HBO has released a spoiler clip from this Sunday’s airing of Episode 11: “Fresh Blood” featuring Eric entering a museum to confront Russell Edgington and his current rampage. Now what does Ercic have up his sleeves now? Enjoy!
Tag Archives: Russell Edgington
Denis O’Hare Talks About His Shocking Scene
Denis O’Hare has shocked us to the core on last week’s episode of True Blood. Many of us are still reeling from last week’s episode where Denis O’Hare’s character, Russell Edgington, literally rips the spine out of a news anchor as he pleads to the country. Russell asks the viewers to understand that we are a food supply and he would be happy to eat us and our children. Then gives what has become easily the line of the season ““and now time for the weather….Tiffany?” Then Russell turns and gives viewers that award winning smile that we both love and hate at the same time. Denis says that merely minutes after the show aired he began getting texts from his friends who loved it and could do nothing but laugh. According to Denis, there is more where that came from,
“What I think is great about Russell — as opposed to other villains on other shows, other seasons — is that he’s not omnipotent. He’s got limits to his power; he’s got limits to his abilities. He’s not always rational; he can’t foresee everything. He doesn’t see things coming. He gets duped ‘cause he gets tricked by Eric. Eric appeals to his vanity, saying, ‘Oh, you’re the next great leader,’ and then he kills Talbot,” Denis explained. “So I love the fact that Russell’s got blind spots and the more unhinged he gets and the more angry he gets, the more sloppy he’s gonna get.”
Denis said that in order to prepare for his role he received dialect coaching and even took a self paid for trip to Mississippi to see the plantation where Russell lives. In the beginning, viewers watched Russell appear in clothes such as the riding pants, but lately he has stepped up his outfits, and now is being donned in Hugo Boss and Ted Baker. Even though we have not had the pleasure of seeing Denis drop his riding pants, he says that he is ready. He has picked up the very popular exercise program P90X, which has quite literally almost made him lose his breakfast.
“You know, I’ve gotten close.. During the ab routine, I was like, ‘This is not — I’ll just die!” he laughed.
As someone who has done this program, kudos to you Denis, it’s hard core.
He is also preparing for a run on September 11th – Hare & Tortoise Ovarian Cancer Run/Walk. The event will take place in Williamsburg, Va. This is very dear to him since it is put on by his father, John O’Hare, and is in honor of his mother, Karen, who passed away in 2008.
“I’m going to run the whole thing,” he said. “I work out pretty hard and I’ve definitely run in the past. I ride my bike everywhere… at least an hour a day. It’s not the same thing as running, but that’s how I get around New York. So I’m hoping I won’t make a fool of myself. I think I’ll be all right.”
Such an awesome feat and a very good cause! You will recall Denis O’Hare first mentioned to us about the Hare & Tortoise Ovarian Cancer Run/Walk in our exclusive interview with him. As we stated in the interview if you wish to learn more about the event please visit www.hareandtortoiserun.com
SOURCE: accesshollywood.com — Denis O’Hare on True Blood’s Most Shocking Scene & Playing An Unhinged Vampire King
(Photo credit – HBO Inc, screencap by James)
True Blood Season 3 Spoiler: Russell Edgington’s New Conquest
Since the loss of his beloved Talbot (Theo Alexander), Russell Edgington (Denis O’Hare) has become a changed vampire and seeks to conquest humans in more ways then one.
In Episode 10, “I Smell a Rat,” airing this Sunday night on HBO, Russell will encounter a male prostitute (played by Michael Steger) who looks very much like his Talbot.
Recently Zap2it was able to catch up with Michael and ask him about his role on True Blood.
“In ‘True Blood,’ [I play] this dark character, who’s trying to find himself and he has this messed up lifestyle. He’s a runaway. He doesn’t really have any friends. So, he’s pretty much a loner.”
“I had a great time working with Denis,” says Steger. “He’s such a generous actor. His character is mourning Talbot and he just can’t get over his death. And my character kind of resembles him and there’s a connection there.”
Only three more episodes left in season 3 and then the long wait for season 4. Instead of dwelling on that lets focus on the excitement that we are bound to experience in the remaining episodes of season 3 including as this clip proves.
SOURCE: Zap2it.com – ‘True Blood’ sneak peek: ‘90210’s’ Michael Steger catches Russell’s eye
VIDEO: Screencrave.com
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)
True Blood’s Joe Manganiello and Denis O’Hare Share Their Views
True Blood welcomed two actors to Comic Con this year. Joe Manganiello and Denis O’Hare were welcomed by fans and cast members to join them at what has become a True Blood tradition. The video below features both cast members as they discuss their time on the show. Denis O’Hare informs us that he was actually overseas when he first got the call and couldn’t believe, he actually had to sit down! Joe has said before in many interviews, that he was chosen by fans who blogged about choosing him to play Alcide.
After the last few episodes many of us are wondering where are we going from here? How does Russell deal with losing a love that he has had for over 700 years, will Sookie and Alcide ever get a chance? While both cast members choose their words very carefully, each talked a little on this season. Joe mainly said that while him and Sookie definitely have a spark they are both in such bad places in their lives. Denis says this season is a lot about lose and almost every character will lose something. Check out the below video to see the full interview.
Denis O’Hare Discusses The King Of Mississippi’s History
True Blood‘s Denis O’Hare, shared with Wired.com the concept behind the age, origins and history of the vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington and the amount of research that went into creating the character.
SOURCE: Wired.com
Denis O’Hare’s Insight into Playing Russell Edgington
Denis O’Hare plays Russell Edgington, one of the oldest and most dangerous vampires on True Blood; he’s ruthless and cunning as he extends his power throughout the continent. However, things have changed since his lover of over 700 years has been murdered. In his interview with Collider, Denis talks about how grief and vengeance will change the character for the remainder of season 3 and how his storyline is left open for him to wreak havoc in Season 4.
