Theo Alexander on Talbot, Russell & Sex with Eric Northman
By Lividity on Jun 21 2010 at 12:35 pm | 13 Comments »
NYPost’s Popwrap interviewed Theo Alexander who plays Talbot, the King of Mississippi’s husband in True Blood. We find out how Talbot met Russell, that Alan Ball will kill you if you leak spoilers, and that fighting fuels good sex. Oh yeah, there’s also some reference to a sex scene with Eric – but I dunno if I’m convinced that scene is with Eric and not with someone else.
PopWrap: How did you get hired to play Talbot?
Theo Alexander: This part was out for a British actor, but my agent thought I would do a great job with it. He was a very Dionysian, very sexual, very Greek! It couldn’t be anything but Greek in my eyes. So my agent called the casting director and they really wanted a British actor, but they said, “please, just see him – he’s perfect.” So I went to the audition dressed in my kimono, in character and walk in on a room of 16 people – including Alan Ball, so I’m shaking. The casting director says, this is Theo, he’s Italian. So I turn to her as Talbot, and say, “excuse me, I’m Greek!” and that propelled me into the character. Talbot would have said that, he likes to speak his mind.
PW: Given Talbot and Russell’s extensive history together, what kind of pre-production work did you and Denis O’Hare [who plays Russell] do?
Theo: I have to say, it’s a blessing to have an amazing actor on your side. He called me when I got the part and we started working on our history before shooting. We met, we talked, we went to dinner, we had to create a 700-year history. It wasn’t easy but in order to be in love with someone on screen you have to really love them in real life. And Denis is very easy to fall in love with. He’s a great guy and an amazing actor – I already admired him, so it wasn’t that hard.
PW: So without going into too much detail, what kind of backstory did you two come up with?
Theo: We met in the Byzantine, where I was royalty and I left with Russell. He didn’t turn me in the beginning. We were mercenaries, we would give our services to Kings who needed us in battle. In one of those battles I got wounded and would have died, but he wanted it to be my decision. He loved me so much he didn’t want to bestow that curse upon me, but I wanted it. So he turned me and I’ve been paying ever since. Read More »
