Who is joining the cast of True Blood now?

It's Panthers!!



Werewolves, step aside. As this exclusive photo reveals, a panther has been spotted on the set of HBO's True Blood, and will make her on-screen debut in mid-August.

Could this be a sign that the series is tearing a page from Charlaine Harris' books and transforming fan fave Jason Stackhouse into a werepanther?

While Ryan Kwanten (Jason) confirms to me, "I've been working with the panthers and they're a lot cooler than the wolves," creator Alan Ball only says, "We have shot some scenes with actual panthers in the same way we have shot with actual wolves. But I won't say there are or aren't werepanthers on the show." And if I were to tell you anymore, I'm afraid I might get my eyes clawed out.

'True Blood' gets back to business

When we last gathered ‘round the TV to catch up with Bon Temps’ sexy assortment of supernaturals and conflicted mortals, we found ourselves wading waist-deep in the ongoing plot exposition of this season’s too many new characters and storylines.

But last night, we finally got down to business and settled into the “True Blood” we love and ignore our husbands for.

So, after an attempt to gather intelligence on Bill’s whereabouts ended in an angry snarl of leather and hair product, we find Sookie tending to the physical and emotional wounds of Alcide, who continues to pine for his former fiancée – the as-yet-unseen Debbie Pelt. Debbie, as it turns out, has moved on, and is to be betrothed to Operation Werewolfer - and Bill-kidnapper - Coot.

Then Bill calls Sookie to tell her they can no longer be together and, to add insult to injury, that he and Lorena have just made sweet, sweet vampire love. (I feel like every time we hear from Bill he should be accompanied by a "Debbie Downer"-esque sad trombone. Just me? OK, then. Moving on.)

The call is abrupt and cold, and with this being her first breakup, Sookie is understandably devastated. The Ugly Cry commences (been there, girlfriend) and it’s Alcide’s turn to do the consoling. There’s a brief spark of something that Alcide has to go and ruin when the writers of this episode senselessly send him off in search of a shirt.

Meanwhile, back in Bon Temps, Sam continues to make a compelling argument against pursuing genealogy as a hobby. He discovers that not only has his skeevy, long-lost shifter brother Tommy attempted to burgle him, but his skeevy, long-lost parents have set up camp in the Merlotte’s parking lot after being run out of town back home. A heart-to-heart with Tommy later in the episode leads Sam to offer the Mickens clan a place to stay until they’re back on their feet, a decision I suspect he’ll soon come to regret.

As always, Merlotte’s is a beehive of activity. While the entire Bon Temps Police Department celebrates Sheriff Bud Dearborne’s retirement, a gaggle of underage drinkers cheers on the local football hero. Andy Bellefleur is appointed sheriff in Bud’s absence and Jason, determined to join the ranks, guilts Andy into putting him on the fast track to becoming one of Bon Temps’ finest.

Arlene, Merlotte’s sole dependable waitress, already overwhelmed by her new-found baby mamadom (courtesy of deceased nutcake René), has one more reason to worry when Sam hires baby vamp Jessica as a hostess. Apparently redheads score the best tips. Who knew?

And then there’s Tara. Poor troubled Tara. You’d think she’d be cut a little slack after spending most of last season in a bug-eyed trance, but after falling in with shady newcomer vamp Franklin Mott, things aren’t looking so hot.

Franklin glamours Tara into telling him everything she knows about Sookie’s telepathic abilities. While under his spell, Tara calls Sookie in an attempt to pin down her location. Eventually, in what has to be the creepiest date ever, Franklin and a bound Tara speed off into the night toward Jackson where – surprise! – they arrive at the home of Mississippi Vampire King Russell Edgington.

Here’s where things start to get sparky. During a tête-à-tête over cigars and snifters of O+, Bill tells Russell that in exchange for his loyalty, he wants Lorena out of the picture. Permanently. He then confides that Eric is in cahoots with Louisiana’s Queen Sophie-Anne to sell vampire blood. Gleeful over the chance to sic the vampire Magister on his nemesis, Russell takes the gang out for a night on the town and orders Bill to procure dinner for the evening. Cue ominous music.

In short order, Fangtasia is raided by the Magister and his henchmen. The raid yields a cooler full of vampire blood that Pam is (painfully) held accountable for. Eric arrives and backs Pam when she declares that Bill is to blame for the blood. The Magister then promises that Pam will see the business end of his snappy two-in-one scalding/staking device if Eric does not produce Bill within two days.

In Jackson, Sookie decides to stay put until she can confront Bill about their breakup. She convinces Alcide to accompany her to Debbie’s engagement party so she can try and find out more about Bill’s whereabouts and so he can see that he’s better off without Debbie.

