Mehcad Brooks Attending Eyecon's True Blood Convention

True Blood fans will remember Mehcad Brooks as Tara Thornton's (Rutina Wesley) boyfriend Benedict "Eggs" Talley who was controlled by Maryann to do some nasty deeds and met a deadly finish at the end of season 2.  Now Mehcad is set to star as a regular in the ABC upcoming legal drama "The Deep End." as Malcolm Bennet, an associate at a prestigious LA law firm where the show is set. Mehcad has not forgetting True Blood and Eyecon has informed us that he will be attending the True Blood Convention at the Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, FL from November 13 - 15, 2009 along with Sam Trammell, Allan Hyde, Nelsan Ellis and Ashley Jones. The 1st True Blood Convention organized by Eyecon will feature the following events:

Friday Night Kickoff Cocktail Party

Saturday Evening Celebrity Banquet

Exclusive Platinum Party

Celebrity Q&A Sessions

Celebrity Autograph Sessions

Celebrity Photo Ops

Celebrity Breakfast Auctions

The  Friday Night Kickoff Cocktail Party is an hour-long festive gala spent with the celebrities. It's a perfect way to know the stars and meet other fans. The Saturday Evening Celebrity Banquet will be your chance to dine with the stars, which gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal in a more relaxed setting. You can rock with the stars during the Exclusive Platinum Party and aim to win and awe the crowd in the Guitar Hero competition. If you're equipped with questions that you're dying to ask the stars, the Celebrity Q&A Sessions will be the time to blurt it all out and have it all answered right from the celebrities themselves. During the Celebrity Autograph Sessions, you can have your photos and collectibles signed in an instant.  The Celebrity Photo Ops gives you the chance to "star" in professional and high quality pictures with your favorite celebrity or group of celebrities in 8×10 portraits on a beautiful backdrop taken by a professional photographer using state-of-the-art camera equipment and lighting, which will be made available shortly after they are taken. This is a chance for True Blood fans to meet and mingle with the stars of the show that should not be missed!  For more information about tickets and programming, please visit www.eyeconfla.com. SOURCE: Eyecon (Photo credit:  flixster.com)

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Alan Ball Shares His Story with the UK Times

For Alan Ball, creator of Six Feet Under and True Blood, the dark, twisted nature of life and death is all too familiar. That he is a creative genius cannot be denied. But his life was shaped by an early tragedy that makes a definite mark in his storytelling. At the age of 13, he was riding in the car with his older sister on her 22nd birthday, when they crashed and she was killed.

"The impact broke her neck. It was very bloody. At that impressionable age, Death came and stuck its ugly old face in mine, and said: 'Hello, here I am.' "

Growing up in Marietta, GA, Alan faced many struggles in addition to his sister's death, although he calls his childhood "pretty standard." His mother suffered from depression and was one of the speaking-in-tongues, doom-and-gloom-prophecy religious types. His father drank a lot and was mostly withdrawn. Plus, Alan knew that he was gay from a young age and thought it was something to be ashamed of.

"I was always very aware of that. I mean, when I was 8 and went to see Goldfinger I found myself being turned on by Sean Connery. I was also very aware that it was something I had to keep a secret. I thought it meant you were relegated forever to the outside fringes of society. I tried to be straight. I even had a teenage girlfriend--who I really ought to apologize to--before I came out in my thirties."

Alan was still grieving for his sister when he moved to New York years later.

"For six months I thought I was going crazy. I'd walk through the streets crying. It was lucky I was living in New York at the time: in New York no one pays you any attention if you're walking through the streets crying."

At that time, he was doing work in art direction for magazines, as well as writing plays for his own theatre company, Alarm Dog Repertory Company. One of those plays, Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, led to an invitation from some Hollywood producers to go to Los Angeles and become a staff writer on the sitcom Grace Under Fire. He then got a job writing for Cybill, for which he also served as the executive producer in its fourth and final season in 1998:

"After a while I became a bit of a hack. In every episode there was a part where one of the characters would have to learn a lesson from what had just happened. I used to call it 'the moment of shit,' because it just trivialized everything ... By the third season I really wanted to leave, but they backed the money truck up to my house and I stayed. But I felt like such a whore, and at nights I dumped all of my frustration into the script of American Beauty. It's a very angry script. It's what you get when you've been working with a crazy person who walks into the room and says: 'I got a bad haircut, let's write a show about that.' "

Things finally turned around for Alan when American Beauty was a huge financial success that won him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He soon partnered with HBO for Six Feet Under, a reflective, existential drama about a family that runs a funeral home. Alan was actually encouraged by HBO to come up with weird, unnerving stories for the complicated lives of the Fishers. The show became a cult hit, although some criticized it for being too depressing.

"That's where it needed to go. It made death and grief less frightening to me. When my mother died I knew what grief was, so it didn't freak me out."

It helped a lot of other people, too. What Alan loves about Six Feet Under is how it was able to touch people on a personal level. Still, after that show finished, he had enough of "looking into the abyss" and sought a project that would be fun and thrilling. That search brought him to Sookie Stackhouse. With True Blood, Alan could incorporate the Gothicism of the South in which he grew up, through a world as fascinating as the one imagined by Charlaine Harris in her books. This is a story he's interested in telling because, put simply, "vampires are sexy." For the foreseeable future, Alan is going to continue working on True Blood (which he has a signed deal with HBO for at least 2 more seasons), as well as a couple of other shows and films. And after everything he's been through in his life, Alan, at age 52, is enjoying himself.

"I'm a fairly happy person. I'm content. I really like my life. But for some reason I still get people coming up to me and saying, 'Cheer up.' "

Alan was asked how he feels about California's recent overturning of the law allowing same-sex marriage, to which he said it turns gays into "second-class citizens", but as he said "it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what's wrong with America". Alan is now at peace. He loves the city he lives in now (Los Angeles), especially Runyon Canyon, a nearby park where he takes his dogs for a walk and he has become a Buddhist, because "it's about love and not denouncing others, like the Christianity of my childhood". A wonderful man who has brought so much pleasure to millions with his projects and an inspiration to others. SOURCE: entertainment.timesonline.co.uk (Photo credit: entertainment.timesonline.co.uk)

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Nelsan Ellis Will Be Appearing At The London MCM Expo

Calling all UK True Blood fans!!! Nelsan Ellis who plays our hysterical and beloved Lafayette on Alan Ball's hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood has confirmed that he will be attending the London MCM Expo to sit on the True Blood panel. The Expo will take place on October 24th and 25th at the Excel in London. You may purchase tickets for the event from The London MCM Expo website. If you are planning on attending the Expo why not get a picture with Nelsan! That's right, the Expo will be offering a chance for you to get your photo taken with the star of your choosing. What an amazing keepsake that would be! For more information on these photos you can visit the Expo's webpage here.  The prices for the photos will be listed on the Expo's website as the event date gets closer. Who would pass this opportunity up?? So get your tickets now!! A very special thank you has to go out to the people at UK Truebies on facebook who posted the information first. SOURCE:  London MCM Expo Photo Credits: HBO Inc.

