Season 3 of True Blood has now started shooting. However, Season 2 has left us with enough questions to ponder on until the show returns for Season 3 in 2010. For example, we are left wondering: Who took Bill? What is Sookie? Will Sam finally meet his real parents? What will happen to Jessica and Hoyt? Alan Ball has also assured fans that the Viking vampire, Eric Northman, will be a prominent character in Season 3 and apparently, he’ll be given loads of scenes with a new True Blood character, Yvetta, Fangtasia’s new Czechoslovakian dancer.

However, in spite of all these tantalizing tidbits, we won’t know the answers to our questions until Season 3 of True Blood returns in June. It’s certainly going to be a long wait. However, news has been forthcoming on new cast members who, in addition to vampires, will now include a vampire king, were-bikers, shapeshifters, werewolves and exotic dancers.

Readers of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries will be familiar with Alcide Heveraux. Alcide, a werewolf, will now be appearing in Season 3 of True Blood and he will be played by none other than Joe Mangianello, ending months of speculation among die-hard True Blood fans. Alcide is one of the most anticipated new roles in Season 3 of True Blood. He will apparently become Sookie’s new love interest later in the series.

The new cast of vampires expands to include the vampire king Russell Edgington. Readers of the Southern Vampire Mysteries will be familiar with Russell, the gay vampire king of Mississippi. He will be played by Denis O’Hare. Another new vampire joining True Blood is Talbot. He is Russell’s hunky, sarcastic boy-toy and will be played by Theo Alexander. Talbot is described as an “intensely beautiful male vampire [with] the buff good looks of an underwear model.”

Another vampire making an appearance in Season 3 is Franklin Mott, played by James Frain. Franklin will be replacing Eggs as Tara’s new main squeeze. He is described as “sexy, sexy, sexy, sexy.” But let us not forget our favorite vampiress, Pam, played by Kristin Bauer. Formerly a recurring member of True Blood’s cast, Bauer’s role as vampire Pam has been upgraded to regular status. Fans of vampire Pam are undoubtedly cheering at this latest news.

The number of shapeshifters in True Blood has also expanded in Bon Temps. In addition to Sam Merlotte (Sam Trammell), we will now be seeing Sam’s brother, Tommy, played by Marshall Allman, another shapeshifter in the Merlotte family.

In addition to Tommy, we’ll also be seeing Joe Lee, Coot and Melinda, all shapeshifters we believe though not to sure yet about Joe Lee played by Cooper Huckabee, Sam Merlotte’s father. Melinda, shapeshifter and Sam’s mother, is played by J Smith-Cameron. Coot, a hunky werewolf biker and leader of the were-bikers, is played by Australian actor, Grant Bowler.

Lest we forget the humans, new additions to the True Blood cast include Shannon Lucio, Alfre Woodard and Gregg Daniel. Shannon will be playing Vampire Bill’s Civil War wife, who he was forced to leave behind after he was turned into a vampire. Alfre Woodard, formerly of Desperate Housewives, will be playing Lafayette’s mother. Meanwhile, Gregg Daniel will be playing Reverend Daniels, the church pastor who counsels Lettie Mae, Tara’s mother. Yvetta, Eric Northman’s new dancer at Fangtasia, will be played by Natasha Alam (The Bold and the Beautiful) who is definitely going to catch the viking vampire‘s eyes as they will have some steamy moments with each other.

With its expanded cast of fascinating, dangerous and libidinous vampires and werewolves, Season 3 promises to continue feeding our obsession with True Blood, delivering to us a Southern Gothic world steamier than the Louisiana climate.

SOURCE: movieline.com

Picture credit: HBO Inc.