Denis was late to become a fan of True Blood. He’d heard the buzz, but was skeptic, given how much Hollywood has milked the vampire genre. However, he was a fan of Alan Ball and “Six Feet Under”, so he decided to check the show out, which was already eight episodes in. He watched the first four episodes on a bootleg video and couldn’t watch them fast enough. In fact, he called Time Warner after he watched the four episodes and had them give him HBO and HBO on Demand, so he could watch the rest of the season.
What more is that he didn’t have to audition for his part on the show. Instead, casting and the producers put out feelers for the King of Mississippi. While Denis was doing a movie in Budapest called “The Eagle of the Ninth”, which is coming out February 2011, his agent had called HBO and said that they should hire Denis. HBO thought it was a great idea.
After he agreed to take on the role of Russell Edgington, Denis did read two books in the Charlaine Harris series; he didn’t have a script, so he read the books that Russell was in. It seemed that the Russell in the book and the Russell Alan had in mind were alike and yet radically different. Denis says,
“I read about Russell and realized that, plot wise, it made a lot of sense, but character wise, they were totally different. I didn’t find it that helpful for me because we were doing a different thing, so I let it go…When you’re creating a character, you’re looking for information. Russell, in the books, was not well-developed. He wasn’t an interest of Charlaine’s, whereas he was an interest for Alan…they obviously wanted Russell to be powerful, from the beginning. They’ve given him a lot of plot driving. He’s a major plot-driver for the season. He doesn’t necessarily get what he wants or control it the way he thinks he’s going to control it, but it’s fascinating.”
When it came to creating Russell for the cameras, Denis and Alan collaborated to create a very powerful vampire. The first thing Alan told Denis was that Russell was a Southern gentlemen and had to have an accent; furthermore, he was very charming and very deadly. This was all Denis needed to start forming the character. Denis reveals,
“He’s 2,800 years old, so his name is not Russell Edgington. I know what his name is. I can’t tell you, but he’s got another name. He’s from a different place and he spoke many different languages before he landed in America and started speaking English. If you were a vampire before the Revelation, you had to hide, so he would fit in and adapt to the culture, adopt a new name and take on their accent and language. But, who he really is, is somebody much deeper and darker. In the show, sometimes I’ll come out with a German dialect. That’s one of his personas that he had the longest. His real identity is an ancient Celt who was a druid Pagan from the Carpathian mountains, but he probably lived in Middle Europe from about 300 or 400 A.D. until about 1300 A.D., so his language would have been a Germanic form. He’s had this massive history. It’s hilarious.”
How does Denis identify with a being that’s been alive for so long, and who has so much history? For Denis, it’s about where the mind drifts when a character is sitting alone or looking out the window. For being dead, Russell has a passion for life. He has so many plans and ideas as to what he wants to do with his future. To achieve all of this, he protects himself at all times.
He also wants someone he can trust and talk to, but it’s quite difficult to find that. His home is filled with vampires and weres, but none of them truly know the vampire king. In episode 9 and 10, Russell is stripped of his protective covering and is exposed emotionally. He loses his composure. Episode 9 and onward, Russell changes; he loses that Southern charm and reverts back to his Pagan self. More importantly, he becomes even more dangerous than before.
The change is apparent in his appearance as well. The king’s fans know that he dresses in incredible clothes. He wears Ted Baker, Vervatos, Versace, and Hugo Boss. However, by the end of the season he looks very different. His beautiful home takes a different turn as well.
With the introduction of Russell, also came the introduction of werewolves. In real life, Denis loves wolves. He reveals that the wolves are very skiddish; they’re not dangerous, but they are high strung. He did get to meet them between scenes and he admits they’re freaky; they aren’t dogs, but smart wild animals. Because actual wolves are so sensitive, True Blood worked with hybrid wolves: half dog/half wolf. Wolves can be trained, but they don’t need humans like dogs do. Denis sees them as smart and incredible animals.
Denis has spent his time on True Blood around wolves and horses. His first scene on True Blood was on horse back. The time he spent with the animals was something he enjoyed very much.
He may have had fun with the wolves and the horses, but what about the fangs? Everyone has a different experience with their fangs. For Denis,
“I would say that I wasn’t a genius and I wasn’t a failure. Everyone wants to be the person where everyone goes, “Wow, you’re so good!” People were like, “Yeah, you’re going to have to come in and do some ADR and looping on your S-es.” They’re not impossible, but you want clarity. When you’re acting, I don’t think about how I’m going to talk. I want to just think about what I’m doing, so inevitably words get blurred, here and there.
If an audience doesn’t understand a word, it’s not good. They have to understand every single word. You don’t want the audience straining. So, you do a lot of fang work to clear up the dialogue. Of course, we have to say things like Sookie Stackhouse. That’s hard to say anyway, let alone with the fangs in your mouth. They also can hurt. They can pierce your lip. They’re very, very, very sharp, so you have to be very careful about it.”
There are a lot of fangs being used right now. The vampire genre has always been popular, but it seems to be in overdrive. For Denis, who is 48, vampires have been interesting to him since he was 6. Being born in 1962, Denis has experienced a few vampire obsessions. He experienced Bela Lugosi, Frank Langella on Broadway in Dracula, Anne Rice’s vampires and now Charlaine’s vampires that revolve around synthetic blood and human-vampire interactions.
Being a part of the vampire craze has pushed Denis into the spotlight a lot more than he’s used to. He’s been acting for a long time and he’s cherished his anonymity. He was only recognized once a week or so; however, at Comic Con 2010, he was recognized more than he’d ever been as an actor. He says he’s lucky because he isn’t Stephen Moyer or Alexander Skarsgard; he can continue to live a normal life.
Denis definitely agrees that True Blood is the adult alternative when it comes to the vampire craze. He did see Twilight and saw it as the passionate and chaste vampire story, which True Blood is not.
It seems that everyone on True Blood has been nude or is getting a nude scene. There is no sexism when it comes to the nudity. There’s been a lot of male nudity in Season 3 and so much more as the season progresses. Even Russell gets half nude.
