Fans Miss Jesus but Can Still Enjoy Kevin Alejandro’s Work in Two Exciting Projects
We loved Kevin Alejandro as Jesus Velasquez in HBO’s True Blood. His chemistry with Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds) was delightful to watch, and his death left us saddened. While Mr. Alejandro’s return to True Blood was short-lived, we’re lucky that we get to see him each week as Christian Arroyo in ‘The Golden Boy’. Hopefully, his Kickstarter campaign will eventually achieve its funding goal and the superhero series, ‘The Keepers’, will make it into production.
Mr. Alejandro misses his fellow cast members from True Blood. He says that he and Mr. Ellis developed a genuine affection and friendship that translated to the screen. He auditioned for the part of Jesus several times, as the show runners searched for an actor who worked well with Mr. Ellis. Mr. Alejandro says that he has great respect for all of the actors in the True Blood cast. They take their work seriously, but once the cameras stop rolling, they know how to have a good time.
When he made his brief return to True Blood, Mr. Alejandro had just completed production of the pilot for ‘The Golden Boy’. When asked what attracted him to the role of Christian Arroyo, his answer was that the character was unlike any he had played before. The challenge is in making Christian likeable. Mr. Alejandro says this character is the most different from him, and contains less ‘Kevin’ than any part he’s played before.
While Mr. Alejandro’s Kickstarter project, “The Keepers’, didn’t reach its $30,000.00 funding goal by April 14th, we can hope that the balance of the required funding will be found somehow. This superhero based show was created by friends of Mr. Alejandro. They created a two-minute trailer to generate interest, and continue to try to secure funding.
If the writers of True Blood can find a way to bring Jesus back, Mr. Alejandro would be happy to return, and we’d be equally thrilled to have him.
Well, Kevin Alejandro may no longer be gracing the True Blood screen as Lafayette’s (Nelsan Ellis) boyfriend, Jesus, but he is still a fan favorite! Recently, After Elton interviewed Alejandro about his upcoming role in CBS’s procedural drama, Golden Boy. In this show, Texan-born, Kevin plays a less than good boy role. Instead, he will be playing the role of a disgruntled detective! Golden Boy also stars Chi McBride, Bonnie Somerville and Holt McCallany.
While many of the questions After Elton asked revolved around this new role, there was still time for some True Blood moments with AE asking Kevin Alejandro about why he has never shied away from playing gay characters:
I grew up pretty open, with an open family and…it’s weird coming from a small west Texas town… nonjudgmental. They never really even cared about that. It was never an issue for me. The biggest challenge was my idea of intimacy…How do I make that intimacy look legitimately real when the person I’m kissing back has stubble?’ How do I make it so believable that the audience believes it?
After Elton were also keen to know about what Kevin thought of the True Blood world in hindsight:
The project as a whole was amazing, and it’s still amazing. That was probably one of the most pivotal moves in my career…taking on that character just widened the audience support. The fans are truly there because they love you. No one’s there to really beat you up, and I got a real sense of real loyalty from fans through that show. I would go back if they asked me today.
And wouldn’t we love to see him back on True Blood!
AE also wanted to know if Kevin thought there was more to be discovered about the relationship between Jesus and Lafayette. While Kevin admitted there probably was more to tell, he was also the one who came up with the idea of Lafayette having to kill Jesus!
Contest: Enter “Cassadaga World Premiere Sweepstakes” for a Chance to Attend Red Carpet!
Truebies, here is your chance to attend a red carpet and meet Kevin Alejandro (Jesus Velasquez on True Blood). Here are the details of the “Cassadaga World Premiere Sweepstakes“, courtesy of prweb.com:
The lucky winner of the contest will receive 2 tickets to join the cast and filmmakers at the World Premiere screening of Cassadaga on Saturday, October 22 at 4:00pm. The Premiere event is part of the Screamfest Horror Film Festival and will take place at the Mann Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood, CA. Winners will also attend the exclusive movie after-party and get a personal meet & greet with Cassadaga cast members including KevinAlejandro, Kelen Coleman, director Anthony DiBlasi, and more. They will also receive an autographed Cassadaga poster. Sweepstakes ends on October 20, 2011 at 12:00pm PST. Fans can enter the sweepstakes through Cassadaga’s Facebook page or Twitter. Entrants can also enter by sending an email directly to cassadagatickets@gmail.com. All entries must include name, birth date, city of residence, email address, and a 2 sentence answer to the question “If you could attend a seance in Cassadaga, the Psychic Capital of the World, who would you contact and why?”