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Women's Classic Fit Fangtasia T-Shirt - Red

Women's Classic Fit Fangtasia T-Shirt - Red Fangtasia - Life Begins at Night. The vampires are out of the coffin and at Fangtasia! Show the world you know what real night life is all about - whether or not you have the scars to match. This soft and comfortable women's True Blood? babydoll short sleeve t-shirt boasts a 100% cotton construction. The 'Fangtasia' logo adorns the front with 'life begins at night' printed underneath it. '444 industrial drive shreveport, la' is printed on the back of the shirt.Please note that the Classic Fit is a more relaxed, looser fit than the fitted tee. To purchase the fitted tee Click Here.

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Who Should Be True Blood's Alcide?

Michael Ausiello at EW.com is asking the question who should be cast for the role of Alcide for Season 3 of Alan Ball's hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood.  As we have heard from previous spoiler reports Alcide is the young man (who also happens to be a werewolf) who helps Sookie look for Bill.  Here are several of Michael's suggestions:

Henry Cavill from Tudors Benjamin Bratt  from The Cleaner Steven Strait from Stop-Loss and 10,000 BC Jeffrey Dean Morgan from Grey's Anatomy Ben Browder from Farscape and Stargate SG-1 Cam Gigandet from Twilight

You can vote on Michael's selection on his website by clicking here. So who do you think would be right for the part of the dark, hairy werewolf? SOURCE: EW.com (Photo credit:  HBO Inc.)

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Michael McMillian To Attend Long Beach Comic-Con This Weekend

True Blood fans everywhere love watching Michael McMillian play the over the top, Rev. Steve Newlin, leader of the Fellowship of the Sun. We here at TrueBloodNet.com recently interviewed Michael and he informed us that he will be attending the upcoming 1st Annual Long Beach Comic-Con. Michael is attending the event to promote his comic book, "Lucid".  You can to learn more about "Lucid" and how Michael got into creating the comics by reading our previous article here.  Michael along with Zachary Quinto (from Star Trek and Heroes) with his company, Before the Door Pictures, will be developing comic books with Archaia Comics with Michael writing the four issue mini-series "Lucid" for them set to debut in the summer of 2010. Don't you just love how so many of our True Blood favorites are so multi-talented! Michael will be featured along side his fellow creators on Saturday, October 3rd, in Room B from 12:00-12:45 pm PDT. They will share exclusive news, showcase fantastic art, and shower a few lucky fans with free Archaia T-shirts and other prizes. The 1st Annual Long Beach Comic Con will be held from October 2nd through October 4th. You can find out more information and purchase tickets at the Long Beach Comic Con website. Tickets are $25.00 each day or you can purchase a weekend pass for $45.00. So don't waste time and get your tickets to see Michael McMillian today!!  Also stay tuned for our in-depth exclusive interview with Michael McMillian which we know fans will truly enjoy and gain lots of insight into the show. SOURCES:  Michael McMillian, Geek Tyrant, Long Beach Comic-Con Photo Credit: HBO Inc.

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Alexander Skarsgard Interview About True Blood

Benjie Goodhart from channel4.com had the opportunity to interview Alexander Skarsgard who portrays the 1000 year old vampire sheriff Eric Northman on Alan Ball's hit HBO TV series True Blood and discuss with him his beginnings in acting and his work not only on True Blood, but as well as his work on HBO's Generation Kill.  Many thanks to Benji Goodhart from Channel 4 for allowing this interview to be reproduced in its entirety here. The TV and movie industry is littered with actors who were tipped to be 'the next big thing' only to end up with non-speaking parts in the latest Jean-Claude Van Damme film. Predicting stardom is a precarious business but Alexander Skarsgård has as good a chance as any of making it big. Movie-star good looks? Check. Sensible career choices so far? Check. An engaging and intelligent personality? Check. Family pedigree in the business? Well, his dad is Hollywood star Stellan Skarsgård, so: Check. He's also recently starred in two of the most critically acclaimed and successful TV series to come out of the US last year, True Blood (from the creator of Six Feet Under) and Generation Kill (from the creators of The Wire). Both series will be on Channel 4 this autumn.

It was almost all so different, though. As a child actor, Skarsgård turned his back on the industry aged 13. It was only after a seven-year hiatus that he decided to give acting another go. It was, it would seem, a good decision. Just how good, the next few years will reveal.

You're from an acting background, and obviously your dad [Stellan Skarsgård] is hugely successful. Did you grow up proud of his level of success, or did you just take what he did for granted? He wasn't that big a star when I grew up. The thing that brought him to Hollywood was Breaking the Waves, the Lars von Trier movie, which was in 1996. I was already 20 years old by that point. Growing up, my father was working at a theatre in Stockholm, so he was mostly a stage actor. He did movies as well, but smaller Swedish movies. I've got younger siblings, and it was different for them. They did more of the travelling around the world, being on sets and all of that exotic stuff. For me, it was running around backstage at the theatre, and I didn't really think much about it.

On the subject of your siblings, a few of them have gone into acting as well, haven't they? Yeah. I've got a brother who's two months old, and it's kind of difficult to say what he'll do! But I'm the oldest, I've got a brother who's four years younger than I am, and he's an actor back home in Sweden. And I have another brother who's 18, who's working doing movies in Sweden right now as well.

How old were you when you started acting? Seven. I did my first movie when I was seven, and then I worked for about six years, doing movies and television in Sweden. But then I quit when I was 13, and didn't work at all for seven years.