Fans may hate Russell, but Denis doesn’t. In his eyes, he can’t judge Russell. Every character views the world in his own way and thinks that they are seeing it correctly–that is, the way they view the world is the right way to view it. Russell has valid reasons for everything he does. His ancient morality, and his principles may collide with others. Russell views himself not as a cruel being but as a guardian of older values.
With a character like Russell, an actor runs the risk of going over the top. However, Denis thinks that one can go over the top as long as it’s grounded in real emotion. People in real life have over the top emotions when reacting to big events. For him it’s a fun challenge.
There are a lot of challenges Denis faces when portraying Russell. He loves playing such a powerful vampire, but he’s also blind to certain things. There are limitations to his power; the challenge was to try and find out those limitations. He isn’t a mind reader and people can fool him. He sleeps during the day and his security isn’t the smartest wolves in the pack. He’s powerful, but not all powerful.
What helps is the other actors. Being the new guy on the set doesn’t mean being shunned. Everyone is considered an equal. The True Blood cast is generous and loving. The cast is very serious working and don’t fool around to fool around. When they do have fun and goof off, it’s because they deserve it.
An actor Denis has worked very closely with on the show is Theo Alexander, who plays the king’s husband Talbot. Both actors met before they started shooting on set to create the history between Russell and Talbot. They became comfortable with one another; moreover, they had to have complete authority over one another. They had to be able to portray a 700 years old relationship. Both Denis and Theo put in the time to really form a bond and on screen it’s apparent.
While True Blood is on hiatus, “Eagle of the Ninth” will be coming out. Denis worked with director Kevin MacDonald on the historical movie. Based on an English novel, a young man sets out to figure out his father’s role in the disappearance of the 9th legion of the Roman legion in 140 A.D. Joining him in the film are Channing Tatum and Donald Sutherland.
Denis is a history buff; the movie allows him to play a Roman soldier, who kills people and is in the midst of battle. He loves experiencing things, he’s never done before. In the movie he takes on a mentors role for Tatum, rides a horse, sword fights, and does it all in beautiful Budapest.
It’s important for Denis to find roles that allow him new and different experiences. He doesn’t want to be type-cast. He wants to shake up and surprise, not only the audience, but himself as well. However, that doesn’t mean Denis has ended his exploration of Russell; it seems that Season 3 leaves Russell‘s storyline open for him to return.
SOURCE: collider.com
(Photo Credit: HBO Inc.)
Denis O’Hare Delights in his Role as Russell Edgington on True Blood
Season 3 of True Blood has brought us a gang of villains, the most evil and entertaining being Russell Edgington played by Denis O’Hare. During Comic-Con 2010, Rebecca Murray from About.com snagged an interview with the King of Mississippi and was able to learn more about his character.
One of the first things Denis says about his character on True Blood is that evil is subjective. The character he is portraying has a goal and is very set to that goal; if anyone is gets in his way, they must be recruited or eliminated. On playing this powerful vampire Denis admits,
“it’s fantastic. I have a scene coming up where someone attacks me and I kind of like shrug my shoulder and they go flying into the ceiling. That was a riot to do. I love that. I got to give a look…I kind of gave a little irritated look.”
Aside from the physical demands of the show, the dialogue is also unique. The problem Denis faces with conveying the dialogue is saying it with his fangs in. However, the lines are beautiful and he cites the reason for this as the writers: Alan Ball, Alex Woo, Bucky [Buckner], and Nancy Oliver. For Denis there is a mixture of humor and philosophy in the words as well as a lot of heart. Apparently there is a fantastic scene in episode 10 that’s so heartbreaking that Denis couldn’t get the lines out. The beauty of the words, of the scene, kept him almost speechless. When asked who the scene was with, Denis simply said it was with a rent person.
It seems that everyone on the set is committed to the show as much as the writers and the actors. Denis happily remarks that everyone on the set is friendly and make you feel comfortable. He says,
“Everyone is a team and everyone kind of takes care of you. Joe Manganiello’s done this, you’re wearing a little tiny jockstrap or whatever, and I had my days. I was wearing a little tiny jockstrap and everyone’s totally cool. Everyone makes you feel normal as you’re running around and jumping in and out of these beds. So they’re fantastic people.”
It seems that True Blood fans will see more of Russell Edgington this season than fans of the books have ever seen. Denis believes that they’ve taken the fun and flippant character of the book and have expanded him into a powerful plot mover.
The fans of the books and the show have embraced Russell and Denis. Denis jokes about it, but says he’s never had people yell at him–beside his mother. He seems amazed that people are actually screaming for him. He admits its fun, though a little terrifying. Though the fans aren’t sure at first if it’s really the King of Mississippi they’re encountering, given he isn’t wearing the wig he puts on the for the show. He tries walking away while fans rack they’re brains, but like good fans they realize who he is and he is gracious enough to take photos with them.
Fans love vampires and the supernatural. Because of this, Denis has played some bizarre and crazy supernatural/scifi characters, but Russell ranks up there with the most bizarre. But what’s the fascination? Denis reveals,
“Because they’re not all about one thing. They are multi-layered and complicated so they may be a vampire, but they have emotional lives. They have fears. They have wants, they have needs, and they are not all bad or all good. They’re flawed like anybody else. They get tricked. They fall in love. They get infatuated. I think in this season I kind of get infatuated at least twice with two different characters – major characters – who then betray me. So it’s a very human thing in a lot of ways. I love that.”
This is only a small gem of the funny and wonderful things Denis said about True Blood.
SOURCE: video.about.com
(Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
Denis O’Hare’s True Blood Experience at Comic-Con 2010
“Well it’s definitely overwhelming but good-natured–sort of like Mardi Gras meets a science fair.” That’s how Denis O’Hare describes his experience at San Diego Comic-Con 2010. The actor was welcomed with open arms by the True Blood-loving crowd because of his scene-stealing turn in Season 3 as the manipulative Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington. Denis did an interview with the blog SieWorld in which he offers his reflections on the convention.
