TRUE BLOOD CHARACTERS
Sookie Stackhouse
Sookie is a telepathic waitress in a small-town restaurant and the main protagonist of the series. Because of her ability, she has difficulty forming lasting human relationships. She becomes involved in a romantic relationship with a vampire, Bill, upon discovering that she can’t read his mind. This relationship with a supernatural being causes a lot of controversy in her small town. Through Bill, she finds herself entering into a world of creatures and supernatural conflict that surpasses her worst nightmares. She has lived with her grandmother, Adele Stackhouse, since childhood, after the death of her parents.
* Jeffrey Nicholas Brown plays Corbett Stackhouse and Jenni Blong plays Michelle Stackhouse, Sookie and Jason Stackhouse’s parents. They are killed in a flash flood prior to the events of the series. They appear only in flashbacks, and are portrayed as loving parents albeit horrified and confused by Sookie’s telepathy.
Bill Compton
Bill Compton is a vampire romantically involved with Sookie. Turned during the American Civil War against his will, Bill shows more compassion for human life than many other vampires. He is outwardly expressive of his emotions and holds onto memories of his past human life, behaviors that are unique amongst his vampire peers. Many times, Bill risks his life and standing in vampire society to protect Sookie from the dangers their relationship has brought on.
* Amber Dawn Landrum plays Bill’s wife, Caroline Compton, in a flashback during Season 1.
* Shannon Lucio is cast to play Bill’s wife, Caroline Compton, in an expanded role during Season 3.
Sam Merlotte
Sam is the owner of Merlotte’s, where Sookie works. During the first season, Sam is characterized by his adoration and loyalty towards Sookie Stackhouse. When Bill Compton becomes involved with Sookie, he openly disapproves of their relationship and (despite initially showing support for equal vampire rights and selling Tru Blood at his bar) feels as though vampires and humans should be separate whether they’re equals or not. Sam is also a shapeshifter, often watching over Sookie in the form of a dog, and the first supernatural introduced to the series that isn’t a vampire. He keeps his nature as a shapeshifter hidden from Bon Temps (though vampires and other supernaturals appear to be able to recognize what he is on sight), and Sookie is the only human resident to know his secret during the first season.
* J. Smith-Cameron is cast to play Melinda, Sam Merlotte’s biological mother, in Season 3.
* Cooper Huckabee is cast to play Joe Lee Mickens, a role described as the husband of Sam Merlotte’s biological mother in casting calls, in Season 3.
* Marshall Allman is cast to play Tommy Mickens, Sam Merlotte’s younger brother, in Season 3.
Jason Stackhouse
Jason Stackhouse also known as “The Stack” is Sookie’s not-too-bright, self-involved brother. He supervises a road crew during the day, and is known for bedding the women of Bon Temps at night. During the first season, he is the prime suspect in the murders of four women, all of whom have a connection to him: Maudette Pickens, Dawn Green, his grandmother, and Amy Burley. He meets Amy at Fangtasia while attempting to score V, to which he has become addicted. After Amy is killed, he comes to believe that he is responsible for the murders and turns himself in; while in jail, he is recruited by the Fellowship of the Sun, an anti-vampire church, who approve of what they believe to be his crime of killing fangbangers. During the second season, Jason becomes more involved with the Fellowship, attending a leadership conference with the Rev. Steve Newlin and his wife Sarah, the church leaders. Although he and Sookie spend little time together, Jason is vigilant in defending and protecting her. He bonds with Andy Bellefleur after the events at Sookie’s house precipitated by Maryann Forrester. He shoots Eggs in the head in the season finale when he thinks that Eggs is going to hurt Andy. His action is concealed by Andy, who lies and says he killed Eggs in self-defense, as Eggs was the killer of Miss Jeanette and Daphne (it is true that he committed those crimes, though Andy didn’t know that).
Tara Thornton
Rutina Wesley portrays Tara Thornton in HBO’s, True Blood. Brook Kerr was the first actress to portray Tara; she was replaced immediately after the pilot episode and her scenes were reshot with Wesley.
In the television adaption True Blood, Tara is an African-American woman who has been Sookie Stackhouse’s best friend since they were children. Tara grew up in a very abusive home with an alcoholic mother, and consequently finds it difficult to fit in with normal society or to trust people. She is very adept at reading people and constantly distances herself from others by speaking her observations candidly and plainly. As a result, she has difficulty holding down a job until Sam Merlotte hires her to be a bartender at Merlotte’s. Tara has been secretly in love with Jason Stackhouse since they were children and Jason protected Tara from the wrath of her drunken mother. While growing up, Tara spent a lot of time at the Stackhouse home. In season 1, Tara becomes a “friend with benfits” to Sam, and in season 2 she falls in love with Eggs Benedict Talley thanks to the manipulations of Maryann Forrester. Lafayette is Tara’s cousin. As angry and resentful as Tara is of her alcoholic mother, she still attempts to help her, and frequently yields to her mother’s manipulations, only to be emotionally abused once again.