Why did you quit? This was in 1989, and back then in good old Sweden, we only had two TV channels. I did a movie for television there, and whatever was on, people would watch, so the impact that had back then was huge. Suddenly people recognised me wherever I went, and it just made me very uncomfortable. It was a weird age to become famous. I didn't know how to handle it, and I was very self-conscious and stressed out about the whole situation. I just wanted to be one of the guys, so I quit, basically. I didn't have the urge to act for seven years.

What drew you back into acting? I was 20, and like most guys of that age I was trying to figure out what to do with my life. I was thinking about different options, and naturally acting came up again, and I thought about it, and I felt that it might be different now I'm 20 instead of 13. Hopefully I'm a bit more sure of who I am and what I want in life, and maybe I can handle it better than I did when I was 13. Leaving acting had never had anything to do with the craft, the work, at all. It was only because I wasn't comfortable being recognised, and I thought that might be better. So I decided to give it a go again, and went to New York to study theatre for a while, and got hooked pretty instantly.

You've got two new series coming up on Channel 4 this autumn. True Blood is a drama about vampires, which will automatically make people think of Buffy - but it's really not like that, is it? I wouldn't know. I've never seen Buffy!

Well, this isn't exactly aimed at kids, is it? No! Definitely not! It's pretty dark.

Summarise the concept of True Blood. The series is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries. Charlaine [Harris, the books' author] created this world where vampires live in coexistence with humans. They came out of the coffin two years ago, and went out publicly and said 'Yes, we do exist, but don't worry, we're not going to harm you because we can drink synthetic blood now. We just want to live in peace.' And it takes place in Bon Temps, a small town in Louisiana, and it's basically about prejudice, and how these vampires try to fit into society and find a role.

Your character is a vampire called Eric Northman. What's he like? He's the sheriff of Area Five, which basically means he's the sheriff of the vampires in Louisiana. He's one of the oldest vampires around, and one of the strongest and most powerful. He's a true entrepreneur - he's got a nightclub in Shreveport, and he sees this as an opportunity to make money. Curious humans will come into the club and buy souvenirs and see real vampires, and he uses that and makes money from it.

He's been around for 1,000 years. How do you play someone who has a thousand-year back story? Well, I think he's got huge confidence, and also he doesn't waste time. He's been around for that long, so he cuts to the chase and gets down to business. And it's hard to impress a guy like that, because he's seen it all. That's why he's intrigued by Sookie [the show's heroine, Sookie Stackhouse, played by Anna Paquin] because there's something new here, something interesting and different about her that he can't really put his finger on. In general he's not very interested in humans, they don't impress him, he thinks they're naïve and stupid in general. But there's something different about Sookie, and that intrigues him. That's what gets his attention, basically.

Did you read the books when you got the part? Yeah. I read the first five books before we started season one, but when we started shooting, it was just too confusing to keep reading the books [there are nine] because I didn't want to end up wondering if I'd read something in the book or in the script. But we're on hiatus now, so I'm going to go back and read a few more.

The series is adapted by Alan Ball, who wrote and produced Six Feet Under and American Beauty. Did that add to your excitement about the project? Oh yeah, yeah. I reacted like most people would do when I heard it was a vampire show, I thought 'Whoa - I have no idea what this is going to be like.' But then, when they told me that he was behind it, that made me very interested in working on it.

In literature and cinema and on TV we seem to return time and again to vampire stories. What do you think is behind our fascination with the genre? I think it has to do with immortality and eternal youth. What creates a platform for good drama is that that is so alluring and intriguing to people. Immortality and eternal youth are so attractive, yet the fact that vampires are also lethal predators who could kill you in an instant creates great platforms for drama, I think. You have that duality. An encounter with a vampire could let you live forever, or you could become vampire food.

The series is quite risqué. Did it cause controversy when it first came out in the US? Yeah, a bit. It's pretty full-on, and very graphic and gory. Season two is even more graphic, so we'll see what the response is.

The other series you've got coming up on Channel 4 is Generation Kill. That's also based on a book, isn't it? Yeah, it's based on a book written by Evan Wright, who was a journalist who was embedded with First Reconnaissance Battalion of the US Marines for the first five weeks of the Iraq invasion in 2003. It's basically about his experience of that journey.

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

You play Sergeant Brad Colbert. What's he like? He's a team leader, a sergeant, and one of the senior guys in First Reconnaissance, but he's not as macho as the other guys. He's a bit of a loner, he's doing his own thing. He loves the first stage of the invasion, where he actually gets to sit down alone and plan the mission that he gets. He's a perfectionist when it comes to that, and he really believes in the cause. He believes that they're out there to help people, to liberate people, but throughout the series things will change. It's hard for him to do his job, because he needs to be there and motivate the guys, and make sure they're sharp and aggressive, because otherwise they're more likely to get killed. But at the same time, he's beginning to think "What the hell are we doing out here?"

Did you meet the real Sergeant Colbert while you were filming? No.

Was that a conscious decision? No. If I'd had a chance to meet him before we started filming, and hang out with him for a month or two, then great. But he was in the UK, embedded with the special forces.

UK? That's a really tough posting, being sent over here! Yeah. That's the real deal! So he was in the UK, and I couldn't get hold of him. I was able to get his email address, but at that point we were already two weeks into shooting it, and I'd already created my version of Brad Colbert after talking to the guys who knew him, and also talking to Evan Wright, who spent five weeks in a Humvee with him. So I'd already created my Brad Colbert, and at that point I decided not to get in touch with him, because I'd made my choices and found my path, and had to continue down that road with conviction. But I did get a chance to see him as soon as I got back to the States. Evan Wright was kind enough to throw a barbecue at his place, and he invited me and Brad, because he wanted us to meet somewhere other than the red carpet before the Premiere, and get a chance to sit down and talk. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life to finally meet him.

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

Aside from the guys working on the show, did you spend any time immersed with the US Marines as part of your research? No, but I'm a sergeant in the Swedish Marines.

Yeah, you did your national service with them. Did that experience prove useful in filming this series? Absolutely, it was very useful, just to help understand how you deal with your officers and peers, understand the group dynamic between the guys, and also how you handle your weapons systems and all that kind of stuff. It was very helpful to have gone through that.