Like many actors who play vampires, Denis did in fact have a “biting” experience. A security woman stopped him and Kristin Bauer van Straten on their way up to a rooftop party:
“[She] asked for badges or bracelets and just as things were threatening to get officious, she suddenly screamed, I mean screamed and was like, “Oh My GOD!!!! It’s Pam and the KING! She let us in the party and then we took a series of pictures with her and her friends and she directed us to bite her friend’s neck. Which we promptly did.”
As someone who is used to being around theater people (who are probably a little tamer in their affection), Denis seemed pleased by the level of passion from True Blood fans but also a little unnerved, feeling like lots of people in the crowd knew who he was. He was stopped often, but he says that everyone was very respectful.
When Denis mentions some of the True Blood swag he got, he says that his boyfriend, Hugo, was given a “VILF” shirt:
JS: Uh…”Vampires In Love Finally”?
Denis: Ooooooh, you are so pure of heart. Think MILF.
JS: I forgot what MILF stands for, too.
Denis: “Vampires I’d Like To…”
JS: Got it. Got it. Moving on.
As a fan of sci-fi himself, Denis was happy to go to the various parties and meet some of the people he’s admired, such as Mirina Sirtis, Levar Burton, and others from Star Trek: Next Generation.
His favorite part of the weekend: the True Blood panel.
“I had a really good time with the cast. The panel was a trip. Coming out into that room where 5,000 people are screaming and applauding and laughing… that was sort of a once in a lifetime moment.”
To sum it up, Denis describes Comic-Con in three words: “Freaky. Fantasy. Frolic.”
To read the complete interview click here.
SOURCE: sieworld.blogspot.com
(Photo courtesy of Denis O’Hare)
King of Mississippi Talks to Fangoria Magazine at Comic-Con 2010
Fangoria Magazine recently caught up with Denis O’Hare who portrays the Vampire King of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, on True Blood, at Comic Con 2010. The interview starts off with Russell being asked what viewers can expect from The King in season 3. We have already seen part of the King‘s intentions with wanting to be betrothed to the Queen of Louisiana, Sophie-Anne, his association with werewolves, and his blatant disgust for humans and authority.
Denis explains that Russell has done some crazy things thus far on season 3 but also explains that vampire morals are very different from human morals. He likes his characters association with the werewolves because he thinks they have a different attitude about how the different creatures should unite and interact. Denis also explains that Russell knows he needs to increase his power base and that is why he has decided to take on Sophie-Anne as his bride.
Denis was then asked about his character’s progression with over taking Bill Compton and acquiring Bill into his state. Denis explains that everyone has their own agendas and goals. Russell‘s goal is to be honest with people and to have them be honest to him in return. When they fail to do that then he has to figure out what he is going to do with them. At this point Denis explains that Bill Compton is a lot of things, but right now he is useful – time will only tell how long he remains useful to the King and his agenda.
Denis was also asked about Eric on the show and how viewers are seeing Eric‘s history unfold and it seems that Russell might be a big part of that history. Denis explains that there is way more history to come and we will be seeing more of that as the season progresses. Denis also explains that there are so many great stories to tell and an endless amount of possibilities.
Denis ended the interview by saying that we can expect HUGE twists and storylines to go crazy starting in episode 7 and that everything will explode by episode 9. Denis definitely has my curiosity peaked now – I can hardly wait to see what happens! One thing I know though is you can guarantee the King of Mississippi will have his hands all over it! Stay tuned!
SOURCE: Fangoria on YouTube
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)
True Blood 3.07 “Hitting the Ground” Review
When we look back on “Hitting the Ground,” it will surely be viewed as a defining episode of True Blood. For better or for worse, every character is set on the path that will take them running towards another jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, heart-breaking season finale.
Lorena made a meal out of Sookie, and it’s a good thing for her it was so delicious because it was the last blood she would ever taste. Bill musters the strength to wrap a silver chain around Lorena’s neck and pull her to the ground, calling for Sookie to stake her. With her last breath (figuratively), she says, “William, I love you.” As impressed as I was by Mariana Klaveno’s performance last week, it was time for that awful woman to die.
When Tara and Alcide try to pull Sookie away from Bill, she refuses to leave without him. If he were dead, she says, he’d look like the bloody mess on the floor. Just as they are wrapping Bill up in a blanket and preparing to carry him to Alcide’s truck, in walks Debbie pointing a gun at them. Alcide takes a soft approach with her, calling her “Sweetheart” and reminding her of how much they used to love each other. Sookie is a little more abrupt, getting Debbie fired up: “You sure picked a dumbass time to call me ‘bitch,’ bitch!”
Tara is still in fighting mode after her daring escape from Franklin and tackles Debbie. Alcide holds the gun now and, even though he doesn’t seem like a very violent werewolf, he doesn’t hesitate to kill Coot when he tries to attack. Debbie promises that she will hunt him down, but Alcide can’t bring himself to kill her (and past feelings aside, I wonder if he’s going to regret that decision later).
They have to make a quick getaway when they hear the other werewolves approaching. Sookie rides in the back with Bill and tries to revive him. She slices her arm with a handsaw and lets the blood pour into his mouth. His strength returns as he starts to drink, but Sookie‘s relief turns to fear when he pins her down and bites into her neck, ignoring her struggle as he feeds on her.
When Tara comes back to check on her, she’s unconscious from losing so much blood. Bill doesn’t remember what he’s done, but Tara is furious–she kicks him out into the sunlight, and Alcide drives them off to the hospital. For some very strange reason, Bill doesn’t seem to be burning in the sun right away. He’s concerned for Sookie‘s well-being, but when his skin starts smoking, he mutters, “Damn,” and then runs away to find cover.
Over in New Orleans, Sophie-Anne has been reduced to a captive in her own home, imprisoned like a bird in a cage (in which she has no doubt held many people before). Eric uses the Queen’s human, Hadley, as leverage to learn what is so special about Sookie. Sophie-Anne seems willing to let this happen rather than give up her secret, but Hadley doesn’t want to die. She whispers to Eric what he wants to know: “Well I certainly wasn’t expecting that.”
