HBO Launching True Blood Blog

HBO is about to unveil a new way for fans to keep up with True Blood.

The network will announce on today a production blog called “Inside True Blood” that will give fans behind-the-scenes details of production on season four. The idea was prompted by the success of the network’s production blog on Game of Thrones.

The blog will have real-time contributions from Gianna Sobol, assistant to series creator Alan Ball, straight from the set.

The first post goes live today at 9:00 am (ET) at http://inside-true-blood-blog.com and all I know is it contains this sentence: “Today’s call sheet includes the words ‘hostage,’ ‘bites,’ ‘dinner’ and ‘Eric.’”

Ryan Kwanten is Australia GQ's Man Of The Year

True Blood hunk Ryan Kwanten has been named GQ's Man of the Year in his native Australia.

The actor received the top award at the Sydney ceremony on Tuesday night, while The Twilight Saga: Eclipse star Xavier Samuel landed the Man of Style honor.

Chris Hemsworth was lauded with the Breakthrough of the Year award for his career success, which has seen him land roles in Star Trek and the lead in upcoming superhero epic Thor, while Ben Mendelsohn walked away with Actor of the Year.

Other winners at the annual prizegiving include Birds of Tokyo, who won Band of the Year, and Firass Dirani, named TV Actor of the Year.

Ryan Kwanten Praises Gay Brother for Coming Out

Many of you fell in love with Ryan Kwanten watching him on HBO’s True Blood on which he plays endearingly dim himbo Jason Stackhouse.

Prior to True Blood, Ryan starred in an episode of Law & Order: SVU as a military guy wrongly accused of rape. The 33-year-old Aussie actor was so good in that episode and his chemistry with series star Mariska Hargitay was off-the-charts.

Ryan recently chatted with Brandon Voss from The Advocate and they covered all kinds of gay ground.

Here are some highlights:

Before True Blood, you starred as a lifeguard in the Australian soap Home and Away. Were you aware of gay fans that early in your career?
Yes, they’ve always been very staunch supporters of me. The great thing is that it’s a loyal fan base — they’ll stick with you through thick and thin, and I like that. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty.

I read a story in Star that claimed you purposely keep your love life private in part because you’re so conscious of your gay following. Any truth to that?
Well, it’s in Star, so it’s got to be true. [Laughs] But yeah, and, to be honest, it’s more than my love life. It was Einstein who once said, “The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.” We almost know too much about far too many actors in this day and age — to the point where it becomes harder and harder to see them as a character. So I’ve always tried to maintain somewhat of an air of mystery.

Were you always comfortable with the idea of male admirers?
Oh, yeah. Australians are a very open-minded society, and I come from a very liberal, open family, so it’s something that I’ve embraced from the get-go. My youngest brother, Lloyd, is gay.

Tell me about him.
He’s a doctor, so he got every ounce of intelligence in the family. He was probably about 18 when he came out, and I can wholeheartedly tell you that from the day that he did, he was a changed man for the better. The sheer beauty of who he is really came through.

Let’s talk True Blood. With the exception of Jason, all the major male characters were involved in homoerotic action last season. Did you feel left out?
Well, there are more seasons to come, so there’s still many an opportunity. I’m sure Alan Ball’s concocting some road to take Jason down that he’s never been down before.

Your True Blood costar Stephen Moyer recently auctioned off his “modesty sock” for charity. Would you auction off your penis pouch for a gay charity like The Trevor Project?
Well, I’ve gone through more than one, so there might be a couple out there. I’ll have to speak to Audrey, our wardrobe designer, and see if she can track one down. There’s quite a collection, actually—one for every mood.

You wrote an upcoming satirical self-help book, The G-Strategy. Any chance the G stands for gay?
It’s stands for whatever you want it to, Brandon. That’s the beauty of it.

Go to Advocate.com to read the interview in its entirety.

True Blood's Joe Manganiello is Engaged

Sorry friends, Joe Manganiello is off the market.