Let us know if you plan on seeing the movie by leaving a comment below.
Source: prweb.com– Fans Invited to Attend Cassadaga World Premiere
It’s not a foreign concept that the writers of HBO’s True Blood aren’t shy about racking up the body count during an episode. And the season four finale is nothing short of an extraordinary bloodbath. A number of reoccurring characters met their demise. Let’s take a look at them and remember their final moments.
Jesus Velasquez
Played by: Kevin Alejandro
On his character’s death, Kevin Alejandro said:
“I found out Jesus was going to die around the first episode, and they were really cool about it, like ‘This is nothing you did. Happy relationships are just boring.’ And they’re right- it makes for great drama. I think the final episode is going to be really touching.”
Nan Flanagan
Played by: Jessica Tuck
On her death scene, Jessica Tuck said:
“There ain’t no way back from the True Death. Plus, the one good thing about being shown the True Death is that when you squirt with blood, you’re not the one who gets covered with it- it’s everyone that’s in your way. Stephen Moyer drove a stake through my heart, but I then got him back by just covering him in gooey blood.”
Debbie Pelt
Played by: Brit Morgan
On her death scene, Brit Morgan said:
“…It was so cool because I got to fire a real gun, and they had my brains on the wall with Debbie’s hair in it…Plus every time Anna [Paquin] and I get to fight, it’s just awesome- a punch, a fall. It’s by far the most fun I’ve ever had.”
Tara Thorton
Played by: Rutina Wesley
On her death scene, Rutina Wesley said:
“Shooting that scene was very hard and emotional. I think everybody on set shed a tear that day; it was really tough to get through. When you see someone that you’ve lived with and breathed with for four years come to some kind of end, it’s very powerful- and sad. It’s really hard to play dead when you’re about to cry.”
TNT announced their fall/winter schedule will also contain original movies. Two of these movies star some True Blood cast members.
The first movie stars Mariana Klaveno (True Blood’s Lorena Krasiki) and is titled Innocent, which is a sequel to Scott Turow’s bestseller Presumed Innocent. This movie is written and directed by Mike Robe. Frank von Zerneck and Robe are executive producers.
The movie also stars Bill Pullman as Rusty Sabich, a judge who is charged with murdering his wife, 20 years after the death of his mistress. Marcia Gay Harden plays Rusty’s wife and Alfred Molina plays his friend and defense attorney. Richard Schiff and Callard Harris also star. The movie airs Tuesday, November 29, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT).
The next movie stars Kevin Alejandro (True Blood’s Jesus Velasquez). It is titled Hide and airs Tuesday, December 6, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT). The movie is based on Lisa Gardner’s book. The screenplay, however, is written by Janet Brownell. John Gray directs and it is executive-produced by Stephanie Germain.
The movie also stars Carla Gugino who plays Boston Police Detective D.D. Warren, who is called in to investigate a buried chamber found in a disused mental hospital, which results in mummified bodies being discovered! The movie also stars Mark-Paul Gosselaar.
Nelsan Ellis is a difficult actor to place. People have been telling him this his entire career: “I just don’t know how to sell you”. That problem has ended with his portrayal of Lafayette, as the Julliard graduate has shown the world exactly where he belongs — in Bon Temps. Ellis differs from his True Blood character- he is straight and (obviously) doesn’t prostitute himself or sell vamp blood. Ellis describes where in his life he draws inspiration for Lafayette:
“He comes out of my anger, my pain, the femininity that’s in me from watching my mother, and my masculinity. He comes out of me. That’s hopefully how I make him human.”
Ellis did such an astounding job of playing Lafayette that it quickly became obvious to Alan Ball that he had to modify Lafayette’s original fate set out in the Charlaine Harris series — death. When asked Alan Ball admits:
“I knew the first day of working with him that Lafayette couldn’t die, because Nelsan is such an extraordinary actor and presence… I wasn’t going to let that go.”
Nelsan Ellis reveals that Lafayette will discover a new power this season and that Jesus (Kevin Alejandro) will have to help him deal with this ‘gift’. When pressed for more details Ellis would only respond: “Exploring new territory is fun”. He has more to say, however, about True Blood fans. Though he is grateful to them for their support of the show, Ellis is often overwhelmed by the ‘freakiest’ of fans. Ellis says he feels indebted to the fans,
“But I don’t want to sign boobs, you know? Or be propositioned.”