Were you a good soldier, and was it something you enjoyed? Not really. It's mandatory to do it in Sweden. I wanted to join the Marines, that's not mandatory, but you have to do some sort of service to the state, doing something else. But I wanted to do this because I grew up in downtown Stockholm, and I wanted to challenge myself. I figured if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it for real and full-on, and actually physically and mentally challenge myself. At least then it might be interesting, and something I can use later on, instead of spending ten months in a booth stamping passports. But most of the guys I was with in my platoon were kind of like Rambos, you know? I wasn't like that at all. I knew this definitely wasn't a profession for me. I did this solely for my own reasons, to experience these things and challenge myself. It was kind of weird, and at times I hated it, but I'm glad I finished it.

Generation Kill shows a lot of bravery and gusto from the Marines, but it doesn't necessarily tie in with the homespun, patriotic, apple-pie image of troops that exists in the US. Did the depiction of the troops upset people? No, I think the Marine community really embraced the show, because it felt legit and it felt real and it made the audience realise that it's more complicated than they might have thought. It made the audience realise that these are all individuals, and they're very young, and they're all there for different reasons. Some really believe in it, some are there because they're bored, some are there because they're trying to avoid jail. So it was definitely embraced by the Marine community, and by the army and the air force and the navy as well. I know that some of the officers weren't happy about it, because they wanted it to be a pro-Marine Corps series where everything is amazing and they're all patriots and all fighting for the right cause, so some of them weren't happy with either Evan Wright's book, or with the series either. But we can live with that.

I imagine that filming it was a pretty odd experience on set. It must have been an almost exclusively male environment. Yeah. It was funny talking to the real Marines who were out there with us. They said it was very similar to being in the Marines - not, obviously, what you do for your work, but with the group, and how bonds are formed and how tight you get when you spend that long all together. And on a set it's 80 per cent wait and 20 per cent action, and I think it's pretty much the same thing in the Marine Corps. You do something, then you sit around and bullshit for hours and hours, and wait for the next order. So that definitely created a similarity, and I think it was great that we did this 3,000 miles away from our families and our homes, because all we had was each other, and I think that was good for the show.

Looking at the two series, which you did back to back, the roles are very different. Was that a conscious decision - do you always like to have that element of variety to your roles? Yeah, because it keeps me on my toes and it keeps me motivated and creative. If I do something for seven months, and then I jump into a character that's very similar to that, I think I'm going to get bored, and I'm not going to do a good job. I need to be challenged, I need to feel almost nervous about a new project and a new character. That gets me excited, and it definitely helps me in my creative process. SOURCE: channel4.com (Photo credit:  Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos via exposay.com)

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Sam Trammell Returns To West Virginia Hometown for Community Fundraiser

Born in Louisiana, True Blood's Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte) spent a large part of his childhood in Charleston, West Virginia, and many of his friends and family, including his parents, still live there.  On October 30, Sam will return to Charleston to help support the town's East End Main Street historic preservation program by participating in the city's HallowEast fundraising festival. Sam wanted to participate in the community's fundraising effort because, he says:

I consider Charleston home. My mom and dad still live there. I really miss it, and I'm excited to see all my friends and family. It's great to be coming home. ...Downtown Charleston and the East End are just amazing. Today, when you look at the ballpark, the Clay Center and Capitol Street, you understand the revitalization has been great. I want to see it continue. When you live in West Virginia, you take it for granted.  After you leave, you realize how unique Charleston and West Virginia are. So much of the state is untouched, green and beautiful. It's different from anywhere else in the world. You appreciate it when you're gone.

Charleston's Cultural Center will host two receptions with Sam: tickets for the show and a 6 p.m. VIP reception at the Cultural Center are $100, while while tickets for the premium VIP reception at 5 p.m., also at the Cultural Center, are $150.  Sam will then move to Kanawha Players, 309 Beauregard Street, to sit down for an "Inside the Actor's Studio" style interview, answering questions posed by David Wohl, dean of arts and sciences at West Virginia State University at 7:30 p.m.  Admission for the interview event is $50, and the question/answer session will be followed by a Kanawha Players performance of Dial M for Murder. While Sam's interview is the main attraction during the week's fundraising events, this inaugural HallowEast festival is full of Halloween-themed fundraisers. As a part of the True Blood cast, Sam feels that he was an obvious choice to highlight the festival's activities, saying:

It's a good fit for Halloween. If you've read the Charlaine Harris books (on which the show is based), you know she introduces a whole host of fantastical creatures. For sure, it's a Halloween sort of show.

According to Ric Cavender, Program Director of the East End Main Street organization, "Sam is a star on the rise" and the community is "thrilled and honored he is taking the time to be a part of, and really the highlight of HallowEast."  Though West Virginia viewers are just as drawn to HBO's True Blood and the shape-shifting Sam Merlotte as are other fans across the country, Sam is still surprised by his fame:

It's always interesting to hear from people who are really into the show.  It attracts a wide demographic. Sometimes, people will ask my dad what's going to happen next on the show, and he has no idea. It amazes me people in West Virginia are actually keeping up with what I'm doing on the show. The attention is completely new to me. ...It's a big deal for me to come home and have this sort of attention.  It's humbling.

According to event organizers, money raised during the festival will be used to help neighborhood businesses in downtown Charleston to promote and preserve the historic district.  Civic mindedness is one of the qualities I love in Sam Merlotte, and I'm proud and happy as a fan to see that Sam Trammell, the actor behind the character, clearly shares those ideals. So if you live in or around West Virginia here is your opportunity to meet Sam Trammell in person and be involved in a worthy cause at the same time. SOURCE:  grafwv.com (Photo credit:  HBO Inc.)

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Ryan Kwanten Video Interview With Newsweek

Newsweek recently interviewed Ryan Kwanten who plays the lovable Jason Stackhouse on Alan Ball's hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood and he spoke about his new celebrity status, how he doesn't mind baring it all for Alan Ball on the show, and how big the show has grown. Enjoy this one-on-one interview with Ryan. SOURCE:  Newsweek

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VIDEO: Carrie Preston and Michael Emerson Backstage At The 2009 Emmys

The lovely Carrie Preston who portrays Arlene Fowler on Alan Ball's hit HBO TV vampire series True Blood and her talented husband, Michael Emerson who plays Benjamin Linus on ABC's Lost spoke with Madison Michele backstage at the 2009 Emmys after his win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. They both spoke about their shows and how Carrie has appeared on Lost and if Michael were to appear on True Blood what role he would like to play.  Enjoy this wonderful video of this talented and endearing couple. SOURCE: TVGuide

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Who Is The Hottest Supporting Vampire?