While on vacation in Italy the True Blood heartthrob, 33, popped the question to his girlfriend, actress/model Audra Marie.

Manganiello, who plays werewolf Alcide Herveaux on the HBO drama, and Marie met at a 2009 Super Bowl party, but it was anything but love at first sight.

"She wouldn't go out with me for six months," Manganiello told People magazine in September. "We started dating a few months before I got cast [on True Blood]."

Manganiello says Marie is "a great dresser. She's gorgeous, and she's tall. And she's sweet ... nice. And she makes crazy English breakfasts."

Marie, meanwhile, says her man’s most appealing qualities are his "sense of humor, his work ethic and how humble he is with everything that has gone on."

The pair have not yet set a wedding date.

It's Official: 'Spartacus' Moving Forward with Recast

That this was inevitable doesn’t make it any less sad: Starz has officially started looking for an actor to replace Andy Whitfield on Spartacus.

According to the just-released casting notice, producers are searching for a Caucasian male in his mid to late 30s to play the “smart, intense, passionate” title role. Interested parties must have an authentic British accent and be prepared to sign a three-year contract.

Whitfield was forced to bow out of the show’s second season after doctors advised him to resume “aggressive treatment” for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Last week, executive producer Steven S. DeKnight said the production would either “close up shop or recast.” It looks like they’re moving forward with the latter.

No one can possibly replace Andy Whitfield. But the person who probably comes closest is Grant Bowler who started on Ugly Betty and can now be seen on True Blood.

GLAAD Bosses Applaud 'Gay-friendly' Shows

Gay rights campaigners have applauded the TV bosses behind hit shows including True Blood and Glee for bringing more homosexual characters to the small screen.

A report by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has found the number of gay, lesbian or bisexual characters appearing on TV has risen over the last year.

The study claims homosexual characters now make up 3.9 per cent of all those seen on U.S. TV.

Hit vampire show True Blood, which stars bisexual Anna Paquin and has featured six gay characters, was singled out for praise, along with musical show Glee and Modern Family.

GLAAD president Jarrett Barrios says, "The increase in lesbian, gay and bisexual characters on primetime television not only reflects the shift in American culture toward greater awareness and understanding of our community but also a new industry standard that a growing number of creators and networks are adopting.

"The recent critical and commercial success of shows like Modern Family and Glee clearly indicate that mainstream audiences embrace gay characters and want to see well-crafted stories about our lives."

True Blood's Joe Manganiello Hungry Like a Wolf for His Girlfriend

True Blood's hunky werewolf Joe Manganiello sometimes brings his work home with him. And that's just fine by his girlfriend, actress and model Audra Marie.

"I sniff you a lot. And I growl a lot when you ask me to do things, like clean up," Manganiello joked to Marie while talking with People magazine at Wednesday's New York premiere of HBO's Boardwalk Empire.

Asked if it's a turn-on that her boyfriend plays a werewolf, Marie replied, "Of course!" She added that Manganiello is perfectly cast, "if you saw how he eats at home. He likes to eat meat without a utensil."

They draw the line, however, at Manganiello coming home in full werewolf makeup. "No," says Marie. "He washes that off, scrubs if he has to."

The pair met in early 2009, "on the way to the Commissioner's Ball when the Steelers won the Super Bowl," Manganiello says. But it took a while to win Marie over. "She wouldn't go out with me for six months," he says. "We started dating a few months before I got cast [on True Blood]."

Asked to name each other's best qualities, Manganiello says Marie is "a great dresser. She's gorgeous, and she's tall. And she's sweet ... nice. And she makes crazy English breakfasts."

Marie, meanwhile, while surely fond of Manganiello's abs, points to his "sense of humor, his work ethic and how humble he is with everything that has gone on."

And apparently she's a fan of his acting, too. "Joe introduced me to the show on our first date," she says. "And on our second date ... he brought the DVD."

