True Blood News at The Nest

The increasingly irresistible Sookie Stackhouse now has another ridiculously handsome man running around after her trouble- prone ass and getting beaten up on her behalf, and new guy on True Blood Joe Manganiello is only too happy to have the job. Who else wants to be Sookie? The New York Post’s Popwrap spoke to the lovely Joe about Alcide’s doings in Season 3 and it makes for an interesting read, with some mildly spoilerific hints for the rest of the season.

PopWrap: You’ve previously admitted to being a fan of “True Blood” before joining the show, so I’m curious what it’s like being on set?
Joe Manganiello: Yes, that’s right – big fan. The first table read was like being sucked into the television. I’d imagine it like being a kid who loves Michael Jordan and getting drafted into the NBA where you have to guard him. Being at the first table read was like that – I am watching the show from the front row but I have to get in there and be a part of it. There was a lot of adjustment. Adjustment and awe.

PW: And what about the first day shooting?
Joe: I remember filming the scene and literally thinking, “oh my god, that’s Sookie Stackhouse!” Seeing Lafayette in full makeup was another amazing thing. There’s never a dull moment. I sit there and play my part, but I also have a front row seat to Ryan Kwanten and Chris Bauer doing their thing as I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing in their takes. It’s really awesome.

PW: Your first episode teased a Sookie/Alcide connection — how does their relationship develop this season?
Joe: [laughs] It’s the million dollar question. Alcide’s in a dark, lonely, sad, heartbroken place because his fiance, Debbie Pelt, has left him. His psycho ex girlfriend – she’s still floating around, causing trouble. Then you’ve got Sookie going through her trials and tribulations with Bill. I think if you stick people in that situation – this big, strong, protective bodyguard with a girl, both heartbroken, sparks will happen. There’s a bit of lost puppy going on there.

PW: You mentioned Alcide’s ex, Debbie, earlier — can we expect fireworks when they get together?
Joe: Yes, they have a very volatile relationship. When they were together there was a lot of passion, but now that things have gone sideways, it’s very volatile and they get back into it very quickly.

PW: Sounds like Debbie and Sookie are polar opposites.
Joe: They are, and I think as you watch this season unfold, Alcide grows and changes and I think his relationship with Sookie helps that. There was a fork in the road — Debbie goes down one side and Alcide goes down the other. I think Sookie represents the woman Alcide wants to be with, that he wishes he could be with whereas Debbie represents where he came from.

PW: Do you have a particular favorite episode from season three?

Joe: I think episode 7 is pretty amazing. Uh, there’s a lot of blood and a lot of people die.

PW: Fair enough. You just wrapped production on season three, wis the finale as cliffhanger-y as last years?
Joe: Worse. Way worse. Waaaay worse. You have no idea what they’re going to spring on you in season three, it’s crazy. You’ve got the introduction of my race and a lot about where Sookie comes from. They answer a lot of questions and in answering those questions they open up a whole new universe. It’s pretty wild.

Source

Andrew Shaffer at HuffPost had a chance to ask Charlaine Harris a few questions last week when she was in Iowa City. During the chat, Charlaine  shows off her jewelry, reveals she now has more male fans due to True Blood and remarks that Sookie Stackhouse will not “settle down and have a family.” Also note: if you ever have a chance meeting with Ms. Harris, please don’t ask her about her inspiration for the Sookie Stackhouse novels, she has a very peculiar way of answering.

Before Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels that True Blood is based on, began signing books, she answered some frequently asked questions for the 100 assembled fans at the Englert Theatre in Iowa City, Iowa on June 17th. “Yes, I’m happy with Alan Ball’s production of my novels,” she said. “Also, if you ask me where I get my inspiration, I will spit on you,” she joked.

Huffington Post: Has True Blood changed the fan base for your Southern Vampire Mysteries?

Charlaine Harris: All along I’ve had more guys reading this series than my previous books. But I’ve definitely had more guys at my signings since the HBO series debuted.