Not everyone in Ellis’ life is an enthusiastic fan of True Blood. The actor says his father, a Christian deacon and conservative, will “support me in his own way”. He turns on the show to give Ellis the ratings, but won’t watch. Ellis explains:
“This type of material – the violence, profanity, nudity, sexuality – was never allowed in his house.”
Ellis discusses the difficulties in playing an openly gay African American and as such, was especially honored to receive a nomination earlier this year for an NAACP Image Award. Nelsan Ellis said about this award:
“Traditionally, homosexuality is something the African-American community doesn’t deal with well…It [NAACP Image Award] made me happy because I thought maybe they did this on the merit of the work, you know what I mean?”
Nelsan Ellis is also very passionate about domestic violence. When he was a student at Juilliard his sister was murdered by her husband. He has used this trauma in his acting and also in writing a play, “Ugly” which he has adapted into a screenplay and now hopes that HBO will do stating: “Domestic violence is an epidemic in this country.”
What questions would you like to ask Lafayette? Are you inspired by Nelsan Ellis’ story? Leave your comments and questions in the section below!
Photographed by Entertainment Weekly at Comic-Con 2011:
True Blood actors were definitely a hit at the recent 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego. Even Entertainment Weekly had its eyes and ears there to catch all the action and the HOT stars of HBO’s vampire hit show.
The ensemble below consists of: Creator and executive producer AlanBall, Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam), AlexanderSkarsgård (Eric), KevinAlejandro (Jesus), and NelsanEllis (Lafayette).
The first solo picture that was shown in a recent online article is none other than Anna Paquin, who plays a bubbly girl-next-door waitress, with a knack for getting the attention of every supernatural in Louisiana, Sookie Stackhouse — which I might add is quite a few!
Next is Paquin’s super sexy husband, Stephen Moyer. He plays the sensitive vampire, Bill Compton, who since the very first episode has been a very big part of Sookie’s life. This picture of him looks wonderful. His dark hair has red undertones which really brings out his beautiful eyes. I can see why Paquin wants to wake up to his face every morning.
Rutina Wesley has always looked great throughout the last four seasons, but I feel like something about her this season has made her beauty completely stand out. Maybe it has something to do with her character Tara Thornton “dipping into the lady pond.” Tara has always been Sookie’s best friend and even though there have been some blow ups, I still believe these two will come out on top.
Deborah Ann Woll has quickly become True Blood’s hottest vampire. She came on the scene during season 2, and has been turning heads ever since. While she plays a young vampire created by her maker Bill Compton, her ice blue eyes tell you she is ready to take charge. Her character Jessica has become a recent love interest of Hoyt, but it seems Hoyt may have some competition from someone who is very close to him.
Ryan Kwanten is definitely the little brother that all of us wish our best friend had. This Aussie has stolen our hearts since his first scene as Jason Stackhouse. In this picture, you can see that one of his favorite pastimes is hitting the gym!
Last but certainly not least, is the man I wouldn’t mind waking up next to! Alexander Skarsgård plays the Viking vampire Eric Northman. He has not so patiently been biding his time for the attention of Sookie Stackhouse. It looks like he’s gotten what he’s been wishing for, just remember that old saying: “be careful what you wish for”.
Don’t they all look amazing, Truebies?
Source: EW.com– Comic-Con 2011 Star Portraits: Day 2
The Cast and Alan Ball Answer Moderator and Audience Questions:
The True Blood cast came out on stage at Comic–Con to rousing applause and it’s clear from these videos, there were many die-hard fans in the room. Many spoilers were announced and teasers were uncovered. The panel included: Anna Paquin (Sookie), Stephen Moyer (Bill), Ryan Kwanten (Jason), Rutina Wesley (Tara), Alexander Skarsgård (Eric), Kevin Alejandro (Jesus), Kristin Bauer (Pam), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica), and AlanBall.
A few juicy bits gleamed from these videos:
Rutina Wesley “secretly loves the UFC”.
When an audience member asked if Eric will remember his time with Sookie, Alan replied: “I feel like that’s too much to give away…no, yes, maybe” Of course, the one question we all wanted answered!
When asked if there was any hope for Bill and Sookie the audience started to cheer, but it quickly turned to boos.
Anna takes you through the “sausage party” that consisted of her, Joe and Alexander filming the scene at the lake – minus the clothes for the men.
