Last week was the panel for True Blood at the Television Critics Association Press Tour. I was lucky enough to attend, and besides getting a sweet bag of swag, I also found out some great little tidbits about the series from creator Alan Ball, Anna Paquin (Sookie Stackhouse), and Stephen Moyer (Bill Compton).
Rule number one for journalists: don’t call Anna Paquin a little thing. One reporter asked her if she felt Alan Ball’s treatment of her character was fair, since she was such a little thing. It’s easy to see how she could play a character like Sookie. Anna Paquin defended Ball and herself in one fowl swoop: “Is it fair? I’m having the best time of my life! Are you kidding me? And I’m not just a little thing, thank you very much.” Check and mate.
Warning this article contains True Blood spoilers.
How about some fun facts and spoilers for this season and the future?
1. Alan Ball hinted that Arlene and Terry’s baby may be somehow related to the creepy baby doll that ended up in Jessica and Hoyt’s house at the end of season 3. And how could they not be related somehow? Two creepy babies in one show much have something to do with each other.
2. Alan Ball is not going anywhere as rumored and there will be a True Blood season 5!
3. The biggest challenge of the show for Alan Ball is to tell all of the stories that the show has in the time he has to tell them, but one of the great things about the strong cast of the show is that he can write to each specific actor’s strengths.
4. Steven Moyer would love to have scenes with characters like Lafayette, Terry, and Arlene.
5. Anna Paquin most enjoys the aspect of the show where the funny lines mix with dark storylines: “I love my messed-up mised with my funny as much as the next gal. You know, I think that the more you bring humor into darkness…if you can laugh through a situation even if it’s incredibly sad or really hard…it’s kind of the way through.”
6. Stephen Moyer confessed to the cast always trying to get spoilers from the writers of the series. Nice to know that we’re not the only spoiler-hungry fans of the series. The actors want to know what’s going to happen next just as much as we do!
7. This is big! Season 5’s storyline will include the backstory of one of our favorite vamps on the show. Who? Well, we’ve already got Bill’s, some of Eric’s. Any guesses?
8. Stephen Moyer told us that Pam has one of the best lines she’s ever said in an upcoming episode. Watch out for it!
9. When asked about the arc of Bill and Sookie’s love story, Moyer said, “If you love someone, you have to set them free.” As for their real life love affair, Paquin noted, “Our love in real life is fine. So I’m totally happy for our characters to be as sad and distraught as messed up and hating each other as they like….let’s face it. It’s not interesting television if everything works out for Bill and Sookie and then they…adopt five babies and live happily ever after.” Moyer went on and joked that he pitched to Ball that he was getting a little bored in his real life and wouldn’t mind adding someone to the mix.
10. Here’s what Moyer had to say on Sookie’s growth throughout the series: “She starts as this innocent virgin in the first season, and she’s changed from there….she’s starting to choose what she wants instead of being prayed upon…”
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(Image courtesy of HBO)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
