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton), Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), and Michelle Forbes (Maryann Forrester) sat down with TV.Com UK Podcast and talked about everything from dialect coaching to their off-screen relationships.

What was Eric REALLY saying during season 2’s Swedish scenes? Do the cast members believe in real vampires? What do they hope happens to their characters is season 3? All this (and more) is discussed in this two-part podcast special.

The podcasts can be downloaded for free at http://cdn.cnet.co.uk/tvcom/podcast/xml/podcast.xml.  Once on the page left mouse click the mp3 and then click the “Save link as” to download it.

You can get involved with any of TV.com’s our podcast discussions via their our twitter feed @TVdotcomUK.

SOURCE: TV.Com

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Alexander Skarsgard Discusses His Route to Stardom

In an article posted on the British website, TimesOnline, Alexander Skarsgard, True Blood’s tall, sensual and dangerous Viking vampire, talks about his early discomfort with fame.

Alex started acting at the early age of 7 in his native Sweden. A role when he was 13 brought him national fame when the Swedish film, The Dog That Smiled, became wildly successful. The fame scared him. It’s difficult for a 13 year-old to deal with people constantly staring. So he quit acting and tried to be a normal teen.

At the age of 19, Alex joined the Swedish marines. Unlike his pals, he wanted the challenge of the anti-sabotage and anti-terrorist experience – to see what impact it would have on his hippie lifestyle. But he was no James Bond, and although he hated it most of the time, Alex concedes it was good experience for him. It did prep him for his later role in the 2008 HBO mini-series, Generation Kill.

After his stint in the marines, Alexander got a dose of the real world. While attending Leeds Metropolitan University, he and a friend lived in a basement in sleeping bags. The basement had no heat and they shared a bathroom with a drug dealer. “He was really nasty and filthy and dirty…” and he thought the whole situation was kind of scary. Perhaps acting wasn’t so bad after all!

Alexander studied theatre in New York, then went back to Sweden to get more experience and again he became a star, but only in his home country. Wanting to broaden his horizons, many roles came his way that he didn’t want, until he landed roles in the HBO mini-series Generation Kill, followed by HBO’s True Blood. Alexander now has no problem picking and choosing offers. He’s famous again, this time as an adult who is considered one of the sexiest men in the world. So how is he handling fame this time?

“I try to stay away from all the blogs and fan sites. If I indulge in that, it’s going to mess me up. If I read something bad, I’ll think, they’re right, and if I read something good, my ego will explode. So it’s better to try to stay away.”

When asked about working with his father, Sweden’s most famous actor, Stellan Skarsgard, Alex evidently believes that would be a very big challenge.

“When I bring the possibility up, he pauses for a long time, says quietly, “It would be difficult”, then cheers up and becomes smiling Swedish optimist Alex again. “But, you know, something interesting would come out of it.”

In person, Alexander is “quiet, respectful, polite and self-deprecating.” Quite a contrast to his role as Eric Northman, vampire sheriff and co-owner of vampire bar, Fangtasia.

“I play a guy who’s been around for a thousand years, is funny and confident, but also lethal, and has had more experience and wisdom than you or I will get in our entire lives,” he smiles. “He’s a bloodsucker with an entrepreneurial bent, but the fact is that he’s also an animal who can flip and kill you in a second. He’s a predator — you think that would be a role for typecasting?”

It doesn’t seem he has to worry about being typecasted as he has finished several other projects with more to coming his way.

SOURCE: timesonline.co.uk

(Photo credit: buddytv.com)

Sam Trammell Talks Vampires and Sam Merlotte

The vampires from “True Blood” have picked a great time to “come out of the coffin” as the vampire craze doesn’t show any sign of wavering. Speaking to the Sunday Mercury, Sam Trammell discusses why he thinks vampires have taken over the screen and what makes his character, Sam Merlotte, interesting despite not being a vampire.

Sam talks candidly about the appeal of “True Blood” and how it differs from other television programs, noting that the elements of “True Blood” resonate across a range of people.

“I guess, in a way, our show has a lot of universal themes that different cultures can latch on to, like the archetypal themes of good and evil. These are very simple themes that are cross-cultural as opposed to say, an American doctors show or something like that. There’s a real fascination with vampires and fantasy in general; it is an interesting time.”

Life during an economic recession is definitely an interesting time, and could possibly be one of the reasons programs like “True Blood” have reached such popularity.

“… when real life isn’t great then who wants to watch entertainment about real life? You want to escape. That definitely could be part of it.”

Of course, we know Sam is not a vampire, but the lovable and protective Merlotte’s bar owner who also happens to be a shapeshifter. Throughout season one and season two we witnessed his longing for Sookie Stackhouse, played by Anna Paquin, and trouble with Maryann Forrester, played by Michelle Forbes, but Sam always seems to be able to hold things together for the people in Bon Temps.