ExtraTV is holding another poll and is asking the question who is the "Hottest Supporting Vampire?"  As Extra states on their website "Stephen Moyer, Robert Pattinson and Paul Wesley steal the spotlight in "True Blood", "Twilight" and "The Vampire Diaries" -- but all of these leading men have blood-sucking sidekicks that give them a run for their money as the hottest vampire on-set!" So who is in the running?  Of course True Blood's very own Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) is pitted against Cam Gigandet from "Twilight", Kellan Lutz from "Twilight", and Ian Somerhalder from "The Vampire Diaries". So once again True Blood fans need to prove their point that True Blood is the best.  Haven't we proved it enough in all these polls by now?  If you wish to cast your vote click on the link here. SOURCE:  ExtraTV.com (Photo credit: Jenn Brown, BSR-12 via JustJared.com)

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True Blood: See Alan Ball And The Writers At Paley

Calling all Trubies! As we watched season 1 and season 2 of True Blood didn't you ever just want to get inside the heads of the show's writers. Maybe you wished you could get a chance to talk to Alan Ball and get certain questions answered. Well this is your lucky day. Alan Ball and his team of fabulous writers will be at the Paley Center in Los Angeles to present True Blood: Inside the Writer's Room. This will be a chance for you, the fans, to ask questions about the show and also get some insight into the upcoming season 3. This amazing event will take place on October 28, 2009 at 7pm PDT. Tickets will be available on the Paley Center's website starting on October 1st. So be one of the first to get a chance to talk to Alan Ball and the writers who bring us amazing episodes of True Blood each week. You may even get some juicy season 3 spoilers! SOURCE:  E! Online Photo Credit: HBO Inc.

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PHOTOS: Alexander Skarsgard At FantasticFest 2009

Alexander Skarsgard attended the screening of his movie Metropia at FantasticFest 2009 in Austin, TX on September 26, 2009.  Alexander and Tarik Saleh did a question and answer period with the audience about the movie during its screening.  Below are some of the photos of Alex at the event. Click on the photo then click the square box in the bottom right-hand corner to enlarge to its original size.  Please visit our photo gallery to view more photos of Alex at the event.

SOURCE:  Jenn Brown, BSR-12 via JustJared.com

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VIDEOS: Alexander Skarsgard Attends FantasticFest 2009 For His Movie Metropia

Alexander Skarsgard attended the screening of his movie Metropia at FantasticFest 2009 in Austin, TX on September 26, 2009.  In the two videos presented here you will see Alexander and Tarik Saleh do a question and answer period with the audience and then Alex does a brief interview with SkarsgårdNews.com. Below is a summary of the movie:

"Metropia" is taking place in a not-so-distant, terrifying Europe. The world is running out of oil and the net of undergrounds has been connected, creating a gigantic web underneath Europe. Roger (Vincent Gallo) from a suburb of Stockholm tries to stay away from the underground. He thinks it's unpleasant and sometimes he hears a strange voice in his head. One day Roger finds out that his life is controlled in every detail. He tries to break free. To succeed he needs super-model Nina (Juliette Lewis) to help him. Or is it maybe Nina that needs Roger? Alexander Skarsgard provides the voice of Stefan and Alexander's father (Stellan Skarsgard) is the voice of Ralph.

SOURCES SkarsgårdNews.com IMDb.com (Photo credit:  Jenn Brown, BSR-12 via JustJared.com)

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VIDEO: True Blood Cast Thank Fans For Support

Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton), Sam Trammell (Sam Merlotte), Michelle Forbes (Maryann Forrester), Anna Camp (Sarah Newlin) and Adina Porter (Lettie Mae Thornton) spoke with CNN on the red carpet at the HBO Post Emmy Party and thanked the fans for all their support and for making the show a hit. Stephen made a funny comment about Bill and Eric, and the rest of the cast hope the fans had fun watching the show and continue to support it when it comes back for season 3. SOURCE: CNN.com

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Ryan Kwanten At Variety's Power Of Women Luncheon

True Blood's handsome and charming Ryan Kwanten attended Variety's Power of Women Luncheon in Beverly Hills on September 24th. In an exclusive interview at the event, Ryan told Extra that his mother is the most powerful woman he knows, saying:

She raised four boys--that's including my father!...She turned us into men.

Extra also asked Ryan about the taste of the fake blood that's used on the set of HBO's True Blood, and apparently it is nothing like the blood orange flavored soda, Tru Blood. Ryan explained that it's instead "a bizarre kind of glucose concoction" and no one would want to drink very much of it because:

Like with anything, if you have too much, it's not gonna go down well.

Fortunately for him, Alan Ball has not made Ryan's character, Jason Stackhouse, drink any of it so far, though who knows what Season 3 might have in store. In addition to talking with Extra, Ryan posed for several photos at the event.

SOURCE: Extra (Photo credit: Bob Charlotte / PR Photos via exposay.com)

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True Blood's Second Season Averaged 12.4 Million Viewers Per Episode

Even in this tough economy, the second season of Alan Ball's HBO vampire drama True Blood was a ratings juggernaut.  Whether viewers watched each episode when it first aired on Sunday night, saw it on Demand, or used DVR to watch the episode later, they were all indisputably and avidly tuning in to every episode this summer. This month, Variety examined the top three subscription cable networks, calling specific attention to True Blood in its analysis of the way audiences are changing their viewing habits:

The audience base for HBO's red-hot vampire drama "True Blood" offers a good illustration of how viewing is changing. According to HBO, the series' sophomore season, which wrapped Sept. 13, averaged 12.4 million viewers per episode, when measured across various viewing platforms. But only 24% of those viewers came for the show's premiere 9 p.m. Sunday telecasts. Some 37% of "True Blood's" true-blue fans caught reruns on HBO and its themed channels throughout the week, while 21% watched via DVR playback and 18% watched on the HBO on Demand platform. It's telling that the percentage of on-demand viewing climbed significantly from the show's first season, when it was 13%, while the rerun viewing dropped sharply, from 56% in season one.