The panel is asked what their favorite parts of the season have been so far – some answers might surprise you!
The Comic-Con panel contains actors from many nations and it’s apparent when the audience starts asking questions that they are just as multinational.
My favorite question of the night was to Alexander Skarsgård: “What in his (Eric’s) history created such a straight up badass?”
The most interesting bit of news came from an audience member who asked if the show keeps up the pace it has with the books (a book a season). How long will this show stay on the air? Alan’s response: “As we get further down the road less and less, this season is based on the book…I think the show has a tremendous amount of life. I hope to get to the point where it becomes a problem for us in the writers room why the vampires are aging.”
Noticable absences were Sam Trammell home expecting his baby twins, and Joe Manganiello who is working on a film project.
There is so much more to see in these videos. Check them out and tell us what questions you would have asked, or what answer you would have liked to hear!
Wow! I went to PaleyFest 2011’s True Blood panel, and I’m still blown away by how amazing it was! It felt like the entire cast was there (all major characters were well represented), including the brains behind the show, Alan Ball. I should also mention that this Paley Fest panel actually took place at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, rather than at the actual Paley Center, which has far fewer seats.
The panel started late, and opened with a clip package from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Those of us in the audience who are/were Buffy fans cheered and clapped at this, since it can be argued that True Blood is the vampire show that took Buffy’s place on television and in film history. Afterwards, Alan came back to the podium to share a special clips package from True Blood seasons 1, 2, 3, and a special unfinished clip from season 4! The clip featured Jessica, Pam, Hoyt, and followers from the Fellowship of the Sun who were protesting in front of Fangtasia. Hoyt was a good boyfriend and defended himself, Jessica, and their relationship to the protesters. He told them that he felt he was a better Christian than they were because of the love in his heart, rather than the hatred. It was a beautiful scene, and I can’t wait to see the finished version when Season 4 finally begins this summer!
Right after that, the panel and it’s attendees were announced. My ears are still ringing from all the cheering for the cast! As shown in order in the photo below, there are 18 total people on stage. From left to right, they are: the moderator of the panel, Alan Ball, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton), Alexander Skarsgard (Eric Northman), Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton), Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), Marshall Allman (Tommy Mickens), Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse), Chris Bauer (Andy Bellefleur), Carrie Preston (Arlene Fowler), Todd Lowe (Terry Bellefleur), Jim Parrack (Hoyt Fortenberry), Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hamby), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds), Kevin Alejandro (Jesus Velasquez), Kristin Bauer van Straten (Pam de Beaufort), and Joe Manganiello (Alcide Herveaux). Please click on the image of the cast to see a larger, cleaner version.
A majority of the panel focused on basic questions and answers, though lots of detail came out about the stars, their characters, and the future of True Blood. One of my favorite moments was when the actors all shared about their most embarrassing/awkward fan encounters, and Joe once again shared his story about a fan who asked him to lick her. Though the debacle has been shared before, the way in which Joe presented it had the audience groaning, laughing, and in my case, blushing furiously while trying not to laugh. Another favorite was Chris Bauer’s story, which ended up being a case of someone who didn’t recognize him, but instead told him that he had bird excrement on his back while at lunch with his wife. The audience howled at the story!
The story that I most appreciated came from Anna Paquin, and it wasn’t so much of a story as an experience she’s had several times over. Anna described how amused she is by fans who come over to say hi to her and Stephen Moyer, only to ogle Stephen and then pretend to be interested in Anna as well. Anna made the audience smile appreciatively after saying that she totally understands and is actually pretty okay with fans ogling her husband.
Several spoilers were spilled, and a couple of my favorites were very minor. When the moderator asked each actor who they hadn’t worked with yet but wanted to, Rutina and Kristin said that Tara and Pam should meet. Alan Ball confirmed that Sookie’s best friend and Eric’s right hand woman will meet in Season 4. The audience was ecstatic from the news and the cheers echoed quite a bit in the theatre! Once confirmed, Rutina and Kristin looked at each other and smiled.
Another spoiler I liked came from a question about what animals will be seen in Season 4. Of course, some are obvious, like dogs, wolves, and a few panthers. One that’s not so common? An alligator. When Alan confirmed that particular new creature, I was stunned to say the least. It leaves me curious as to why it might be important to the series.