True Blood Finale Shows Bill Compton’s True Colors

Always pay attention to your instincts. That’s what Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) learned on the season finale of True Blood Sunday.

Earlier in the season, Sookie wondered if she could really trust her on-again, off-again vampire beau Bill Compton, played by Paquin’s real-life husband Stephen Moyer.

After Sunday, it seems like the answer is no — or is it?

SPOILER ALERT!

In an episode filled with spectacular bloodshed and surprising deaths, Bill unceremoniously tries to kill Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgard) by covering him with cement.

Bill later tells Sookie what he’s done, claiming it was only to protect her -– because she is part fairy and in great demand among vampires who crave her blood.

Just as Bill seems to be winning Sookie over, Eric comes back from his concrete tomb and reveals Bill’s original intention behind courting Sookie: He was sent by the Queen of Louisiana (Evan Rachel Wood). Eric also points out that during their initial meeting, Bill allowed Sookie to get nearly beaten to death so that he could swoop in to save her by giving her his blood, which helped her heal and would give the two a bond.

Devastated to learn of Bill’s deception, Sookie screams and throws him out, though he weeps bloody tears and swears he still loves her.

So can Bill be trusted? One of True Blood‘s many cliffhangers includes an apparent battle to death between Bill and the Queen who wants Sookie — and her blood — for herself.

Howl! ‘True Blood’s’ Joe Manganiello Talks About Season 3 Finale

In one summer, “True Blood’s” Joe Manganiello has gone from rising star, to the hot hunk on everyone’s lips.

When Access Hollywood first spoke to the Pittsburgh-bred actor earlier this summer — on the eve of his personal premiere (in episode 3) of the acclaimed HBO series — he was buzzing and excited about welcoming family and friends to a small party to celebrate his work as Bon Temps’ newest arrival. He was thrilled to have won the role of the werewolf Alcide and found it a kick that a few people at his gym, hip to “True Blood” casting news, had recognized him and offered some early enthusiasm.

Now, things are a different story… a bigger one.

“Its like completely changed,” Joe laughed down the phone line from across town in Los Angeles. “I mean, the amount of fan response?… I’m a regular on the show now, that’s the big change. I guess the level of just like awareness I have… There’s paparazzi that would show up at my gym when I was working out. It’s been wild.”

The paparazzi presence has been interesting for the 6’ 5” actor, who told Access he’s now paying a little more attention to his out-of-home get-ups.

“Yeah, you have to watch what you’re wearing obviously and you mix your schedule up accordingly, but there’s an amount of it that’s good and it means people are watching the show and people are wondering what I’m doing,” he said. “You know, I don’t want to be famous because I want people chasing me around at the grocery store. I wanted to be recognized for the work I’ve done in order to get more work and better work and to be able to make better choices. It was really about freedom.”

As for his work – there’s more of it on the way this Sunday. Joe’s character Alcide, who has been absent for several episodes, returns to Bon Temps for the Season 3 finale, and while there, he’ll be running into Anna Paquin’s character – Sookie Stackhouse.

“I’ll say this: Sookie and Alcide pick up where they left off, with their last conversation on her porch,” he said, referring to the steamy moment where a not-quite-single Sookie stared dreamily into the tanned werewolf’s big brown eyes.

“From there, there’s a lot of unfinished business that any viewer of the show could see,” Joe continued. “So Alcide’s gonna come back and he’s gonna take care of some business.”

In the Charlaine Harris books that Alan Ball’s HBO series is loosely based around, Alcide is friendly with the vampire king of Mississippi, Russell Edgington, played by Denis O’Hare. So far the two haven’t interacted on the show as of yet — but could they?

“I cannot confirm or deny that, but you wont have to wait very long for that answer,” Joe explained.

As for finally getting some screen time with Alexander Skarsgard’s character – Eric Northman – who initially ordered Alcide to protect Sookie, Joe said that “possibly” could happen.