While the rest of the article contends that subscription cable channels are scrambling to maintain viewing audiences and subscriptions in the face of Internet download services like iTunes, TV by the Numbers strongly disagreed with Variety's stance on this issue, stating:

When the numbers can just speak for themselves, let them speak for themselves!  In September 2008, Nielsen estimated coverage for HBO was 30.78 million, Showtime, 18.93 million and Starz in 20.6 million.   In September 2009 the estimates are 32.5 million for HBO, 22.2 million for Showtime and 22.52 million for Starz.   That's not an exodus, that's growth!  Significant growth!  ...Could it be that in a recessionary environment, even as customers rein in discretionary spending, that the perceived value of the entertainment dollar for subscription cable services is higher!?

Regardless of the long range plans of all three subscription networks, clearly HBO owes a huge part of the network's growth in viewership to Allan Ball and the fantastic cast, writers, and crew of True Blood.  Equally obvious is the audience's feeling that True Blood provides quality entertainment worth paying for.  While it's smiles all around for network executives, this information is fantastic news for True Blood fans everywhere because it means we will get more of the show we love. How do you watch True Blood?  Do you watch each episode on Sunday night premieres?  Watch each episode on Demand?  Record each episode on DVR to watch later? Catch reruns later in the week?  Rewatch each episode to catch things you might have missed the first time around? Without a doubt, with True Blood pulling in such phenomenal numbers, HBO will be watching our viewing patterns closely as they move forward as an entertainment provider. SOURCE: Variety and TV by the Numbers (Photo credit: JustJared)

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Ryan Kwanten at Variety's Power of Women Luncheon

True Blood's Ryan Kwanten attended Variety's Power of Women Luncheon in Beverly Hills on September 24th.  Ryan told Extra that his mother is the most powerful woman he knows because:

She raised four boys--that's including my father!

Ryan also answered questions about what the fake blood on the set of True Blood actually tastes like, saying that it's a "bizarre kind of glucose concoction" which no one would want to drink very much of because:

Like with anything, if you have too much, it's not going to go down well.

Luckily for him, Ryan's character, Jason Stackhouse, hasn't been turned into a vampire, so he can avoid that problem. While at the event, Ryan also posed for a few photos

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Stephen Moyer And Michael McMillian At The HBO Post Emmy Party Video

Hollywood411.com had the chance to catch up with several celebrities on the red carpet at the HBO Post Emmy party recently and spoke with True Blood's Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton) and Michael McMillian (Rev. Steve Newlin).  It is a short clip but it is always a delight to see Stephen and Michael on video anytime especially now that the season is on hiatus and we crave to see the True Blood stars on video as much as possible. SOURCE: Hollywood411.com

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Anna Paquin's Trick 'R Treat New Movie Trailers

Several new movie trailers have been released of Anna Paquin's 2008 movie, Trick 'r Treat, that is scheduled to come out onto DVD and Blu-Ray on October 6, 2009.  Many horror film fans having been waiting for the release of this movie for quite sometime and after watching these trailer they will not be disappointed and will be guaranteed to be scared to death. The movie is set in a small town where an unsuspecting couple learn a terrifying lesson that some traditions such as blowing out a Jack-o-Lantern before midnight can have dangerous consequences. The movie follows four women who cross paths with a costumed stalker at a local festival; a group of pranksters goes too far and discovers the horrifying truth buried in a local legend; and a cantankerous old hermit is visited by a strange trick-or-treater with a few bones to pick.

The doorbell rings, the cry goes out: Trick 'R Treat! But, wait. What's actually going on during this ghostly All Hallows Eve? Something eerie and unexpected. Something splattered and spooky. Something that brings ghouls, vampires and werewolves into the night. From producer Bryan Singer (director of X-Men and Superman Returns) and writer-director Michael Dougherty (co-scripter of X2 and Superman Returns) comes a goodie bag of wicked yarns, four cleverly interlocked stories built on Shocktober admonitions like always check the candy and don't extinguish the jack-o-lantern before midnight. So answer the door now: Experience horror made for today's fright fan.

The movie also stars Quinn Lord, Brian Cox, Dylan Baker, Leslie Bibb, Tahmoh Pennikett (of TV's Battlestar Galactica and more recently Dollhouse), as well as a host of other actors. The Internet Movie Databse (IMDb) site rates this movie at a 9.3 out of 10 stars. Treat 'R Trick looks at the dark side that lurks around us and sometimes within us to provide us with the ultimate fright: the unknown. SOURCES: movieweb.com thehdroom.com slashfilm.com

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Ryan Kwanten's New Movie "Griff the Invisible"

THR.com and Everyday Pictures just released news that True Blood's, Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse) will be featured in a new film directed by first-time Austrailian director, Leon Ford, entitled "Griff the Invisible". Kwanten co-stars with Maeve Dermody in this romantic comedy about two people who need to save each other from their own eccentricities, while also trying to save the planet. The film is being produced by Nicole O'Donohue of Green Park Pictures, Jan Chapman and Scott Meek. Production of "Griff" gets started next month in Sydney, Austrailia. Below you can find a synopsis of the movie which was released by Everyday Pictures on their website.

"Griff is a simple man, in a simple job, living a simple life. Or so it seems....What his co-workers don't know is that Griff is not who he seems to be. At the end of each day,when everyone else goes home, Griff disappears into a starkly different world. A world where nothing is safe, where the person next to you could be your mortal enemy. Griff is a secret agent and part-time super hero. At least that's what he thinks he is. A lone-wolf with a job to do, on the fringes of society, fighting for freedom and justice. Melody is a loner too. Working in a dead-end job, still living at home, with embarrassing parents who spend most of their time inviting inappropriate men for family dinners. She wants to escape the sleepy suburbs where she spent her youth. She wants out. Through a mixture of design and fate, Griff and Melody meet, and their worlds change colour. Griff has spent his life being ridiculed and ostracized. Now he has a playmate. Melody has yearned for a more exciting life, and now, with Griff, has permission to play. Griff the Invisible is a thrilling love story that doesn't fir the mould, about two people who don't fit in. Set in a world half real and half imagined, it's a story about being yourself, when everything around you demands conformity. About finding happiness and finding the person who will let you be who you want to be."