One other comment made in the panel really made me think. When a fan asked if Bill and Sookie are still soul mates after everything that’s happened, the response was yes, but it will take a long time for them to get back together. While continuing to answer the question, Alan referred to Bill’s actions against Sookie as a “perceived” betrayal. That definitely leaves the show open to possibly have a flashback where we see what happened from Bill’s point of view, rather than just seeing what happened to Sookie and her take on it.
Aother sort-of non spoiler was about Jessica and Hoyt. We knew their relationship wouldn’t be easy (which was shown by that special clip aired at the panel), but I’ll be very upset if anything happens to them. I find them to be one of my favorite couples on True Blood, and they’re just so cute together!
Of course, a lot more was said, with hints for fans to not expect to see Niall yet (my fingers are remaining crossed that David Bowie will somehow play the part), more clues about Arlene’s evil baby, new shifters on the horizon, and some very important wiccans. Season 4 is going to be awesome!
To get a bit of a feel of what the panel was really like, check out this video clip that the Paley Center posted on their website:
Anyways, after the panel closed, fans rushed the stage to talk to the stars and get autographs. I became trapped in the throng, which was quite uncomfortable, but I did get to talk to Carrie Preston about her film That’s What She Said and tell her how excited I am to see it when it comes out. I also spoke to Todd Lowe as well as Alexander Skarsgard for a moment (he was very sweet to everyone and stayed later than almost all of the stars who were signing). Just when I figured that I couldn’t have any more luck, Sam Trammell came over and I got to speak with him as well!
As always, I came with gifts for a few members of the cast, but I was unable to deliver them to the stars by hand. Instead, one of the people at HBO took them from me and handed them out backstage. Kristin Bauer confirmed that she got my gifts, so I hope that everyone else did too.
I gave Kristin a pillow I created that was inspired by her character, Pam. (Though you can’t see it, the actual pillow within is made of a black fabric with silver spider webs on it in honor of Pam’s tough-as-nails-persona. The pink case is in honor of Pam’s favorite color.) I also gave Kristin a t-shirt I’d made previously that says Ravenscroft/Stackhouse 2012 on the front and ‘Pam for President’ on the back. (At the time I made the shirt, Pam’s last name had not been changed.) I also created a similar shirt for Anna, which says ‘Sookie for VP’ on the back. The final gift I brought was for Alan Ball. He too got a pillow, but that one was directly inspired by True Blood.
Kristin Bauer van Straten’s Pillow
Alan Ball’s Pillow
The True Blood panel at Paley was absolutely fantastic, and I still can’t believe I was lucky enough to get to go!
The men of True Blood have a certain standard; gorgeous, fit, and easy on the eyes. Kevin Alejandro (Jesus Velasquez) is already gorgeous and easy on the eyes but he’s taking extra steps to stay fit for season 4. Of course it helps to have a little incentive too. Kevin recently spoke to Access Hollywood and he told them that there is pressure to get into shape, especially when you have to share the screen with someone like Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse). But it does help to be in the same boat together right?
All of the men on True Blood whether witch, human,shape shifter, werewolf, or vampire have had to bare some skin if not more during the course of the show. In fact Alejandro revealed that he and several other cast members have been doing workouts together from time to time. It’s nice to know that the cast supports each other like that!
It also helps to have a supportive environment as well. When asked about getting naked, the actor stated that he would be very comfortable doing so because everyone on set is very professional and when it’s time for the scene only the people who need to be there are there.
What’s Coming in Season 4?
Of course, Kevin couldn’t get away with just talking about staying in shape. With season 4 of True Blood coming up very soon, Access Hollywood couldn’t resist asking about what’s to come for Jesus. Especially now that he’s with fan favorite Lafayette played by Nelsan Ellis. Of their relationship, he says:
“My relationship [will grow] with not only him but other characters in show as well. They are really moving us around and balancing it out in all these crazy, strange ways and it works, man. It works really well this year.”
Jesus will certainly have no shortage of interactions this year seeing as he is a witch! But besides True Blood, the actor has been busy working on a new film entitled “Red State” by director Kevin Smith. The film is slated to debut October 19th.
So mark your calendars and be sure to catch Kevin this June in True Blood!
Source: Access Hollywood– “Kevin Alejandro Beefs Up For Bewitching Role On ‘True Blood’”
Spoiler alert! If you are not caught up with TNT‘s Southland, please stop reading!