With “True Blood’s” Season 4 not set to begin shooting until November, the actor said he’ll be spending at least part of his time off in Europe, finally able to take it all in.

“I’ve been going full bore for the past 9-10 months, so I’m also gonna take a little bit of time off and go to Europe for a little while and bounce around,” he said. “I’ve never been to Europe, so I’m gonna go visit and check it out.”

The Season 3 finale of “True Blood” airs on HBO on Sunday at 9:00 pm (ET).

Joe Manganiello:"I Shoveled Sand & Gravel Before True Blood"

Breakout stars don't come more "breakout" than True Blood's Joe Manganiello.

Manganiello told Extra's Lauren Sanchez that before becoming sexy werewolf Alcide, his life was far from glitz and glamour.

"I was shoveling sand and gravel off the back of a truck trying to make ends meet for a little while in there," he said of his pre-stardom days. "Hauling cement bags and jackhammers... it got rough."

Now the actor can been seen nearly nude, battling baddies on True Blood.

"We all have to appear naked on the show," said Manganiello. "You get three choices [on how to cover up], one's a sock, a thong with a plastic back -- and I was warned that when you run really fast the plastic will snap... The third [choice] is the man panty or the manty -- which is so tight and constricting." Joe told Lauren he decided to go with the sock.

What does his girlfriend think about all his racy scenes? "There's a lot of understanding that she gives to me," he said. "But she's been great about it all."

True Blood's Alexander Skarsgard Talks About His Guy Kiss in Vampire Sex Scene

HBO’s True Blood will have its season finale on September 12th, which will turn out to out be it's best season.

Alexander Skarsgard, who plays vampire Eric, told Entertainment that he and Talbot (Theo Alexander) really wanted the scene where Eric seduces Talbot and then kills him to be powerful for viewers: “I’d never kissed a guy before on a show or in a movie, and that was Theo’s first time as well, and we talked about it. It goes from being this romantic, beautiful scene, and they’re getting rough with each other and getting it on — and [then] the turn where Eric just slaughters him. It’s such a rich scene. I basically said, ‘We’ve got to sell it in the beginning. It’s got to be passionate and beautiful because then the payoff is going to be so much more rewarding.’”

Alexander talked about the scene in an interview with Movieline three weeks ago:

What was the energy like on set the day that you shot the sex scene?
Well, I think that whole week, Alexander [Skarsgård] and I were both a little bit anxious, but we were joking and being professional. Alexander is a great actor, though, and he helped me get beyond the physical part of the scene. I had been afraid of the scene from the very beginning — from the first moment that I held the script in my hand — but I’m glad I did it because every time you face your fears, you move forward. It was a good experience at the end of the day.

What aspect of the scene scared you?
Well, the part about kissing another man. I don’t really do that, so… I didn’t want to think of him as a woman. Many people told me, “Oh, just close your eyes and think of him as a woman.” But no, because that is a totally different energy and I had to be very present with Alex and his male energy. I had to open myself to be able to actually be attracted to him, like, really attracted to him. At the end of the day, it was fun, though.

How did you prepare for the big scene that day? Was there certain music that put you in the right frame of mind — or alcohol?
No, no, no. I remember that I went back to my trailer and I concentrated. I did some acting exercises. I was playing the archetype of a lover, so I put on a sexy, slow song and almost did like a belly dance. I tried to get into the mindset of just being sexy and not caring about your sexual preferences and just acting on that attraction.

True Blood & Jersey Shores Hit High Ratings!

As summer nears the end, cable's hottest seasons were really scorching last week.

HBO's "True Blood" and MTV's "Jersey Shore" both hit series highs, while rookie dramas "Covert Affairs" on USA and "Rizzoli and Isles" on TNT continue to impress. Also looking good were the likes of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" and E!'s "Keeping Up With the Kardashians."