SOURCE:  THR.com and Everyday Pictures Photo credit:  Albert L. Ortega / PR Photos via exposay.com)

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Nelsan Ellis And Ashley Jones Also To Attend EyeCon's True Blood Convention

We now have more exciting updates about the EyeCon guest list! Nelsan Ellis and Ashley Jones are scheduled to appear, along with Sam Trammell and Allan Hyde. So True Blood fans who are able to go to this convention in Orlando, Florida, November 13-15, will not only get the chance to hang out with Sam Merlotte and Godric, but Lafayette and Daphne, too!

EyeCon is a fan-friendly multi-genre celebrity autograph convention for science fiction, horror, television and movie fans! There will be Celebrity Autograph sessions, Celebrity Photo Op sessions, a Celebrity Banquet, a Cocktail Party with the stars, Panels, Games, Guitar Hero, Celebrity Breakfast auctions and so much more! There will always be something to do during the busy, fun-packed weekend!

The variety of events spread out over three days allow fans many opportunities to interact with the actors in a relaxed atmosphere. There are parties on Friday and Saturday night. At the panel sessions, you can ask questions about what it's like working on the show. Sounds like a very fun convention--spending time with 2 shapeshifters, 1 vampire, and a party-loving human! Who knows, maybe more people from the cast will be added between now and November? Most importantly, it's going to be thousands of people sharing their love for True Blood. For fans interested in more information about tickets and programming, check out www.eyeconfla.com. SOURCE: eyecon.com (Photo credits: Albert Ortega/PR via exposay.com, Robert Voets/CBS via soapoperasource.com)

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Stephen Moyer Talks About Vampires, TV, and Dogs

With people everywhere fascinated with vampires we have seen an abundance of movies, books, and tv series which cater to our vampiric needs. The three that stand out the most though are True Blood, Twilight Saga, and the new show on CW, The Vampire Diaries, which is also based off a book series. E! Online recently caught up with the True Blood star at an event he hosted with fiancee, Anna Paquin, Good Dog Animal Rescue, and asked him how he felt about these other vampire series compared to his True Blood. Stephen was not able to comment too much on the other series because he hasn't seen either one.

"I haven't watched Vampire Diaries, and I haven't watched Twilight either. I haven't even seen the end of our show yet."

Stephen did tell E! Online what he does watch when he finds the rare time to watch a little television.

"I f--king love Breaking Bad. I've watched it twice through."

Stephen even said that he would love to perhaps be on the show at some point.

"At the Emmys, I actually went and introduced myself to Vince Gilligan, the creator, because I'd love to do it. I also introduced myself to Matt Weiner, [the creator] of Mad Men—not because I want to do their shows more than True Blood, but I do love them."

One thing the star doesn't want to do right now is get another dog. Stephen already has his 10 year old dog, Splash, and Anna and him just rescued another dog they named Banjo.

"It's too much work. Banjo is this little, beautiful, sweet lunatic who today we think ate either his or maybe some of Splash's poo."

It's an admirable thing what Anna and Stephen are doing, trying to protect animals, and whether your Team Bill or Team Edward, anyone could appreciate that! Keep up the great work Stephen and Anna! SOURCE:  E! Online Photo Credit: Marie Claire

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Vampire vs. Human TV Boyfriends

Stephen Moyer and David Boreanaz shared the stage as presenters at the Emmys on September 20th, and while their current onscreen counterparts--Bill Compton (True Blood) and Seeley Booth (Bones)--share very little in common,  I have to wonder if the awards show producers didn't put the two actors together simply because of David's work as the vampire, Angel, from Joss Whedon's Buffy and Angel series. While critics may have just gotten onto the vampire bandwagon, we fans have all known for years:  vampires make for sexy TV. Why?  Sara Bibel of Fancast explains in her article "Why TV Vampires Make Better Boyfriends Than Their Fictional Counterparts":

So why are the undead considered so damn sexy? And why vampires, specifically? No one is hot for zombies. Academics argue that being bitten is a literary metaphor for sex, specifically loss of virginity. The obsessive nature of vampire lust also makes him an appealing fantasy. Nothing is more important to a vamp than the object of his obsession. A vampire would never blow off a girl to play fantasy football with his boys...In fact, TV vampires are consistently better boyfriends than their mortal fictional counterparts.

As a longtime fan of the vampire genre, I have to agree.  Vampire boyfriends have been laying waste to their human counterparts for years. After all, they've had a pretty big headstart, what with having centuries of experience and all. Stephen and David's work is specifically described in the Fancast article as examples of this phenomenon.  She first compares David Boreanaz work as both Seeley Booth (Bones) and Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel), stating:

Booth is an FBI Agent who works tirelessly to solve crimes. He also served his country as an Army Ranger. Angel is a P.I. whose mission is to help the helpless. They're both stand up guys, with a facility for the dryly witty clip. Let's stipulate that they are both equally attractive David Boreanaz lookalikes. Both have their issues with women. Sex with his true love Buffy turned Angel into the diabolical Angelus. That led to the death of Buffy's beloved teacher and the near destruction of the world. Once Angel was resouled, they were forced to settle for a disappointingly chaste relationship. On the other hand, at least Buffy and Angel's relationship actually happened. Booth only had sex with Bones in a DREAM SEQUENCE. Then when he woke up he had apparent amnesia. Who would ever want to date a guy who cannot bring himself to pursue a girl in real life? And a guy who forgets all about the girl? Nobody, that's who. Plus, Angel will sing Barry Manilow at karaoke.

For fans of Alan Ball's True Blood and Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mystery series, this comparison is very relevant.  Charlaine has praised the dialogue in Angel and Buffy, and she makes direct reference to both shows in her novels.  Some of HBO's True Blood characters have referred to their Sunnydale counterparts as well. Fancast doesn't stop the comparisons there, however.  Stefan Salvatore of Vampire Diaries is compared with Chuck Bass of Gossip Girl, with the vampire clearly way ahead of his competitor in the romance department, and then True Blood's Bill Compton is pitted against Friday Night Lights' Tim Riggins because:

Bill and Tim are both small town heartthrobs with bad reputations. Every human in Bon Temps is suspicious of Bill just because he is a vampire. Sure, he used to kill people but he is reformed now that synthetic blood is available. No one gives Riggins credit for renouncing his partying ways, either. But Bill is a far better boyfriend. He is a stand up guy who is willing to risk his life for Sookie and frequently stand up to his fellow vampires. He is the poster child for personal responsibility, acting as a ward to the girl he was forced to turn into a vampire. Tim, not having hundreds of years of life experience, frequently lets Lila down. He resents Lila's attempts to help him win a college scholarship. He makes a drunken ass out of himself. Sure, his heart is in the right place, but in the long run he is always going to choose failure over success.