HP: Your kids are in college. What do they think of their mother writing sexually-charged books?

CH: The show has given them brownie points with their friends, but only one of my kids reads my work.

HP: I can only imagine if my mother wrote sex scenes like the ones on True Blood…

CH: We don’t watch the show together, so that’s not a problem!

HP: What’s the one fashion item you can’t live without?

CH: My jewelry! [shows off her rings and necklaces, all of which appears to be either silver or white gold]

HP: Is the silver to ward off vampires?

CH: Silver, gold — I don’t discriminate! I like sparkly things. I wouldn’t want to ward vampires off — I have them to thank for these. [shows me her rings again]

Rapper Snoop Dogg hasn’t held back about his love of True Blood, or his desire to be on the show (he told MTV: “I wish I could on it [the show]/ I’d be a hell of a vampire, don’t you think?”). In a recent video called “Oh Sookie,” he profess his love for True Blood’s plucky heroine: “Oh Sookie, you ever been to L.A.? Come and play on my team, we’ll do it in the daytime, Bill won’t know a thing.” Hee hee! Thanks to HBO and Snoop for sharing!

Annoyed that you don’t a) own a smartphone and a DVR, b) don’t live in LA, Philadelphia or NYC and you c) can’t be bothered with fiddly codes and shit? Never fear, your kindly auntie HBO has provided the exclusive Season 3 clip on their website for a spell and it is now on Youtube. As you will recall, fans were supposed to watch the Lost finale last night to obtain the secret code to unlock the clip. Enjoy the nekkidness and boasting (6 hours? Really?) and rather snarky Ms Stackhouse. Props to ole Sook for keeping her eyes firmly above the waist.

Updated with actual video. With thanks to Zazazu.

The Many Styles of Sookie Stackhouse: Girlfriend, Telepath, Waitress, and Super-Sleuth Extraordinaire

Thanks to Audrey Fisher, True Blood‘s costume designer, Sookie Stackhouse may look cute-as-a-button, but she’s no fashion pushover. Whether she’s slinging beers at Merlotte’s, taking an evening stroll with Bill, demurely sipping a gin and tonic at Fangtasia, or sleuthing a maenad-wrecked, post-orgy disaster zone, Sookie looks her best in pastels, breezy dresses, floral prints, short-shorts, practical cardigans, and denim.

"Bill, do you think my t-shirt is sexy?"

It helps, of course, to look like Anna Paquin, who’s a beautiful young woman with curves in all the right places. She even looks good wearing only an over-sized Fangtasia shirt, not a look I’d recommend to the vast majority of the population. Likewise, I can’t advocate for prancing about town in a bikini-and-cover-up combination, like Sookie does in the early episodes of Season 1. I suppose, if you’ve got it like Sookie does, flaunt it, but if bikinis aren’t your thing, any woman of any shape, size, or age can still take lessons from Sookie, Bon Temps’ resident fashionista.

The first consideration for any belle, regardless of age or body type, is the weather. In the humid south, the summer heat is oppressive and seems to last forever. This cannot be stressed enough. Seriously. Hot. Very, very hot. There’s a reason people talk slow – they do everything slow ’cause it’s HOT. Make-up will melt, eye glasses will fog, hair styles will frizz or wilt, and clothes will quickly become sticky and wrinkled. Sookie is wise to don cotton prints and those translucent Merlotte’s t-shirts. A light-weight cardigan is a necessity for a/c environments, when the extreme temperature differences make for sweaty shivers. I assume, given Sookie’s proclivity for disaster, that she either invests in a highly efficient pre-treater, or she chooses fabrics that are relatively stain resistant.

That Scarf IS Double-Cute!

Deborah Ann Woll, Anna Paquin, and Audrey Fisher have all mentioned, in countless interviews, that the key to Sookie’s character wardrobe is affordability. Sookie is a woman on a budget, and fortunately for those of us who’d like to mimic her look, she shops at readily accessible places like Walmart, Target, Old Navy, and Kohl’s. While maintaining a style that’s youthful and flirty and fun, Sookie wears pieces that are simple, timelessly classy, and interchangeable.