Overall, it was live events like the Emmys and preseason football that helped settle the weekly rankings. CBS, NBC and Fox all tied for first place among adults 18-49 with a 1.8 rating/6 share, followed by Univision (1.4/5), ABC (1.3/4) and top cabler USA (1.0/3).

CBS, whose "Big Brother" is having a great summer, edged past NBC to win among adults 25-54 (2.3/7 to 2.2/6) and also made it 10 straight weeks as primetime's most watched network overall (6.6 million to NBC's 6.4 million).

At HBO, the season's penultimate episode of "True Blood" surged to a 3.2 rating/9 share in adults 18-49 and drew 5.44 million viewers overall -- standing as primetime's No. 3 program (and No. 1 series) for the week in adults 18-49.

This is especially impressive considering that HBO is available in less than one third of the country. Also, its Sunday timeslot put it up against the only two telecasts to rate higher for the week: NBC's coverage of the 62nd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (4.1/12 in 18-49, 13.50m) and Fox's special preseason NFL game between the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers (3.7/11, 10.13m).

The Emmys improved by a smidge vs. last year in total viewers to hit a four-year high; and apparently boosted by fans of 19-time nominee "Glee," the kudocast hit a five-year high in female teens (2.3/9).

MTV's reality skein "Jersey Shore" (3.0/9, 5.82m) racked up another high, placing fifth for the week in 18-49 and first in women 18-34 (5.5/18).

At USA, "Covert Affairs" (1.9/5 in 18-49, 5.87m) again built nicely on its "White Collar" lead-in (1.3/4, 4.60m). And the net scored even bigger with its Thursday combo of "Burn Notice" (2.1/6, 6.29m) and "Royal Pains" (1.8/5, 6.08m), which aired their summer finales.

TNT rookie "Rizzoli and Isles" (1.6/5, 6.73m) continues to mesh well with its lead-in from "The Closer" (1.4/4, 7.05m), matching or besting the vet in both 18-49 and 25-54. "Closer" still stood as cable's most-watched program overall.

Also performing well in crowded timeslots on cable were Monday's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" on Bravo (1.7/5, 3.36m) and Sunday's "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" on E! (1.9/5, 3.57m).

ESPN moved up to second in 18-49 for the week among cablers thanks to preseason NFL action on both Monday (1.8/5 in 18-49, 5.06m for Arizona-Tennessee) and Thursday (2.1/6, 5.73m for Indianapolis-Green Bay).

CBS improved its weekend standing by airing a pair of its own NFL exhibition games, winning Friday with its San Diego-New Orleans matchup (1.8/7 in 18-49, 5.94m) and dominating Saturday with Dallas-Houston (2.2/8, 6.44m).

The Eye's "Big Brother" also had another big week, with all three editions making the top 10. Wednesday's installment racked up the best 18-34 score for the franchise since 2007 (2.6/10), and Sunday's seg -- airing opposite the Emmys -- surged to the show's best delivery on the night since its spring edition in 2008.

NBC's "America's Got Talent," which ranked fourth for the week in 18-49 (3.1/9), and trailed only the Emmys among total viewers.

ABC, without football or any event programming, was led by Tuesday's "Wipeout" (2.7/9 in 18-49, 7.98m).

Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer Get Married

From True Blood to true love – Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer have tied the knot.

"Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin were married on Saturday evening in Malibu surrounded by their family and friends," the couple's reps said.

Paquin – wearing a white halterneck gown and Neil Lane jewelry with her hair in an updo – and Moyer, clad in a dark suit, exchanged vows at sunset under a white tent at a beachside villa.

"It was a beautiful evening to get married and the sunset was gorgeous. Anna and Stephen seemed very excited to celebrate their wedding day," a source stated.

Celebrity guests included True Blood creator Alan Ball, costars Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell, Rutina Wesley and Carrie Preston as well as actor Elijah Wood.

The good news comes after a year-long engagement for the stars of the hit HBO series. Moyer, 40, proposed with a vintage-style ring on the beach last August.