Jason is surprised to find himself wallowing over Crystal: “It’s funny, I never really thought I was smart enough to get depressed, but here I am.” He doesn’t understand why she lives with that jerk in Hot Shot, or why he feels like he already loves her even though he barely knows her. Hoyt suggests that he go down to the jail and talk to that drug dealer he tackled. The guy is pacing his cell angrily, going through painful withdrawal, and he will only talk about Crystal if Jason brings him some crystal meth.
Sam discovers the dogfighting ring where Tommy is being made to fight. He infiltrates the operation as a pit bull, sets off an alarm, and frees all the dogs locked up. Tommy is bleeding from a bite on his neck, and Melinda at least has the slight decency to seem upset about putting her son through this. Joe Lee, however, is nothing but a piece of trash. Sam is not afraid to stand up to him: “You like makin’ people scared, huh? Think you’re good at it? For the life of me, I can’t understand the power you got over these people ’cause I see you for what you are. You’re just a scared man in saggy underpants with no discernible life skills whatsoever.” Sam promises his brother a better life, and Tommy is finally ready to leave his parents (although that’s certainly not the end of this story…).
At the hospital, the doctors and nurses are trying to give Sookie a blood transfusion and are shocked to learn that she doesn’t have a blood type. Her body convulses when they try to give her O negative, the universal donor. They don’t know what else to do–she’s in a coma, and they inform Tara that she should start notifying next of kin. Jason has gone to Merlotte’s in a panic to see the only dealer he knows: Lafayette, who thinks he wants to buy more V: “Oh, no, I told you–that shit’s behind me. I just need some meth.” Then Jason gets a phone call from Tara that he needs to come to the hospital.
Tara and Jason stand at Sookie‘s bedside crying and holding her hand, telling her how much they need her, unaware that her mind is in another place at the moment. Dressed in a sparkling white gown, she follows a trail of flower petals outside to a garden where people are dancing. There she meets Claudine, who gives her a drink from a pond, and the water is full of light. In Sookie‘s hospital room, Lafayette is reciting a verse that is more appropriate than he can know: “I think over again my small adventures, my fears…and yet there is only one great thing, the only thing…To live to see the great day that dawns, and the light that fills the world.”
Claudine invites Sookie to come with them to their home beneath the pond. She hears in Sookie‘s thoughts that she is afraid of swimming because her parents drowned, and Sookie hears in Claudine‘s that it was not the water that killed her parents but something else. Before she can explain further, a shadow is cast overhead: “The dark approaches…” It’s night, and Bill has come the hospital to save Sookie. Tara doesn’t want any of his help, but it’s Jason’s choice. He agrees, so Bill opens his wrist and gives her an IV of his blood. This has always seemed like a more heroic, romantic gesture when Bill has done this for Sookie before, but it feels almost sinister when interposed with Claudine‘s warnings to Sookie about not letting Bill “steal her light.” And watching his dark blood travel up the tube into Sookie, I knew that it would heal her body, but it also seemed like it might be suppressing the special light water she drank. When Claudine and the others had disappeared into the pond, the camera panned back and showed that the dream-like garden was in Bon Temps Cemetery. It’s a sweet sight to see in Sookie’s hospital room: Jason, Tara, Alcide, and Lafayette are all sleeping in chairs next to her bed. Bill is awake, though, when Sookie stirs from her coma. He smiles down at her, but when she sees him, she starts screaming. Things are definitely going to be changing…
The Magister still has Pam chained with silver in the basement at Fangtasia. In spite of her pain, Pam remains brave and as snarky as ever. Eric comes down to stop him, followed by Sophie-Anne, and then Russell. The Magister tries to exercise his power, vested in him by “The Authority,” but Russell just laughs at him: “Who are The Authority? What gave them the authority? Nothing. No one. They took it, as I am taking it today.” For the first time, the Magister looks nervous, but he is stubborn about his duty to uphold the sacred laws for this unknown entity ruling over vampire society (perhaps the American Vampire League?) Within a second, the King has released Pam from the chains into Eric‘s arms, and placed the Magister on the table: “It’s vampires like you who’ve been holding the rest of us back for centuries.”
Russell stabs the Magister with his own cane until, as the sharp wooden end is poised over his heart, he obeys Russell‘s wish and pronounces him and Sophie-Anne married. The King then gets carried away talking about the only real law: “The law of nature! The survival of the fittest! And we need to take this world back from humans, not placate them with billboards and PR campaigns, while they destroy it. That is not authority! That is abdicating authority!” He sends the Magister to his “true death” and cuts off his head. Eric, Sophie-Anne, and Pam watch in shock as the head flies through the air and explodes when it hits the ground. What a way to end it…
There was so much happening in this episode I can hardly believe it. The most significant development: it looks like Sookie is finally going to begin her journey of self-discovery. Readers of the book series have been expecting the “fairy” reveal for a while now, and since it’s finally introduced into the show, we can begin the lengthy discussions on what those first scenes might mean (because we all know that Alan Ball will put his own unique twist on things). Based on people’s reactions in the comments section in the past few weeks, I think this will make viewers very happy. It’s a shame that it took Bill almost draining Sookie to death to open her eyes to the truth about herself, but nothing will ever be the same for her. Now that she knows the origin of her powers, she can start learning how to use them with confidence instead of just as an accidental defense mechanism. I expect that this will make her smarter, stronger, and just more capable in general now that she has been “enlightened” (literally and figuratively).
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)
True Blood’s Denis O’Hare Talks about Being King Russell
Recently, Denis O’Hare sat down with TVDoneWright.com for an interview in which he talked about Russell Edgington, the possibility of Russell being in True Blood‘s forth season, and about his cast mates, among many other topics.
The interview began with Denis talking about what Comic-Con was like for him. He said that it was a lot of fun, and a reunion of sorts for the True Blood cast because they hadn’t really seen each other all together in almost a month. Denis also said that he luckily wasn’t mobbed by fans while at Comic-Con, but that if he stayed in one place for too long, a crowd would begin to gather around him.
