Ryan Kwanten's Blood Runs Cold
By Kat Angus
DOSE.CA

"The real-life Kwanten is a stark contrast to Jason Stackhouse, his character on True Blood, the HBO vampire drama from Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball. The actor agrees, admitting that he has very little in common with the "modern-day, redneck Casanova" he plays on the show.

"He has no willpower; he has an addiction complex; he has an insecurity complex," Kwanten says. "But I think everyone knows someone like Jason - well, maybe not to the full extreme of the trouble that he gets himself into."

Full Article:
http://www.dose.ca/tv/story.html?id=55b13e99-3ce0-4687-9f4e-2a3ae41958eb


"True Blood" Star (Rutine Wesley): "Things Are About To Get Real Krunk!"
by Jarett Wieselman
NY Post PopWrap

"PW: Will we see that start to happen in the last two episodes?
Rutina: You're going to see Tara come to the end of this journey with her anger demon. The car crash represents a fork in the road and now we need to watch and see if she goes left or right, because, let's face it - she's hit rock bottom. I mean, that dress and side ponytail alone is rock bottom! [laughs] Oh, I loved it, loved it!"

Full Article:
http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2008/11/true_blood_spoi.html


Ryan Kwanten: 'Jason's World Is Completely Shattered!"
by Jarett Wieselman
NY Post PopWrap

"PW: Rutina told me that not only has she avoided reading the books, but she actively tells fans of the show not to as well. What's your take?

Ryan: My take is quite similar to Rutina's in that I don't want to spend an abundance of time worrying what the fans of the book are thinking in terms of who or what Jason should be. I think Charlaine [Harris, the novel's author] has created such a great character but it's important to make it TV savvy. I'm responsible for making him real."

Full Article:
http://blogs.nypost.com/popwrap/archives/2008/11/true_blood_ryan.html


True Blood's Rutina Wesley Tells Io9 She's Not The Huxtables
By Meredith Woerner
io9

"io9:So tell me why do you like Tara? She's such a troubled character?

RW: It's just her character. It's nice to see an African American character that has so much depth, and is so smart, self educated, she didn't go to college or anything. She's not the Huxtables. She just has a good imagination, 'cause she had to learn it all herself. And just the fact that she uses language as her defense but underneath that is the little flower that you get to see on all of her, that's unveiled all along, and you kinda see her unveil all of that weight that she carries around with her."

Full Article:
http://io9.com/5095199/true-bloods-rutina-wesley-tells-io9-shes-not-the-huxtables


Graham Shiels Gets "True" With SOS
By Jennifer Snyder
Soap Opera Source

"True Blood pushed the envelope with the nudity and the language. Every episode there was somebody having sex. Liam’s sex scenes showed full backside nakedness. Was that something that was difficult for you to do? I mean some actors are not open to showing a lot of skin and True Blood is a series that shows a lot of skin every episode.

GS: I was very nervous when we shot that. As, I'm sure, my co-star was, too. Had it not been Alan Ball, Oscar award-winning writer, and HBO, I never would have done it. And it was just my butt. It wasn't full frontal. I'd never (never say never, Graham) do full frontal. I've done it onstage, though, in a Shakespeare play. But I knew in this case it served the story and that it would be handled with great taste seeing as it's Alan Ball. Blood taste.

There was even an episode that you were in bed with Sookie’s brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten) during one his love scenes with a girl who had had sex with Liam. Was it uncomfortable for the two of you doing that scene together?

GS: Working with Ryan was not uncomfortable at all b/c we both knew this was a fun "bit," so to speak. It was very fun to shoot. Ryan had this great idea he should be holding my foot and that's how he notices it's me and not the girl--and in retrospect, I think we should have gone the whole way and he could have been sucking my toes, too!"

Full Article:
http://soapoperasource.com/features/interviews/interview-with-graham-shiels.html


Exclusive Interview: Sam Trammell of 'True Blood'
By Don WIlliams
BuddyTV

"How did the role on True Blood come about, and what was that audition process like for you?

Sam: Well, I had been hearing about it for a while from my agent, this script by Alan Ball that HBO was going to be doing. I got it and read it -- I was already interested even before I read it, but I read it and thought it was amazing. I basically went in and auditioned with one of the casting directors on tape. I think Alan was in New York, he was out of town, so they showed him the tape and then Alan decided he wanted to test me. I don't know if you know that word, but it's when you do your final audition in front of HBO. He decided he wanted to do that so that was great, and he wanted to meet with me beforehand. I went to his office and met with him, and kind of read the scenes with him and he gave me some notes. I think he showed me the first two scripts as well. Then I went and did the audition for HBO and I found out that I got it the same day. I was like screaming in the car, I was thrilled."

Full Article:
http://www.buddytv.com/articles/true-blood/exclusive-interview-sam-tramme-24734.aspx

Tags: Articles, Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley, Graham Shiels, True Blood