Lafayette Reynolds
Lafayette is a short order cook at Merlotte’s, a drug dealer, a member of Jason Stackhouse’s road crew, and a gay prostitute.
In casting, Alan Ball had concerns that the character’s sexuality would be a dominating trait, “because you don’t want to bring in someone who’s going to play that in a phony way.”[6] Nelsan Ellis says that it took him a few episodes to find the character. Ellis says that he based many of Lafayette’s mannerisms on his mother and his sister, and that the costuming also helps him get into character.
I have more makeup on than any of the females in the cast. Once they get me with the fake eyelashes and the eye makeup, I listen to some Rihanna and I’m there.
—Nelsan Ellis, The Philadelphia Enquirer
At the end of Season 1, Lafayette is kidnapped by Eric on suspicion of being involved in the disappearance of a vampire, Eddie, under Eric’s jurisdiction. Lafayette is chained in the basement of Fangtasia for a long time, and Lafayette demonstrates that he is a survivor, as he uses his skills to attempt escape and to convince Eric to not kill him. Sookie ultimately rescues him, and he then suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder for the rest of the season. In Season 3, Lafayette meets Jesus Velasques and they begin a relationship. When he and Jesus take V together, they both discover that their ancestors used black magic.
* Alfre Woodard plays Lafayette Reynolds’s mother in Season 3.
* Lafayette appears in only the first Sookie Stackhouse novel, as his body is discovered in Andy Bellefleur’s car at the beginning of the second novel. In the TV show, it is the body of Miss Jeanette that is found. The character was preserved in the TV series due to his popularity and in order to help support Tara’s expanded role in the series.
* Kevin Alejandro plays Lafayette’s love interest in Season 3.
Eric Northman
Eric Northman is the Sheriff of Area 5, a vampire district in Louisiana. A Swedish Viking warrior in life, he is over 1,000 years old and is a powerful member of the vampire community. He runs the vampire bar, Fangtasia, in Shreveport, and develops an interest in Sookie Stackhouse after discovering her unique ability to read minds during the first season. Immensely strong and the oldest vampire in Louisiana, he rips a man into pieces during the second season. As sheriff he enforces vampire law, a duty that includes bringing Bill Compton to be tried by the Magister for killing a fellow vampire: Longshadow. Eric and Bill are portrayed as being in a strained form of conflict; Eric wanting Sookie but being unable to take her due to vampire etiquette, and Bill unable to act on his anger toward Eric due to being a vampire subject to Eric’s jurisdiction as sheriff.
For several weeks during the second season, Eric holds Lafayette Reynolds prisoner at Fangtasia for selling V. Eric trades Lafayette’s freedom (and a substantial sum of money) for Sookie’s assistance in his search for Godric, the missing Sheriff of Area 9 in Dallas and his maker. Eric, still technically bound to Godric, is intensely loyal and cares deeply for his maker. This quality of the character is highlighted when Godric (who has grown weary of life after over 2,000 years of existence) decides to commit suicide by exposing himself to sunlight at dawn. When he first hears of Godric’s desire to end his life, Eric shows anger, then breaks down weeping, begging his maker not to leave. Here Eric shows a vastly different side to his usually collected and taciturn personality. At first insistent on staying by Godric’s side and dying with him, Eric does not leave until Godric invokes his authority as Eric’s Maker to directly order him to leave.
Throughout the second season, Eric’s interest in Sookie progresses from his initial curiosity to romantic attraction. This attraction comes to a head when he tricks Sookie into sucking silver bullets out of his body (ostensibly to save his life), resulting in her unintentionally consuming an unknown portion of his blood. This causes Sookie to feel sexually attracted to Eric, and also allows Eric to monitor her emotions and location at all times.
At the beginning of the third season it is also revealed that Eric is aware of the werewolves who have taken Bill and, with Godric, masqueraded as SS during the Second World War, hunting Werewolves. His prejudice toward a specific group of Werewolves stems from his family being murdered by a group of them, who were ordered by a mysterious vampire which Eric learns to be Russell Edgington, the Vampire King of Mississippi. His feelings and attraction to Sookie are also more apparent, as he begins to have dreams of her in his sleep.