Another thing that Denis discussed was the audition process for him to procure the role of King Russell. The lucky actor actually didn’t do anything; he got a call asking if he was interested in working on True Blood while he was in Budapest filming another project. Thanks to a time difference between Budapest and New York, as well as an inability to get his boyfriend on the phone, Denis had to wait until the day after he got the part to tell anyone.
Soon after that, Denis joined the cast of True Blood and transformed into the deliciously warped King Russell that we all can’t get enough of. And Denis has a lot to say about Russell, starting with his entrance onto True Blood in which Russell shows up on the back of a white horse to save Bill Compton from a pack of werewolves.
Of course, that opening appearance shows fans a Russell Edgington who we later find out is completely different from how he originally presented himself. Russell‘s motives are definitely not the purest, and they directly affect a lot of the main characters on True Blood in various ways. Russell is essential to a lot of Season 3‘s main story lines, and Denis commented on that and how even with the addition of his character, the lead characters are still the most important:
What is so smart about this season is that they have kept the focus very tightly on the main characters and in many cases, like my own, they have had the new characters intersect with more than one main character. Also, this season explores more deeply the vampire power structure, which I think is always fascinating. I think I would be more freaked out if I saw the whole plan laid out before me but we only see one script at a time and so only focus on one or two episodes at a time.
Denis contined, saying that Russell isn’t all bad:
Russell has a fairly large arc – meaning he has to go to many places and so it’s best to start from a place of calm and then progress to something else. As the session progresses, he will definitely lose it more often and we will see other, more extreme parts of him as he is required to step it up. He’s not “bad” – he, like all characters has a point of view and an agenda and from his point of view, he only does what is necessary for the survival of the things and people (vampires) he loves.
Denis also talked a little bit about how Russell is going to keep dealing with Bill and Sookie. He says that there is “definitely stuff coming up” between the Bill and Russell. When it comes to Sookie, though, Russell wants to find out what she is and have Sookie‘s skills at his side so that he can gain more power throughout the True Blood universe.
Russell doesn’t just have relationships with the main characters, though. He also has a friendship with vampire procurer Franklin Mott. The pair of vampires have been friends for a long time, and Russell sees Franklin as another son.
Thanks to all of Russell‘s interactions with other characters, Denis had the opportunity to work alongside a majority of the cast. He briefly described several of those cast members in a few words:
Anna Paquin (Sookie): Smart as a whip and funny as hell
Stephen Moyer (Bill): Wonderful, warm, witty.
Alexander Skarsgard (Eric): Delightful, easy and fun.
James Frain (Franklin): A leprechaun disguised as an Englishman.
Theo Alexander (Talbot): oh, so sweet, so rich, so dear.
It sounds like Denis quickly joined in on the camaraderie of the cast of True Blood. However, we still don’t know if Season 3 villain King Russell will be present in Season 4 of True Blood, and neither does Denis. Whichever way Alan Ball and the rest of the True Blood writers go, we’re very lucky to have Denis O’Hare to play the vampire king of Mississippi.
SOURCE: TVDoneWright.com
(Image Credit: HBO Inc, screenshot by Isis Nocturne)
VIDEO: Denis O’Hare Explains Fangs and Sucking Sounds
Denis O’Hare talked with AP-Red‘s Jason Drew about his career, his method of character development and his role of Russell Edgington, True Blood‘s Vampire King of Mississippi.
Was he into vampires before his role as the 2800 year-old vampire king? At 8 years of age he pretended to be Dracula and even had a book titled “How to Care for Your Monster”. He also watched Dark Shadows as a kid.
What’s great about Charlaine Harris‘ story, he says, is that vampires come out into the open. That’s her invention and it’s great.
Denis described the differences between the soft fangs and hard fangs. The soft are for biting but not for talking. He actually lost his during one scene! They are not held in with adhesive. In addition to having a fang wrangler, Denis said he spends a lot of time creating the various sounds required for sucking blood and biting.
Talking about his True Blood role, Denis said it was decided before he was cast that they wanted a more charming, powerful and deadly king. That differs from the book’s Russell.
When the correlation between some of the vampire issues was made, such as the Vampire Rights Amendment and the current gay marriage controversy, Denis said it’s rather interesting that Russell and Talbot have the most stable relationship on the show. After 700 years together, they’re still committed to each other.
Watch the video. And do not miss True Blood‘s Episode 7 on Sunday on HBO.
Denis O’Hare Says It’s Good To Be King
Fancast.com had a few questions for the vampire king of Mississippi. True Blood‘s King Russell Edgington, played wonderfully by Denis O’Hare, is causing a great deal of angst this season for Bill and Sookie fans.
When asked about the king’s intended plans for the vampire blood addicted werewolves in his employ, Denis said that all his plans have to be revised due to certain events occurring in episodes 7 and 8. “Things start to go really crazy.”
Now we’re intrigued. What about more somewhat disturbing scenes such as the eating frenzy of the stripper in the king’s limo? All Denis would share is that Russell is in bed with someone in episode 10 when stuff happens. He would not say what things, nor would he admit to his bed partner being male, female, human, vampire or werewolf.
Of course playing with wolves has been one of Denis‘ more fun experiences on the show. He said working with real wolves is incredible.
“I got to meet one young wolf and actually sit down and pet him before he knocked me over on my ass. They’re fantastic animals.”
Stating that it is, indeed, good to be king, Denis admitted that Russell can do whatever he wants – order people around, eat who he wants. “It’s fantastic.” And yes, the show should move from Bon Temps to Jackson, where there are better restaurants and large plantation houses.
Asked if he was rooting for Bill or Alcide, with regard to Sookie, Denis put it simply. “I’m on Team Russell. My team.”
Watch more True Blood drama unfolding Sunday night on HBO.
Source: fancast.com
(Photo credit – afterelton.com)
VIDEO: True Blood Cast Reveals Season 3 Moments
“Tied up to a toilet?!” Rutina Wesley recounts what she said at discovering what was in store for her character Tara when she, as well as other cast members, did a video interview with PopSugar.