When they arrive, the engagement party is in full swing and we finally get to meet Debbie Pelt! Glassy-eyed and reminiscent of the winner of a Tiffany look-a-like contest, Debbie has zero intention of reuniting with Alcide and crowd surfs her way toward her Operation Werewolf betrothal. The ringleader of said ceremony? None other than Russell Edgington. He opens a vein and provides the assembled weres with a round of shots. Things quickly devolve as the group begins to shift en masse and Alcide snarls at Sookie to flee.

You’ll be thrilled and delighted to know that Russell makes it back in plenty of time to enjoy dinner. I don’t know about you, but I was totally bummed out by that ending. You know what they say, when this limo’s a rockin’, there’s a stripper with a fatalistic world view being drained inside.

Until next week, chers. In the meantime, tell me what you thought of last night’s episode!

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True Blood star Joe Manganiello makes a home run

Is the presence of Joe Manganiello distracting you from super hot Alexander Skarsgard when watching True Blood? I know before that dishy werewolf arrived in Bon Temps I didn’t have eyes for anyone but Eric.

Manganiello suited up to play at the Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game held at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Sunday, July 11th, 2010 in Anaheim, California.

Other big names in attendance were Desperate Housewives hunk James Denton, Mad Men star Jon Hamm, The Green Mile star Michael Clarke Duncan, and professional players Ozzie Smith and Mike Piazza.










And a new still of Joe in TRUE BLOOD this season:

INTERVIEW: Kristin Bauer (Pam) from True Blood

After a week off for the holiday (hey, even vampires need some time off), True Blood returns tonight for what is sure to be some amazing blood-sucking action. The third season has gotten off to an amazing start with the introduction of werewolves, a King, and some vampires with questionable motivations (ahem, Franklin Mott). One of my favorite characters on the show, Pam, is taking on a bigger role this season. The fabulous, sassy, preppy, powerful vampire has had some of my favorite scenes so far. I recently had the chance to speak with Kristin Bauer (who plays Pam), about her character, working very closely with Alexander Skarsgard (her maker Eric Northman), and environmental causes that are very close to her heart.

I think Pam has some of the best scenes in the show, especially when she tried to stop Sookie in the season premiere.
Right?! I am so lucky to have such great words to say.

How do you relate to your character? She’s not human, but there are human elements to Pam.
Definitely, she was human 100 years ago. She was also very eager to leave that world once she saw the option of Eric’s power and immortality and she’s never looked back. That’s one of the things that makes Pam so much fun to play. She is un-remorseful, unapologetic, which are two traits some of us could probably use a touch of. She is, in some ways, who I wish I could be but alas, that directness might leave me very lonely.

What do you think Pam was like in her human life?
I have no idea, and hope to find out! But in my imagination – I see her as having been a true free spirit in a time where it was impossible for a woman to have any freedom of thought of movement. I am obsessed with freewill, it is the basis of all my animal rights work and a hallmark of my beliefs. I believe in freewill, very different than Freedom. Freewill implies choice as opposed to the absence of obstacles. I am pained by the cruelty of taking choice from any living being.

Pam is soft spoken but powerful at the same time. How do you find that balance?
I have often noticed that the most powerful one in the room can be the one who appears to care the least, and is often the most under-spoken. Power is not always loud or trying very hard. I guess power doesn’t have to.

Pam is taking on a bigger role this season, what has the journey been like playing her so far?
FUN! The more I find out about Pam and the more I get to see her do is a joy it is just a bigger and broader journey for me. It’s always been a pleasure from day one and I have also discovered that more of a good thing is awesome.


What has it been like working so closely with Alexander Skarsgard? (Obviously, very…closely)
Yes, very closely, wink, wink, nudge nudge…Alex is a joy to work with. He is my friend and I am so lucky he is also Pam’s maker.

What are Pam’s motivations? (Loyalty to Eric? Power?)
Loyalty is huge for her, and for me in life as well — so I really appreciate that she has been written that way. Power is actually not as alluring to her as integrity. And that motivates me too, it’s fun to find those things where the character and I overlap but I guess that is inevitable as all Pam has is her creators so pieces of all of us and our imaginations will be in her.

Do you have a favorite moment from filming the show?
Too many to name. But having fun with my cast mates is a real perk that makes this such a rare and special experience. We all know what it’s like to have annoying workmates and to have great ones. The latter is better and can make or break one’s experience.

Do you have a character you would like to have more scenes with?
I love it exactly as it is and I don’t want to be too greedy but this entire cast is so fantastic and talented, and so well cast, that I would be happy and lucky to work with any and all.

Have you had any interesting fan reaction to your character? (Perhaps in the gay community?)
I heard after last weeks episode that my friend’s living room of gay men stood up and cheered. I love that! I got a standing O!!! Always happy to hear I did well.