"It’s great to have the freedom to enjoy your work and not feel like you're leaving your other life behind," Paquin, 28, says of the couple's relationship. "It’s a pretty sweet setup."

Stephen Moyer: There's 'Nothing Exciting' About Filming Sex Scenes

Stephen Moyer says filming sex scenes for his hit show True Blood isn't as thrilling as it might seem. He says he's often just thinking about what he's going to eat for lunch while all the steaminess goes down behind the cameras.

He said: “The naked aspect is part and parcel of the show. And honestly, when I'm doing a sex scene, all I think about is the food I'm going to eat after the scene is finished. Everybody has to starve themselves so if they put the sex scene after lunch, it's a f***ing nightmare. Believe me, there's nothing exciting about doing those scenes."

Stephen, who plays vampire Bill Compton opposite his real life fiancee Anna Paquin, 28, also claims he wasn’t worried about meeting Anna’s mother, Mary, even though she had seen his and Anna’s naked sex scenes. He said: “Was it weird that Anna's mum had obviously seen a lot of me before we met? Well, I don't know. I didn't ask Mary that.”

The 40-year-old actor was quick to praise his future mother-in-law calling her “evolved”. He added to the New Zealand Herald newspaper: "But you need to realize that she's a very spunky, very modern, evolved woman. She's very aware of what it is that we do and what it is that Anna does. Remember, she was with Anna was she was 14 or 15 and doing all those provocative movies like Hurly Burly and 25th Hour.”

Paparazzi!: Animal Attraction

True Blood's Joe Manganiello covers up his sexy wolf-pack abs Sunday at the Crest 3D White Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles.

The Joy of Vampire Sex: 'True Blood' on Rolling Stone's Latest Cover

The following is an excerpt of an article from the September 2, 2010 issue of Rolling Stone. This issue is available today on newsstands, and Friday, August 20th online via Rolling Stone's premium subscription plan.

The idea of celibate vampires is ridiculous, True Blood creator Alan Ball says. "To me, vampires are sex," he says. "I don't get a vampire story about abstinence. I'm 53. I don't care about high school students. I find them irritating and uninformed."

On his show, every available orifice is used for intercourse: gay, straight, between humans and supernatural beings, and supernatural being on supernatural being, whether he be werewolf, dog or an enormous Minotaur-looking being called a maenad. None of the sex is quite as good as vampire sex, though, which can happen at the astonishing rhythm of 120 bpm while simultaneously devouring one's neck and making your eyes roll back into your head.

Says Stephen Moyer — who plays Bill Compton, the undead Southern Civil War Veteran — "If we go from a base level, vampires create a hole in the neck where there wasn't one before. It's a de-virginization — breaking the hymen, creating blood and then drinking the virginal blood. And there's something sharp, the fang, which is probing and penetrating and moving into it. So that's pretty sexy. I think that makes vampires attractive." He laughs a little. "Plus, Robert Pattinson is just hot, right?"

To read Vanessa Grigoriadis' story in full and read about why sex is the centerpiece of the show, Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer’s on-set romance and how Alexander Skarsgard channels his inner evil, you must be a subscriber to All Access.

Already a subscriber? Starting Friday, August 20th, continue on to The Archives. Not a member and want to learn more? Go to our All Access benefits page.

True Blood's Joe Manganiello Would Bet Money on More TV Nudity in His Future

Hey mom, everybody's doing it! But does everyone look so good in nude scenes?

The exposure comes easy to Joe Manganiello as protective and loyal werewolf Alcide on HBO's True Blood because, hey, his costars are shedding their clothes too!

"[It's not] uncomfortable as long as everyone else has to do it," Manganiello said at the 9th Annual InStyle Summer Soiree in Hollywood. "Everyone else has to do it, so when it's your turn, it's your turn."

And fans of the new Hollywood heartthrob, 33, can rest assured, those racy scenes will keep coming. "I'm never going to stop shape shifting," Manganiello said. "So I'm sure there will be more [nudity] in the future. I would bet money on that."