To get close to Russell, he pledges his allegiance by betraying Sophie-Anne and blackmailing her into marrying Russell. He also forces Hadley, Sookie’s cousin, to reveal that Sookie is a fairy, and that Sophie-Anne sent Bill after her. When they get back to Jackson, Eric offers to help calm down Talbot’s stress while Russell goes after Bill and Sookie. Eric and Talbot almost have sex, but Eric stakes Talbot as part of his revenge. Eric reveals Russell’s plans to Nan Flanagan and the Authority. They task Eric to conduct an “off the books” mission to hunt and kill Russell.
* Natasha Alam plays Yvetta, Pam and Eric’s new sex toy and the new Fangtasia dancer, during Season 3.
Jessica Hamby
Jessica Hamby is a young vampire “made” by Bill as a part of his punishment for murdering a fellow vampire at the end of the first season. Having been raised in an overly strict family, she relishes the freedom that comes with being a vampire, but her petulant attitude tries Bill’s patience. During season two, Jessica finds a love interest in Hoyt Fortenberry, but because she was a virgin before she was made vampire, her hymen grows back each time they have sex. Their relationship is put under strain when after a fight she attacks his mother when provoked. Distraught after her fight with Hoyt and his mother she feeds on a trucker, accidentally killing him. She is haunted by this and is eventually blackmailed by Franklin who uses the trucker against her. Her relationship with Hoyt is still strained due to her inability to talk about what she has done; he proceeds to make her jealous with another woman due to her ignoring him and mistakenly thinking she had moved on. Jessica becomes the new hostess at Merlotte’s and is seen to be feuding with Arlene. In episode eight of Season Three, she tells Bill how she killed the trucker because Bill had never taught her how to behave as a vampire. The pair bonds and she admits to Bill that she loves Hoyt, but feels her inherent nature as a vampire is unworkable with his good, kind personality. She is portrayed by Deborah Ann Woll.
* Ben Lemon plays Jordan Hamby, Jessica’s father.
* Cheryl White plays Mrs Hamby, Jessica’s mother.
* Annalise Basso plays Eden Hamby, Jessica’s little sister.
Pamela Swynford De Beaufort
Pamela Swynford De Beaufort, commonly referred to as simply Pam, made into a vampire by Eric about a century before the events of the series, is introduced during the first season as his loyal (albeit lazy) assistant and the bouncer at Fangtasia. Though Pam’s background has largely not been explored within True Blood, she and Eric occasionally speak to one another in Swedish. She also has claimed that she used to be a prostitute “a long, long time ago.” Cynical and apparently devoid of feelings, she is often by Eric’s side but does not accompany him to Dallas in the second season. After Lafayette is healed by Eric’s blood, she enlists him to sell V for Eric. Throughout the series, Pam often displays lesbian tendencies. In season three she was briefly held captive and tortured by the Magister, who was trying to find out who was selling V. She is freed by Mississippi Vampire King Russell Edgington as a favour to Eric, who helped Russell blackmail the Queen of Louisiana into marrying him, thus uniting the two states. In episode 33 Pam reveals that she’s been with Eric for 100 years.
Tommy Mickens
Tommy is Sam’s brother who first appears in Bad Blood. He is seen to be more in control of his shapeshifting abilites than Sam is. He has tried to kill Sam, and has stolen from him. He is shocked by the news of having a brother he never knew about and hated him at first, but after spending time with him he begins to enjoy having Sam for a brother to the point where he asks Sam to let him stay with him after a fight with his father, Joe Lee. Sam also gives Tommy a job at Merlotte’s. It is revealed in “Hitting The Ground” that Joe Lee uses Tommy and his mother (in the past) in dog fights in order to gain money. Once Sam discovers this, he persuades Tommy to leave his parents and stay with him and Tommy accepts. Tommy is also shown to pick fights at Merlotte’s and shows an open dislike to Hoyt, which may be due to his feelings for Jessica Hamby. He is portrayed by Marshall Allman.