“It’s interesting to play someone like that, who has had to fend for themselves on streets and who didn’t have parents and who knows how he found the money to buy the bar? That to me is the most interesting thing about Sam. More than the fact that he’s a shapeshifter, just the fact that he had a difficult childhood.”

Sam admits that with such a strong cast, great writers and the popularity of the characters, things don’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.

“This is the kind of show and these are the kind of stories that definitely don’t get boring very quickly. Anything can happen in our world and the writing is so good, and I’m definitely happy to go on. We’re all having a great time and it still feels very new. It really feels fresh like we just started.”

With season three currently being filmed, “True Blood” fans can rest assured that the future looks very bright for the series (even if our favorite vampires have to stay in the dark).

SOURCE: Sunday Mercury

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

Ryan Kwanten Describes Life and Work Since True Blood

A complete departure from his character, the dim-witted Jason Stackhouse, Australian actor Ryan Kwanten is more of a thoughtful, reserved kind of guy. In an interview with the German website, myFanbase, he sheds some light on Jason’s journey, how he deals with fame, and what it’s like to work on True Blood.

Ryan finds it “electrifying” to play Jason, a guy who acts without thinking. The drastic change from lots of women and a V addiction in Season one to a church camp boy in Season two was quite jarring for Ryan. Once he saw how executive producer Alan Ball and the writers were taking him, he saw that it was the best progression for his character. He believes that Jason has grown up after the experiences he’s had in the past couple of seasons, but he may not necessarily become any wiser. At his core, he’s still Jason–he’ll do and say whatever he feels.

When the role calls for it, Ryan has no qualms about doing nude scenes. He notes that the Australian culture he grew up in was more open-minded than America, but he also appreciates that there was more to those scenes than the sex. It was about Jason looking for something:

“I think that’s the beauty of working for HBO and particularly with Alan Ball, the fact that it’s not just shock for shock value or gore or nudity for the sake of showing skin. It always has a certain subtext or a specific story point that they are going towards. I also think it shows Jason’s vulnerability even though he may be very comfortable with his body and with women and all that, it shows that he’s searching for a sense of belonging.”

When asked about the popularity of True Blood, Ryan talks about how those working on the show knew all along that it was something special, but it was nice when things took off. The number of fans and their passion for the series just kept growing, which is thrilling for him. As many of the actors have expressed, Ryan is surprised by the incredible diversity of their viewership, spanning demographics. It just goes to show that there are so many characters and stories to relate to, everyone can find something they love.

Ryan also offers a nice perspective on his career and where it has led him:

“I’d like to believe that every role sort of led me to where I am and made me a better actor and a better person…Alan said in an interview that he saw the family movie Flicka and thought, ‘Oh, this is sort of like a G-rated Jason!’ So you never know what life is going to hand you and it’s proof that you have to make the best of every opportunity.”

Since True Blood, he says that doors are opening for him more easily, which is nice after years of working so hard to get roles. Part of being an actor is the public recognition, and Ryan, reserved as he is, insists that he doesn’t mind. He takes pride in his work and says he loves the journey of acting, with everything that it includes. These days, he gets lots of attention for True Blood, and people seem shocked to find a very different person than Jason Stackhouse:

“If they don’t know a lot about me, they’re quite surprised that I’m not from Louisiana. I’ve had a couple people insist that I was putting on this accent for another rolled. I said, ‘No, I hate to disappoint you but I’m Australian!’ “

He took the break in filming before Season three to return to his beloved homeland to shoot a couple of movies like Griff the Invisible and Red Hill. Now he’s back in L.A. and developing the character of Jason in what will surely be surprising and fascinating ways!

SOURCE: myfanbase.de

(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)

True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard: All About Sookie

True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard reveals that Eric Northman’s attraction to Sookie Stackhouse is more than a lust for forbidden fruit in an interview recently posted by Digital Spy’s Tube Talk.

Eric’s feelings for Sookie are based in genuine curiosity, rather than a desire to irk her beau Bill Compton, Alex said. While Eric is generally nonchalant about humans, there’s something different about Sookie, he said.

“He’s intrigued by her, for sure. When he meets her for the first time, he knows there’s something different about her and that intrigues him. He doesn’t care too much for humans in general – he thinks they’re pathetic – but when he meets her, there’s something about her.”

When asked if the attraction is “a case of forbidden fruit,” Alex said:

“No – he’s curious and he’s not gonna let Bill stop him because Bill’s just this little kid!”

