Allan Hyde: The Challenge of Playing Godric

Last season we saw 2,000 year-old Godric face the sun.  It was a heartbreaker for both Eric and Sookie and for many of the thousands of True Blood fans watching HBO's hit series. Allan Hyde, who plays Godric, the vampire who sired Eric Northman (played by Alexander Skarsgard), will be returning in Season 3 in flashbacks.  Talking with Starry Constellation Magazine, Allan spoke about his character. He would not say anything specific about the Season 3 flashbacks, but he did say the characters are getting more attention and we'll get to know them better, as well as their secrets.

"For myself, Godric is a great way of seeing what it is like during the different stages of the vampire life. In the second season, we see him at 1,000 years old when he lived in the wilderness and turned Eric.  We also saw the contemporary Godric and two polar opposites of the character.  We saw him very beastlike and very humanlike."

Getting the part right out of high school in Denmark, Allan found the role challenging.  Although Godric is 2,000 years old, he is still a teenager.  How do you "ooze this experience, age and wisdom that a 2,000 year old vampire would have"?  No one knows, so research wasn't forthcoming. Allan had to not only make it up, but also make it believable. Allan was offered the role in True Blood while still in Denmark.  He had never heard of the show but was ready to take on this huge adventure.  It is customary to take a couple of years off after high school before starting university.  So, although coming to the U.S. to portray an ancient vampire was not something he had thought of doing, Allan embraced the opportunity and did his homework. He said the rapport with the cast came instantly.  In the first flashback last season, the scene involved Alexander (from Sweden), two other actors (one from Sweden, the other from Finland) and himself, from Denmark.  They all had coffee together to meet each other and to translate the lines into Swedish.  "They were just great people." Asked why he thinks True Blood is so popular, Allan said that it's exciting, scary and sexy - a story and universe that people find fascinating.  He watches because he enjoys the storylines and likes the way the characters develop.  The various layers include both funny and scary aspects.

"It's just got a little bit of everything and I'm really excited to see what happens in the third season.  If you sit down and think about it, it's a comment on society.  It deals with everything and the problems that we see in modern society, but doesn't pull specific things out of their element so you have to think about it."

We will learn more about the history of Godric and Eric in Season 3 flashbacks. Source:  starrymag.com (Photo credit - justjared.buzznet.com)

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