Kevin Alejandro, the actor known to us for playing nurse/witch Jesus on HBO‘s True Blood, has made a major career choice. A choice which resulted in his Southland character’s being tragically killed in last week’s episode. This came as a big shock to fans, who had come to love Detective Nate Moretta.
AccessHollywood.com had a chance to interview the actor, and find out what went down. He begins by sharing some Southland background:
“As you know, [‘Southland’] kind of went through a rocky road with NBC… We got picked up our first season and then we got picked up for a bigger season and they cancelled us after we shot our sixth episode that we aired — we kind of spun around not knowing what was going on during that hiatus [prior to being picked up by TNT].”
He proceeded to land the role of JesusVelasquez on TrueBlood, and tried his best to work both jobs. But in the end, True Blood won out. The strain of working on both TV shows proved to be too much, as he explains:
“Towards the end of ‘Southland,’ I was three days at ‘Southland,’ two days at ‘True Blood,’ just going back and forth, back and forth. Productions were really cool about working it out and making it happen, but ‘True Blood’ is such a crazy, crazy schedule.”
Choosing to leave Southland meant the writers had to come up with a way to say goodbye to Detective Moretta. He ended up getting struck on the back of the head, by a gangster — which was sadly inspired by a true story. The method of his departure doesn’t bother him, as he says:
“I thought it was an amazing way to go out. It was so unexpected and that’s the way life is. You never know, and it happened that quick — in four seconds you’re done.”
TV audiences were no doubt shocked and saddened, but can hopefully be appeased by watching Kevin on True Blood. Let’s hope Alan Ball decides to keep him around for a good long while! Lafayette deserves love too, no?
Did you catch this episode of Southland? What did you think? Are you looking forward to more Jesus action on True Blood?
Source: accesshollywood.com – Kevin Alejandro Reveals Reasons Behind His Shocking ‘Southland’ Departure
Jesus is Back for Season Four and he is Planning to Get Ripped
Kevin Alejandro, who played Jesus Velasquez in Season 3 of HBO’s True Blood, will be back again for Season 4. This time he tells AccessHollywood.com he is planning to have a body that matches that of fellow actor, Ryan Kwanten.
I’m sharing the screen with somebody like Ryan Kwanten. We all look within ourselves for inspiration [to lose weight, get fit] but he’s obviously the poster boy of a physique.
He has joined a few fellow cast members, including Ryan, in P90X training, which is an intense regime that claims a ripped body can be gained in 90 days. While some actors feel uncomfortable getting naked for the camera, Alejandro was quoted as saying that he would be “comfortable” to lose his gear. Which is something that True Blood fans will, no doubt, be looking forward to in the next season.
As for what is coming up in Season 4, Alejandro has a few things to say about his character, Jesus, and his interaction with other Bon Temps characters:
My relationship [will grow] with not only him (LaFayette Reynolds, who is played by Nelsan Ellis) but other characters in the show as well. They are really moving us around and balancing it out in all these crazy, strange ways and it works, man. It works really well this year.
As well as appearing in True Blood, Alejandro can also be seen in the upcoming movie, Red State. This controversial movie has been a long time coming for director Kevin Smith, but Alejandro seems to think that it is well worth the wait.
Red State is [Kevin Smith’s] baby. It’s been around for a long time and he finally got it done — I can understand why he wants to cradle it. I think it’s awesome of him to take the initiative and try something new.
Well, it looks like a busy year for Kevin, but we can’t wait to see him this summer in True Blood. Red State will be released in October 2011.
Mexican American actor Kevin Alejandro, better known to us as Lafayette’s (Nelsan Ellis) new flame, Jesus Velasquez on HBO‘s True Blood, recently spoke to Latina Magazine. The main topic was his other TV show, TNT’sSouthland, but he also gave a little True Blood tease.
On Southland, Kevin plays Detective Nate Moretta, who he admires for being “real” and “a family man”. Having a family himself, he can relate. He enjoys playing his character, because he likens him to a hero — he has great admiration for all police officers and detectives, therefore he feels, “It’s like I get to play a super hero”.
When asked for his thoughts on why the majority of the criminals on the show are Latino or Black, he explains that for the most part, the stories are true. He sees it as a good thing that real police officers and detectives contribute to the show. They are simply remaking or re-enacting actual events, things that are happening in the world right now, with just a little bit of fabricating thrown in for entertainment’s sake. The ethnicity of the people involved is neither here nor there, but certainly not intended to mean anything.