Alex said that while Eric couldn’t ask for a better match than partner-in-crime Pam, Sookie appeals to a more lustful side of his personality:

“He’s already got his Pam - even though that’s not a sexual thing, he’s got his partner. For sexual attraction, it’s all about Sookie.”

Alex said that while he doesn’t know where Eric will end up at the end of Season 3, he hopes the audience will get to know his character better along the way:

“I just trust Alan and the writers – they’re doing such a great job. I don’t know where I want him to go. When reading the scripts, I wanna continue to be surprised and discover different sides of Eric. Hopefully we’ll get to know him a little better.”

More intimate knowledge of Eric? Now there’s a notion his fans can really sink their teeth into.

Source: Digital Spy

(Photo Credit: HBO Inc., screencap by James)

Mariana Klaveno Describes Her Journey from Farm Girl to True Blood Star

Only months ago, if you had been eating at a restaurant in L.A., Mariana Klaveno might have been your waitress. Once she felt more secure in her job on a little show called True Blood, she finally quit her side-job. On the HBO series, which is now filming its third season, the actress plays Bill Compton’s maker, Lorena, the vampire who just can’t let go of the one that got away.

In an interview with AOL Television’s PopEater, Mariana talks about what her experience as an actress has been like and how she views Lorena.

A couple of weeks ago, Mariana attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards along with the rest of the True Blood cast because of their nomination for outstanding drama ensemble. Having grown up on a wheat and barley farm in Washington, she had quite a special night:

“It was pretty surreal being on the [SAG Awards] red carpet and having Meryl Streep walk by; that’s a first. I’d never seen that before. Just being in that room with all these amazing people that I’ve looked up to for years, I suddenly felt like a wide-eyed farm girl again, which I haven’t felt in a while.”

Even though she has this wonderful part on a successful show like True Blood, Mariana doesn’t take anything for granted:

“It is strange, and it’s lovely, and I’m grateful, and I wake up saying thank you every morning — at least I try to, anyway. I think I’m actually appreciative of the years that were tough, because it makes you humble and it makes you realize that this industry is quite ephemeral and six months from now, a year from now, hopefully not…but the chances could go away and the job may be gone. I think it’s always best to keep that in mind so you don’t get too caught up.”

Mariana had that one episode in Season one, “Sparks Fly Out,” and she knew that the role had strong recurring potential. Still, she seems surprised by how much she has been able to do on True Blood. She loves that her character, through flashbacks, serves as this way of seeing what Bill’s early years were like and why he became the vampire he is in the present. In spite of all the horrible things we have seen Lorena do, Mariana thinks she has come to understand her motivation and that she might not be totally evil:

“I love that it is more complex and each vampire, there’s a lot of gray area between what they do to fulfill their needs and how they relate to the humans. I think that’s one of the brilliant things in the show. She is evil, and it’s hard because, as an actor, you can’t judge your character. I just really try to focus on the fact that she’s…I don’t think that she’s evil for no reason. She’s focused on Bill, and, as weird as it sounds, she’s motivated by love, and that’s where it comes from, and it’s obviously a different plane that the one we live in. The way I look at it is that she kind of operates from a different set of rules and, in her world, she wants what she wants and humanity is something that’s not a part of her any more and she does what she needs to get that unrequited love, which kind of makes her a tragic character, which I love. What she wants will never want her back and the reason that he doesn’t want her is what she loves in him and it’s this horrible cycle.”

Most of Lorena’s scenes are pretty dark and involve lots of blood and doing awful things to people, but Mariana insists that the mood on set is always fun and full of laughter. Most of the work she does is with Stephen Moyer, and she says he has a great sense of humor and that he’s “very witty and very smart and very quick, there’s a lot of quips that go on back and forth.” She jokes that she would like to see Lorena go spend a day at Merlotte’s so she could interact with some of the colorful characters there.

As for what Season three holds for her, she is not allowed to divulge much, other than that she is at work and that her scenes are, as you would expect, with Bill. She looks forward to adding some new elements to her character based on something she has recently read in a script:

“The writers have put just a tiny little nugget in an episode that has just been released, which I can’t say, of course…I think in this season, she may surprise you a bit. You’ll see, or you think you may, you think that she’ll do something horribly evil, and she chooses not to, which I really love, and I think it’ll maybe surprise people. Not as monstrous as maybe once perceived.”

Another interesting point that Mariana states about season 3 is that “Sookie and Bill fans are going to have some rough road up ahead.”  She mentions that we are going to see many different sides of Bill that we have not seen yet and that the writers have an interesting arc this season for him.

Mariana seems to have a lot of perspective on her character, and it will be interesting to see what she does with Lorena in the new season, whether it be in flashbacks or in present action!

SOURCE: popeater.com

(Photo credit: Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos via exposay.com)

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