Alcide Herveaux
Alcide is Sookie’s werewolf bodyguard that Eric sent to her to accompany her on her trip to Jackson, Mississippi in an effort to find Bill. He is still struggling over his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Debbie Pelt who after becoming addicted to V, gets engaged to Coot and starts to work for Russell. He helps Sookie survive in werewolf meetings, and discovers that Russell Edgington is supplying Coot’s pack with V. When he changes, he appears as a white wolf. He is portrayed by Joe Manganiello. Manganiello announced at ComicCon 2010 that series creator Alan Ball had asked him to become a series regular as of Season 4. © Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The MARKETING OF TRUEBLOOD
The premiere of True Blood was prefaced with a viral marketing/alternate reality game (ARG) campaign, based at BloodCopy.com. This included setting up multiple websites, encoding web address into unmarked envelopes mailed to high profile blog writers and others, and even performances by a “vampire” who attempted to reach out to others of their kind, to discuss the recent creation of “TruBlood”, a fictional beverage which is featured in the show. A MySpace account with the username “Blood” had, as of June 19, uploaded two videos;[26] one entitled “Vampire Taste Test – True Blood vs Human”, and one called “BloodCopy Exclusive INTERVIEW WITH SAMSON THE VAMPIRE”. A prequel comic was handed out to attendees of the 2008 Comic-Con. The comic centers around an old vampire named Lamar, who tells the reader about how TruBlood surfaced and was discussed between many vampires before going public. At one point, Lamar wonders if TruBlood is making the world safe for vampires or from them.
Several commercials featured on HBO and Facebook aired prior to the series premiere, placing vampires in ads similar to those of beer and wine. Some beverage vending machines across the US were also fitted with cards indicating that they were “sold out” of TruBlood.
Promotional poster for second season
HBO produced and broadcast two documentaries to promote True Blood, entitled “True Bloodlines”. The first, Vampire Legends, explored the earliest portrayals of vampires in legend, literature and cinema. The second, A New Type, focused on the shift in how pop culture perceives vampires, from creepy Nosferatus to today’s sensual, sexual creatures. To that end, the show also covered the modern vampire subculture and real-life vampire clubs. Actors and writers from True Blood appeared in the documentaries. The shows first aired on September 6, 2008, on HBO.
Thousands of DVDs of the first episode were handed out to attendees of Midnight Madness, a special screenings event of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. Blockbuster Video provided free rental of the first episode of True Blood several days before it was broadcast on HBO. The video had a faint promotional watermark throughout the episode.
On April 16, 2009, HBO released the first teaser poster for Season 2. The image uses a perspective technique that shows observers one of two images. A minute-long promotional video advertising season two, which featured Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”, was released via Entertainment Tonight in early May.
On September 10, 2009, HBO.com began selling Tru:Blood, a beverage branded to resemble the fictional synthetic blood that appears in the show. The beverage is a carbonated drink, developed and manufactured by Omni Consumer Products, a company that specializes in defictionalizing brands from television and movies, and FMCG Manufacturing Company, a specialist manufacturer of licensed entertainment products.
There is also a website for The Fellowship of the Sun, antagonists from the book series, featuring videos about hot-button issues such as becoming a vampire.
FX, available in the UK, launched an extensive promotional website for the series.
On September 15, 2009, HBO filed a trademark registration with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a possible future electronic game based on True Blood.
On September 18, 2009, HBO launched a True Blood jewelry line in collaboration with New York-based designer Udi Behr. Inspired by the series, the jewelry has a Gothic look and features sterling silver, polished steel, and rubies.
On June 1, 2010, HBO held a special event at a number of movie theaters around the USA, complete with red carpet, searchlights and swag bags. Contest winners were invited to watch a special live broadcast that included fan-favorite clips, the Season 2 finale, a preview of Season 3, and a live interview on the set of True Blood with the cast and Alan Ball.
HBO will be selling True Blood figural busts featuring Bill, Sookie, and Eric in summer 2010. Busts of other characters will also be available later.
HBO and IDW Publishing announced at the 2010 WonderCon that they would be publishing a comic book based on the series. Alan Ball developed and wrote the comic. The first booklet, with a print run of 53,000, was released in July 2010 and soon sold out. The second issue went on sale August 18, 2010, with a second printing of the first issue going on sale August 25. It is reportedly the first comic book based on a TV series. © Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Neck Piercings
A neck piercing is a series of surface piercings done to emulate the appearance of a bite on the side of a person’s neck. A barbell is placed in the skin of the side of the neck. When the earring/barbell is removed it looks like a vampire bite.
Straight barbells will, in almost every case, cause a surface piercing to be rejected. Surface bars are the best jewelry for vampire bite piercings.
This piercing is also commonly done through the loose flesh on the back of the neck and is called a nape piercing. Like most surface piercings, neck piercing reject about 90% of the time; usually because of infections. Infections can be avoided by maintaining proper piercing hygiene.
Due to the high amount of movement performed by the neck during the day, the jewelry used is usually made of Teflon. This allows the piercing to move fluidly with the neck. A steel bar would restrict movement and be very uncomfortable. Shortly after the piercing is performed, the surrounding area is prone to swelling and bleeding. The neck will continue to stay swollen for the next few days, and the skin around the ends of the piercing will be red and inflamed.