For Rutina, True Blood isn’t nerve racking but challenging. What makes it all worth it is the fans; Rutina gushes that what she loves about the fans is that they truly care about the characters and the actors who portray them. She is blessed and excited to be at Comic-Con for a third time.
Also, interviewed was Kritin Bauer, who reveals that Season 3 is the season where fans will get to see Pam’s loyalty and love for Eric. Her history as well as her feelings are explored this season.
For Nelsan Reynolds the shocking scene of Season 3 was hands down between Bill and Lorena, during the head twisting incident. Like the fans, Nelsan saw it as freaky and crazy…exactly what True Blood is all about. As for his own character, Nelsan only reveals that Lafayette falls in love.
Denis O’Hare, who plays the Vampire King of Mississippi Russell Edgington, applauds not only the cast, but the crew of True Blood, saying that they are a team; they take care of one another and make even the nude scenes comfortable.
How do the screaming fans make him feel? He reveals it’s fun and terrifying, which sounds exactly like True Blood! Though it does take a few minutes for fans to realize who Denis is, given that in real life he doesn’t wear the wig he uses for the show. Sometimes he can try to escape, but True Blood fans don’t let him get too far.
The cast reveals their joy and excitement about Season 3; watch for yourself as they reveal secrets as well as string fans along with the teasers about the show.
SOURCE: popsugar.tv
True Blood 3.06 “I Got a Right to Sing the Blues” Review
When you see the words “Written by Alan Ball” in the credits, it’s an immediate indication that the episode of True Blood you are about to watch will be bloody, sexy, scary, emotional–everything we love about the show. There are times you may cringe and want to look away (Tara…biting…gross), but it’s just too captivating NOT to watch.
So, to begin with, Russell drags Sookie and Bill back to his mansion, delighted by his discovery of her shocking gift. Bill‘s charade is up. He couldn’t shield her from Russell‘s greedy, power-hungry clutches, so he makes a futile attempt to escape, staking his guard and then leaping onto the King‘s shoulders to drive the stake down into his chest. With a mere shrug, Russell launches Bill up to crash into the ceiling (much to Talbot’s great dismay). Bill can only hope that Eric will help save Sookie, but Eric is too close to the vengeance he has sought for 1,000 years to let anything stand in his way.
Russell orders Bill to be taken to the slave quarters, where Lorena is commanded to kill him. Eric escorts Sookie to the study to wait for the King. She pleads with him, yells at him–anything to try to understand why he’s acting like Russell‘s lap dog and allowing Bill to be carried off to his death. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but shut up.” When she doesn’t, he silences her with his hand over her mouth, “Thank you.”
She continues her questions while he paces, trying to think about how to handle the problems he’s facing. Sookie recalls what he said to her back in Bon Temps on her porch (another amusing impression from Anna Paquin), but Eric blows up at her: “You mean nothing to me! Nothing!” Russell enters the room and Eric puts on a huge, fake smile for him before leaving them alone to talk.
Meanwhile, at Merlotte’s, Arlene and Jessica have to deal with a very rude customer, even though they’re closed and everyone is gone for the night. Arlene accidentally cuts herself, and the scent of blood makes Jessica‘s fangs pop out because she’s so hungry. Jessica (who now knows that Arlene is pregnant) feels guilty that she is having such a bad night. She goes over to glamour the woman: “You’re not hungry anymore. Now I want you to take all the money you have and leave it on the table. Then head to the ladies’. Alright?” It might seem weird to be proud of Jessica for handling the situation like a grown-up (vampire), but she satisfies her hunger, on a woman who deserves it, doesn’t kill her, properly glamours her into forgetting, while managing to do something nice for Arlene!
Lafayette and Jesus continued the date they began last week, talking about their lives. Lafayette explains how he has tried to leave Bon Temps but keeps coming back. Jesus moved around a lot growing up. He doesn’t know who his father was because his mom was raped. When he sees that this beautiful guy has had a hard life, too, Lafayette finds himself relating to Jesus more than he expected, and they share a steamy kiss in the car.
Their attraction is undeniable, but a couple of barriers stood in the way of them getting together. For one thing, Lafayette is slow to trust–he’s used the phrase “Satan in a Sunday hat” on more than one occasion (even though, as Jesus pointed out, his name is the polar opposite). His trust issues are understandable–I have to imagine that someone who has left Bon Temps many times in his life but always returned found that the difficulties and persecution he faced in the outside world were harder to deal with than what he suffers from the country folks back home–that expression “the devil you know” comes to mind.
But he seemed ready and willing to test the water with Jesus, until those drug dealers from Hot Shot showed up at his house and started smashing up his car outside. He and Jesus beat them off, but Lafayette didn’t want to stop pounding one of them in the face. Jesus had to hold him back, and he was very disappointed to learn that Lafayette dealt drugs and V, bringing their night to an early end.
Jason and Crystal are kissing by the lake, whispering sweet nothings. When she rolls over on top of him, he laughs, “Don’t hurt me! Or do, I don’t care.” She jumps to the conclusion that he thinks she’s into perverted stuff and demands to know what he meant. “I meant, um…don’t break my heart.” (Candidate for Best Jason Moment Ever) Crystal softens up and starts crying that what they’re doing is wrong. She hears something in the woods, though, and runs off saying it’s too dangerous for them to be together. Between Jason‘s comment about how warm she is and the way she sniffed the air, it seems pretty evident that Crystal is a shifter of some sort.
In Russell‘s conversation with Sookie, they take turns asking each other questions. Sookie begs him to stop Lorena from killing Bill, but Russell wonders why she still wants him. He shows her the dossier Bill kept on her family, but she barely even has time to process it. When it becomes clear that Sookie doesn’t understand her powers or her value to vampires like himself and the Queen, he asks condescendingly, “Oh, sweetheart, you really don’t know anything at all, do you?”