Coming up in this third season of Southland, Kevin says audiences will get to see more of his family, and get pulled into his character’s development. There’s a lot going on, and he foresees some interesting storylines. The audience will not be disappointed.
Now for the True Blood dish! When asked whether Jesus will be back on the show, he replies:
“Absolutely! Jesus is definitely back. It’s kind of a big season for myself, as well. I’m a witch and this is the season of the witches. I think it’s called the Witches Reign. You’ll see a lot of me. We pick up where we leave off with that true True Blood style. It’s sexy, mysterious, and all kinds of fun.”
That’s more like it. Jesus has definitely charmed us Truebies and we can’t wait to see more of him, can we?
Source: latina.com – Kevin Alejandro on ‘Southland’: “Most of the stories that you see are true”
Kevin Alejandro (Jesus Velasquez) is quite the busy man it seems. The man behind the character responsible for stealing the heart of Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) is also a series regular on the TNT show Southland. The series, which is set to premiere its third season on January 4th, has our favorite caretaker taking on a different role, this time as LA detective Nate Moretta. According to the show’s website, the character is a detective in the gangs unit, was a private in the army, and is married with three children.
The website Daemon’s TV.com has posted pictures from the premiere episode of the season and I must say it’s a nice change to see Alejandro in a different role from what we’ve seen in True Blood. The photos featuring the actor in episode one are also posted here. Click the source link below for more episode stills. Kevin also made several appearances on the NBC show Parenthood in the first half of the 2010-2011 TV season.
But fear not truebies! Jesus will be in Bon Temps full time during season four according to IMDb. So who knows what kind of trouble the character, who revealed himself to be a witch last season, will find himself in during this upcoming season. However, if you can’t wait to see more of the charming Kevin Alejandro, be sure to check out Southland!
True Blood‘s Kevin Alejandro (Jesus Velasquez) is on the cover of of BELLO Mag, Issue #20, along with a smoking hot photo spread and an in-depth, candid interview in which he credits the love and support of his family, wife and friends for the fact that he is living his ‘dream life.’
He got here he says, by believing in ‘(dreaming) big and being persistent.’
Kevin’s life before Hollywood beckoned started in the small town of Synder in west-central Texas where he was born and raised. Despite his love of the California oceanside, he says he would love to one day have a ranch in the ‘Lone Star State‘. A home in New York and a small island in Costa Rica, where he and his wife were married, are also on his list of places he’d like to live.
James Dean Said It All:
The feature’s tag line for the Bello photo interview with Kevin is, ‘Rebel Without a Cause,’ which is a reference to two of Kevin’s favorite quotes from that most famous of rebels, the brainy but reckless actor James Dean. Here’s how Kevin describes his feelings about Dean’s philosophy:
Despite Kevin’s obvious respect for the late actor, his frequent profession of deep love for his wife and family and his desire to raise his son as he was raised, with ‘manners and respect for his elders,’ do belie the straight-shooting family man that he is.
A Sexy, Stylized Photo Spread:
A word about the photo spread. There’s something for everyone here. (Seen here in the online version). The photographs are stunningly sexy and gorgeous to look at and a number are highly stylized with Kevin dressed and posed to emulate James Dean’s well-known look offscreen and in the three films he made before dying in a high-speed, one-car auto accident. (Note: requires Adobe Flash)
Source: Bello Mag – BELLO MAG #20 (cover preview) – True Blood’s : Kevin Alejandro
Composer Nathan Barr and Kevin Alejandro Attend Charity Event:
The California Teachers Association and Equality California (EQCA) held a ‘Sunset Reception’ in gorgeous Laguna Beach, California recently. Topics of the reception included ‘better protecting youth and their rights.’
HBO’s True Blood composer Nathan Barr and actor Kevin Alejandro, who plays Jesus Velasquez on the hit series, attended the event.
We hope that both Barr and Alejandro had a great time while there, and we also thank them for supporting such a wonderful cause.
Source: Kintera.org– Sunset Reception with ‘True Blood’ Stars
We loved Kevin Alejandro as Jesus Velasquez in HBO’s True Blood. His chemistry with Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds) was delightful to watch, and his death left us saddened. While Mr. Alejandro’s return to True Blood was short-lived, we’re lucky that we get to see him each week as Christian Arroyo in ‘The Golden Boy’. Hopefully, his Kickstarter campaign will eventually achieve its funding goal and the superhero series, ‘The Keepers’, will make it into production.