But as a serious, theater-trained actor, Manganiello cares more about people appreciating his art than appreciating his abs. "For years, I've been begging people to watch the shows I was on, and now I don't have to," he says. "It's definitely the best thing [about fame]."

Well, that and your carved abs getting so much screen time.

Alexander Skarsgard Digs Being Naked

True Blood star Alexander Skarsgard isn't shy about stripping down for the camera, and he thanks his Scandinavian background for the confidence.

He said in an interview with Popeater.com: “I'm not a prude. I'm from Sweden, and it's different there. I love to be naked. It's kind of liberating."

Being comfortable with nudity is a must for the 33-year-old heartthrob, who plays sexy Viking vampire Eric Northman in the HBO television series.

He has already appeared naked on screen many times in sexually charged scenes with a number of his female co-stars. But the actor, who is reportedly dating 27-year-old actress Kate Bosworth, insists he is not willing to bare all for no reason.

He said: "If it makes sense, I'll do nudity, and it's made sense every single time I'm naked on the show."

And Alexander is equally comfortable stripping off in front of men. He revealed: "I've got a very, very graphic scene coming up [in True Blood] that I shot with a man.”

“True Blood” Star Stephen Moyer Talks About Co-Star and Fiance Anna Paquin’s Being Bisexual

Actor Stephen Moyer, who has starred as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series True Blood since 2008, knew almost from the very beginning that his co-star and fiancee Anna Paquin is bisexual – something she made public fairly recently.

“I’ve never been in a relationship before in which, literally within the first three days, all the cards were laid out,” he says in a new interview with Playboy. “It wasn’t something that was kept from me. I condone what she has done 100 percent, and it’s her business to talk about it, not mine. It doesn’t change anything. I’m proud of who she is.”

Sounds like a great guy.

The couple will not be lacking for work. True Blood has just been renewed for a fourth season.

Meet True Blood‘s Vampire King of Mississippi

Bon Temps is getting a taste of royalty this season on True Blood — or better yet, royalty is getting a taste of Bon Temps.

With the evil machinations of Maryann coming to a gruesome and goring end in the season 2 finale, the role of outright evildoer was left glaringly vacant.

Despite all the fang-flashing and glowering (mixed with a generous amount of carnal blood-sucking) they are prone to, the blood-lusters of Bon Temps can’t seem to shake that annoying habit called humanity.

In fact, Godric — the oldest and most powerful vampire that viewers had been introduced to — seemed to have come full circle, showing more compassion and understanding than most of the human characters and ultimately choosing to sacrifice himself in the name of human-vampire relations.

Well, there’s a new King in town, and his name is Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi, and it’s safe to say that he is no Godric.

“I have plans,” actor Denis O’Hare says of his character. “I am 2,800 years old and I am the oldest and the strongest vampire.”

And when the oldest, strongest vampire in the land says that he has “plans,” think bloody redecorating on a global scale with the human race as throw pillows.

“Russell intends to take over the world,” O’Hare said. “He feels that human beings have squandered their stewardship of the earth by not treating it well. And he is an old Celt, a Druid, who was an earth-worshipper, and he feels like he needs to take over.”

The reign of terror is really more of a reign in response to human error, but according to O’Hare, Russell isn’t all doom and gloom.

“I have a boyfriend on the show,” the actor says. “Talbot — he’s a beautiful Greek man and we’ve been together 700 years.”

While it’s safe to say that none of us will ever know what it is to feel the 700-year itch, O’Hare was kind enough to let us in on the secrets to keeping a relationship together for nearly a millennium.

“When you get to be 2,800 years old, you’ve seen it all, you’ve tried all of the positions. Nothing surprises you because you’ve tasted everything,” O’Hare says with a laugh. “A marriage at that point is more than just sex. It’s about supporting each other and mutual interests. It’s about telling the truth even when it hurts. It’s about sharing a willing live human!”