The scenes in which Lorena tortures Bill, while tough to watch, are Mariana Klaveno‘s best work on the series. She deals with her suffering (over her inability to make Bill love her, and the fact that she will lose him forever when he’s dead) in the sadistic way that she cuts him with silver and inflicts as much pain on him as possible. Not to mention cutting herself and mixing her blood in his cuts so that she will be inside him in the end. Bill looks up at her with pity in his eyes, “I wish I had known you before you were Made, before you turned hard. I would liked to have seen you smile with light in your eyes, instead of darkness. That would’ve been something.”
What has gotten into Tara?! She stops letting herself being a victim and takes charge of the situation with Franklin in an intense way. She convinces him that she truly wants to be with him so that he’ll untie her. Then she says she wants to drink his blood and get high on it while making love to him as her last human act before “giving myself to you, then Death.” “Kinky,” he says, but he’s totally into it. She steels herself up and then rips open his neck. Afterwards, Tara lies in Franklin‘s arms, with blood all over her white gown. She sends a mental message to Sookie, who is locked in another guest room, to expect her when the sun comes up: Be ready. We’re gonna need all the luck in the world, but I’m gonna get us out of here. I am not giving up with out a fight.
Talbot and Eric are flirting and playing cards when the King comes in and asks Eric to accompany him on an errand. That seems to be the last straw with Talbot: “You never take me anywhere! You prefer to be in the company of sycophants. Deep down, my darling, you’re a very wicked character.” He walks off muttering to himself in Greek. Eric turns on the charm with Russell as well when they take a ride over to visit Sophie-Anne.
Eric admits to killing the werewolf that attacked him at Sookie‘s house, not out of love for her but to protect himself and because he despises those creatures. Russell gives him a glimpse into his ultimate dream: “If all the supernaturals would stop squabbling among themselves and unite, we could conquer humans in a matter of days.” He believes that mankind is heading “towards oblivion,” destroying themselves and the planet. Vampires are the master race, and everything he has done and planned has been to making that a reality on earth.
Russell finds the Queen on the ground by her pool, scratching lottery tickets and rejoicing over winning $100. He presents her with a rose and gets down on one knee. She has rejected his proposal over and over again, but now he knows that she has been selling V because she owes money. He promises to settle her debts, and when she still doesn’t accept, Eric rushes in and pins her to the ground. Her fangs pop out threateningly, but he just laughs: “I’m older and stronger than you. I’ve only submitted to you in the past because of respect. But you framed me, so I renounce any and all allegiance to you. I am his now. I will rip your head off and throw it in the pool, and I will have fun doing it.”
Sophie-Anne fumes in anger, but Russell knows that he has won. Now he will help Eric with the Magister. No Pam for the past two weeks now, as she is being held prisoner at Fangtasia. In show time, it’s only been two days, but I still can’t help missing Kristin Bauer van Straten‘s great presence and Pam’s sarcastic wit.
Next we see Lorena and Bill, she is licking his blood off a knife as bloody tears pour down her face, waiting for him to die. “What will you do then?” he asks. “Find another man that you deem honorable, so that you can turn him into a violent, hateful thing like yourself, destroying whatever it was that you loved about him to begin with.” She wants him to admit that he enjoyed all the time they spent together in the beginning, killing and making love.
We get a revealing moment about her when Bill brings up her Maker and the horrible things Lorena did for him: “He made you his mirror, just as you’ve tried to make me yours. He is the reason that a girl who once marveled in the beauty of all life, now delights in bringing pain and horror to every moment.” For a moment, it seems as though Lorena will be too upset to actually go through with killing him, but when Debbie and Coot stumble in for a taste of Bill‘s blood, she leaves them to finish him off.
Melinda comes to Sam’s to speak with Tommy. She tells him that he has to go back out on “the circuit” because she’s too old and hurt now. He can’t escape their life just because Sam seems willing to help him in the short-term. She convinces Tommy that she and Joe Lee are all he has, that Sam isn’t really family, and he leaves with her. Sam has no idea where he went, until Arlene mentions the Mickens loading a pit bull into the back of their van. Then he approaches Andy to start asking questions about local dog fighting.
Jason gets dressed up in his letterman jacket from high school football (awww, Crystal makes him feel like a schoolboy) and takes flowers to her house in Hot Shot. She pretends not to know him because her fiance (the same idiot Lafayette beat up the night before) answers the door. She calls him a dumbass and kicks him out, and Jason‘s temporary happiness (the first he’s had since what happened with Eggs) is over too soon.
In the morning, Tara crawls out of bed, grabs a mace from the wall, and smashes Franklin‘s head in. (She is a fearsome thing to behold, covered in blood!) She changes clothes and pretends to be bringing food to Sookie so that the werewolf guard will let her in: “If she ain’t eating almonds, Talbot ain’t gonna be happy, and if Talbot ain’t happy, Russell ain’t happy, and if Russell ain’t happy, you dog boys ain’t gonna be getting any vampire blood. Now open up the damn door!” Together the two girls knock him out and make a run for it. Tara goes to look for a car, while Sookie insists on finding Bill in case he’s still alive. Tara thinks she’s an idiot because of all the things Bill has done, but Sookie refuses to leave without him.
Tara is running across the yard when a white wolf chases her down, but when he shifts, it’s Alcide (naked!) who has come to help. Sookie is over at the slave quarters waiting for a high Debbie and Coot to leave. When she gets inside, Bill is drained to the very edge of death. Crying, she shakes him, and then he whispers her name. “I’m gonna get you out of here. I’m gonna make you well if it’s the last thing I do! Because I love you, Bill Compton, I’m not about to let you go.” Lorena interrupts, no longer sad but fiery mad, saying this is all Sookie‘s fault and pinning her to wall and biting into her. The end!
“I Got a Right to Sing the Blues” was shocking, to be sure, but it has also set up the action for what’s going to happen in the second half of the season. What did everybody else think about this episode, and what were your favorite quotes?
(Photo credit: HBO Inc.)
VIDEO: Denis O’Hare at Comic-con 2010
True Blood‘s Denis O’Hare was interviewed at Comic-com 2010 and discussed his love for the show and how his character, the vampire king of Mississippi, Russell Egington, is covered in blood and deals with blood in many different ways on the show. Enjoy!