Taking a tip from Lafayette’s fashion book, Sookie never underestimates the power of accessories. A jaunty scarf, a great pair of heels, or a handbag that pops can make-over the dullest of wardrobes.

Sookie's Less Ladylike Look

There are notable exceptions to Sookie’s good taste. I was quite grateful when the maenad attack ruined Sookie’s tiny plaid shorts and lace-trimmed tank top. While trendy and popular, the “I cook meth in a skeezy motel room” look is not flattering on anyone. The promos with Alcide from Season 3, with the white lace top, have me equally cringing. I’ve not seen anyone wear a shirt like that since the late 80s (and I live where people seem to think Confederate flag tube tops are the height of fashion). To each his own, but Sookie seems to shine when she dresses like the lady she is. And while Bill wasn’t available for comment, I assume, given his old-fashioned tastes, that he prefers Sookie’s more genteel wardrobe as well.

source

"My Lingerie Isn't the Only Thing That's Changed..."

Alan Ball and Co. are sinking their teeth into the hot vein of sexual tension with the Eric, Sookie, and Bill love-triangle, and it REALLY sucks (in that good way).

JustJared published this still image from last night’s Season 3 trailer.

Personally, I didn’t see it (even though I watched the trailer four times), and True Blood promos are notoriously deceptive.

Is Sookie dreaming? Is Eric? Is this a doctored image reflecting the fantasy of a crazed fan? Or is this a scene that will actually happen in the coming weeks?

The tension is mounting, fan(g)s. Are you hungry for more?

source

Here's the screen cap - looks like she's taking off her bathrobe...

Where *does* Bill get his money? Here’s the full version – thank you Rose!

British actress Lara Pulver has been cast in the role of Claudine. Who’s Claudine you ask? Well this is going to sound pretty damn silly, she’s Sookie’s fairy godmother. I know, right? Don’t blame me I didn’t write it, but I do trust Alan Ball to do it right. Claudine will be showing up in episode 7, “Let The Bodies Hit The Floor.”

Here’s the casting call for her character: [Claudine] 30′s-40′s. A beautiful, kind and loving figure who knows a lot about Sookie – she appears to Sookie in a golden vision. However, their utopia is abruptly dismantled when Claudine issues Sookie a mysterious warning. Possibly Recurring.

source

Hours before “Dead in the Family” is released, a new interview with Charlaine reveals once again, her ability to stay away from any implicated response about Sookie Stackhouse’s love fate. R.J. Carter from The Trades has interviewed her and here’s the result of the interview for you… starting with a juicy excerpt.

[...]

Carrie – The new book seems to focus on Sookie’s family and friends. Are you surprised about how popular Eric’s character has become, and is it because of that popularity that we continue to see Sookie in a relationship with him rather than with Bill?
That’s a complicated question. The book is about families of all sorts, not just Sookie’s. It’s about the different kinds of families that you can have, and how much trouble they can cause you. I think that we’re all familiar with that, probably.

Eric turned out to be more popular than I expected, but the books are still going the way I planned on them going, regardless of the popularity of one character over another.

Carrie – Has the television show had any influence in your approach to the books?
You know, I don’t think so. If it has, it’s unconscious on my part, because I’m way ahead of the storytelling in the TV show. I’m writing Book Eleven, and Alan [Ball] is on Book Three.

read the whole interview

PC: Trevor Paulhus/The New York Times

The New York Times recently published an interview with Charlaine Harris, who’s tenth Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead in the Family, will be released this Tuesday, May 4th.

In the article she talks about how her vampires are more sympathetic than Dracula, various sexualities manifest within her characters & living in Arkansas.

Takeaways: she doesn’t seem to be a fan of Mike Huckabee & Stephenie Meyer might be a recluse.

Read it all at the source

**** BE CAREFUL! ****

*****SPOILERS IN COMMENTS *****