What has it been like working with Alan Ball? He’s quite a prolific producer/creator.
Alan seems to be very aware of the big picture and at the same time the details which is also rare and special. He has assembled an amazing thing here, all out of his vision one day after picking up a book. Many people are being employed and entertained by that vision. I think that is impressive and beautiful. Visions becoming reality is a thrill for me to see and be part of as I think it’s what makes the world go round. Without artistic vision, and the ability to transmute those visions into something others can see…life would be…well, unlivable. He is very impressive and also kind. AND likes dogs!

What do you think sets True Blood apart from other vampire shows out there? Why do you think there was such a positive response to the show?
Well…it’s just better. He He! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Ive seen Twilight and it was great and these are just very different audiences and tones. True Blood is Alan and HBO’s baby – that combination tells us that we will get to do and see more — get to push the envelope a bit more. Maybe touch on deeper topics, show more reality. Alan and HBO together are just sexier…in my humble completely unbiased opinion of course.

Can you give us a little teaser — I know you can’t spoil too much — of what’s coming up in season 3 for Pam?
Pam is tested this year. Her loyalty, her integrity, her strength…We find out about her and Eric’s relationship, and come to think of it, that is true for so many characters this year. It’s a character defining year for all of us.

You have been appearing more regularly on Secret Life Of The American Teenager. It is difficult to go from one character to another?
No, they are so different. I think its fun for most actors to get to play varied roles.

You have been very active in the efforts to help and raise awareness for the situation in the Gulf Coast (using twitter). Can you talk a little bit about what makes this cause so close to your heart? (It’s truly awful what’s going on down there)
I am so grateful for those who make me aware of things that shouldn’t be that I had no idea of-like in the movie “Blood Diamond” and “Food Inc.” — so I like to share things I hear about with those who feel like I do. I believe that alone we may perish but together we can survive. I suspect that may be our test, how to work together better to save this beautiful home. Abri, my husband, and I work well with IFAW to do just that for Whales and The Elephant Ivory trade in Africa. The Gulf is a horror. And I think it should be a wake up call for us and a time to examine all of our dependence on oil. If you are alive you use and need oil. The soles of my shoes I’m wearing right now, the frames of my glasses, parts of this computer and my couch…but we could be much more conscientious and efficient or we will keep harming others. Plastic bottles are a HUGE unnecessary waste, that if we ever do use, we must recycle. We really don’t need to buy bottled water. You can get a water filter for $150 at Costco or buy this amazing water filter bottle for $40 a year-all the water you can drink! I just saw one on the set. http://www.sovereignearth.com/shop/index.php/27oz-filtration-bottle.html Both will save you thousands of dollars. Use cloth grocery bags! SO easy!!! Those plastic bags are an environmental disease. There is a plastic island in the ocean, twice the size of Texas! If we care…we must care in our actions. Just like in any relationship. The Government won’t save us. We must see this earth as our own backyard and look at our own daily actions — that is my theory and at the least a good place to start. “Be the change you want to see.” Ghandi. And Ghandi seemed pretty hip. I have a blog on my site where I post any finds from a venting about HP to the best sun screen to how to help whales…www.kristinbauer.com

Thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it, and best of luck with the upcoming season!
Thank you for allowing me to share more of my passions!

'True Blood' breaks the Emmy vampire curse

One of the biggest shocks among Emmy nominations was the breakthrough bid by "True Blood" for best drama series.

TV academy members — like all Hollywood award voters — usually refuse to be seduced by vampires. Back in the 1990s, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was acclaimed by critics and millions of fans, but it never reaped an Emmy nomination in a lead category. Year after year, there was deafening media outrage over its failure to make the Emmy list, but the snubs continued like stakes through the heart. Finally, after the show went off the air in 2003, the TV academy aimed to make things up to its cast and crew by staging a tribute event at its headquarters in North Hollywood, but Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar, didn't show up.

At last year's Emmys, some pundits dared to hope that the newest hit vampire series, "True Blood," might break through based on the usual Emmy muscle of HBO plus the Oscar pedigree of its star (Anna Paquin won best supporting actress for "The Piano" in 1993), but it only earned a few minor nominations in crafts categories.

This year, it scored four nominations in the crafts categories in addition to its bid for best drama series: art direction, casting, makeup and editing. However, Paquin wasn't nominated for best drama actress. That's odd. It's not as if voters have anything against her. She was nominated for the miniseries "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" in 2007. And it's not as if her role on "True Blood" hasn't been acknowledged in the past as being award worthy. She won best drama actress in 2009 at the Golden Globes and was nominated again this year.

Credit: latimes, HBO