There have been hints that Bill Compton has some skeletons in his closet which Sookie might be shocked to discover, but whatever may be revealed, it's very likely that, so long as Sookie is certain that those things are definitely in his past, he is still the better boyfriend compared to his human heartthrob counterpart. Fancast wraps up the comparisons by examining first Mick St. John of Moonlight and Shawn Spencer of Psych (no real serious contest between the two crime solvers there), and then Dark Shadows' Barnabas Collins and Mad Men's Don Draper.  With this final analysis, the two are more evenly matched, though in the end, as Fancast states, it's Barnabas the vampire for the win, mainly because of Johnny Depp's upcoming film portrayal of Barnabas in Tim Burton's adaptation of Dark Shadows because, "Depp is always, always the better man." Do you agree that vampires make the better boyfriends?  Have some other examples of your own?  Weigh in with your opinion below. SOURCE: Fancast.com (Photo credits: JustJared, HBO Inc., and Warner Brothers, Inc.)

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Ryan Kwanten on His VH1's Divas Appearance

Looking handsome as ever, Ryan Kwanten, along with True Blood costar Sam Trammell, appeared on the recently on VH1's Divas. The show, hosted by Paula Abdul, featured a strong group of female music artist, including Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Clarkson, Martina McBride, and several others, for a night of powerhouse singing and collaboration. Ryan helped introduce a duet by Miley Cyrus and Sheryl Crow. He told Access Hollywood that he really loves music, and supports what Divas is about:

"I just love the whole idea. My mum is very much an independent woman who doesn't mind speaking her voice and speaking up for what she believes in and I think that's also some of the deep-rooted themes of what the show is for."

Ryan also described himself as a big Sheryl Crow fan, and was excited by the possibility of speaking to her:

"I hope I get a chance to meet her when it all takes place...I'll just be me and say that I'm a fan and I hope she doesn't think I'm an idiot."

What a sweet guy for getting out there and supporting the ladies! SOURCE: accesshollywood.com (Photo credit: nypost.com)

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Nelsan Ellis Has A Soft Spot for Pups

True Blood's Nelsan Ellis, who portrays Lafayette Reynolds, made an appearance at Melanie Segal's Teen Choice Lounge last month.  Nelsan took the time to hug a puppy that was available for adoption through Tails of the City Animal Rescue.  Tails of the City holds adoptions every Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at Petco on La Brea in Los Angeles.  They also have a facebook group, Tails of the City Animal Rescue. SOURCES: blogs.dogtime.com tailsofthecityrescue.com (Photo credit: Platinum Publicity)

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Why True Blood is Better Than Twilight

Are you a die hard True Blood fan? How about the Twilight saga? Do they even compare -- or are they in totally different universes?? The Indiana Statesman published an article recently that laid out the reasons that True Blood is way better than Twilight -- as if the True Blood fans hadn't figured that out! I'm going to go out on a limb and say that True Blood and Twilight are the two most popular vampire "worlds" out there right now. Sure there may be other TV shows and books, but these two series (and I'm including the books, TV shows, and films associated with them) are by far and away the most recognizable at the moment. And they have inspired a bitter rivalry amongst their fans! Twilight and True Blood do have some similarities in core stories -- vampire/human romances, special powers like telepathy, and supernatural characters to complete their casts (think werewolves). But that is pretty much where they separate. True Blood comes closer to following long established vampire "rules" - no vamps out during the day (remember what happened to poor Bill when he bravely tried to rescue Sookie from Rene?), no entering into houses where they haven't been invited, and wooden stakes an silver definitely have a negative impact on True Blood vampires. Not so for the Twilight crew -- they just turn all "diamonds and glitter" in the sun (I saw the movie -- not the best special effects effort they could have put forth!), they come and go where they please, and the only thing that kills a Twilight vampire is being pulled apart limb from limb and burned. Ouch. Twilight and True Blood are aimed at totally different audiences - so True Blood gets to be way edgier and scarier. Alan Ball and HBO are not afraid to show the fans the darker side of vampire life, so we get lots of blood and gore. Twilight, in contrast, sticks to the "PG" version of events. I don't even think Alan Ball and HBO know what that means! And let's talk about Sookie Stackhouse and Bella Swan -- those two shouldn't even be in the same sentence! The heroines in each story are so different from each other it is like night and day. Sookie is a much stronger main character than Bella is. The Statesman article points out that in True Blood, there are fewer instances of sexism than Twilight -- something I personally had never thought about. Twilight's heroine, Bella Swan, does put off a "need to be rescued" vibe, and she does let Edward have an unhealthy dose of control over her (really girl - stand up for what you want!). Sookie, on the other hand, doesn't hesitate to get right into the action - beating people to death with shovels, marching straight into Maryann's den of iniquity, telling Eric just what deal she'll strike to guarantee Lafayette's safety. She is one mouthy girl, and her confidence is so sexy! The number one reason, according to the Indiana Statesman, that Twilight bites in comparison to True Blood, is the general content and meaning of True Blood. As they put it:

1. True Blood says something. In "Twilight," the vampires are just vampires. In "True Blood," the vampires are used throughout the show as a metaphor for the marginalized in society-specifically homosexuals. Unlike "Twilight," in the "True Blood" universe, vampires are not a secret. So the show's larger theme is how society adjusts to their presence. The show makes frequent use of news clips covering the debate over vampire marriage and the opposition from right-wing religious groups. The show cheekily plays up the homosexual metaphor with signs reading "God hates fangs" and references to vampires "coming out of the coffin."

True Blood has fans everywhere. Even at the Emmy awards -- the whole audience (which included more than a few celebrities) cheered when they showed True Blood clips. What better accolades than your peers cheering you on? That must have been so great for the cast of True Blood! Are you a fan of True Blood? Do you like Twilight too? Is it possible to appreciate both? Share your thoughts with us! Source: Indiana Statesman Photo Credit: HBO Inc.

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