Sam Trammell attended the Cocktail Party at The Sunset Tower Hotel on April 29, 2009 in West Hollywood, where actress Elizabeth Banks was honored by Women in Film and Max Mara as the Face of the Future 2009.
More photos in the Photo Gallery
Actress Elizabeth Rieser and Sam Trammell
TRUE BLOOD – SEASON 2
(WORLD PREMIERE; ORIGINAL SERIES)
Sunday, June 14 at 9 p.m. (day-and-date with HBO in the U.S.)
HBO’s Emmy® Award-winning series about vampires who live freely amongst their human counterparts in a small Louisiana town returns for a highly anticipated second season. True Blood picks up with Sookie Stackhouse and her vampire soulmate Bill Compton still together after Bill escapes with his life after coming to Sookie’s daylight defence. Also in the new season, Tara sets down new roots with an affluent benefactor; Sam Merlotte resolves to get in shape-shift shape after a forest foray; and Sookie’s brother Jason finds new purpose with an anti-vampire sect.
Starring Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Ryan Kwanten, Michelle Forbes and Evan Rachel Wood.
Viewers will also have the chance to catch up on the series with a True Blood season one marathon on HBO Canada. From June 6 to June 9, three episodes will air nightly back-to-back beginning at 8 p.m. ET/MT.
Note from The Vault: In several articles about True Blood that I read online, was written that the show won an Emmy Award. Somebody didn’t do their homework…
The Billsbabe’s Shoppe added “Got V?” mugs to the collection, they come in three different sizes and we have a ceramic travel mug.
Article on Hollywood Reporter by Stuart Kemp
LONDON — The Edinburgh International Film Festival will get its teeth stuck into vampires and Bengali cinema during this year’s event, organizers said Wednesday.
For the first time, the event will marry movies and television in its program under the banner “Cinematic Television.”
The debuting strand aims to offer festivalgoers U.K. premieres of high-concept TV drama and will kick off with the first two episodes of U.S. vampire drama “True Blood” from Alan Ball (“Six Feet Under).
Also lined up are the first five episodes of daily HBO drama “In Treatment,” starring Gabriel Byrne.
A panel event will allow audiences the chance to interact with industry professionals who are directly involved in the phenomenal success of high-end TV shows boasting production values at least as high as those of the average cinema release.
EIFF organizers also plan a song and dance for a three day Bengali cinema extravaganza with a lineup of seven classic titles including by Satyajit Ray’s “Devi” and “Days And Nights in the Forest,” Ritwik Ghatak’s “A River Called Titas” and Anup Singh’s “The Name of the River.”
Organizers plan to convert an historical church hall in Edinburgh as a venue and the move has backing from the British Council and Scottish Government.
Cult late-night sidebars Night Moves and Under the Radar also return to the festival.
Dario Argento’s “Giallo” will screen as part of Night Moves, and Zach Clark’s wild, deadpan sex satire “Modern Love is Automatic” finds its way to Under the Radar.
The festival’s full lineup will be announced May 6. The festival runs June 17-28.
Programme details:
Cinematic Television 2: True Blood Tuesday 23 June, Edinburgh Filmhouse 1 20:30
Article on Brand Republic by Kate Nettleton
LONDON – Karmarama has won an advertising brief for the TV channel FX, after a pitch against Albion.
The brief will see Karmarama produce a TV, press, outdoor and online campaign to promote FX UK’s latest US programme import from HBO, True Blood.
The programme, which was created by the man behind American Beauty and Six Feet Under, Alan Ball, is currently the third-highest rated show in HBO’s history after The Sopranos and Sex And The City.
The Fox-owned channel, which also aired The Wire, secured the exclusive rights to promote the series in October last year. The campaign is due to launch in June, ahead of the programme’s debut in July.
Karmarama also works with Paramount on its Comedy Central channel, which the agency recently relaunched with a print campaign featuring Sarah Silverman and the South Park character Kenny.
Jason Thorp, the managing director for FX, said: “Karmarama was chosen for this campaign as they grasped what makes True Blood such a unique and engaging series. They understood who we are as a channel. We are very excited to see how they develop their initial concepts.”
It seems that not only his True Blood character Bill enjoys a game of Wii. Stephen Moyer was spotted getting an up-close and personal look at the newest cardio fitness game to hit the market a Wii fitness event held April 27 on Venice Beach. Called Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout, this game promises to give us a sweat-inducing, fat-melting workout.
Stephen Moyer
On May 2, Tabú Ultra Lounge in MGM Grand will welcome on- and off-screen couple Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer, as well as Sam Trammell and Alexander Skarsgard for the HBO’s hit series True Blood cast party.
According to the Las Vegas Sun they will walk the red carpet at midnight.
source: Las Vegas News, MGM Grand
Tara Buck is Ginger, the fangbanging waitress of Fangtasia who has been glamoured one too many times by her vampire employers. Tara previously made guest appearances on popular shows as Bones, Cold Case, The Closer, Nip/Tuck, Strong Medicine, The Shield, JAG, Without A Trace, The Division and the X Files.
The Vault chatted with Tara about her role as Ginger, the staking of Long Shadow and her upcoming projects.
Tara Buck photographed by Billy Hamilton
The Vault: When you first read the script of True Blood, did you like it immediately? Could you ever have anticipated that the show would be so successful?
Tara: Yes, I really liked the script when I first read it. I immediately loved that it takes place in Louisiana. There is such a realness about southern living and yet its about vampires, dark magic and what ever the twisted imagination can conceive. Plus, Alan Ball is a genius when it comes to dark humor. The script to me at first read was like a pot of spicy back porch Jambalaya! It has a lot of things that I love about being an actress thrown into one pot. I always try to go into a new show with no expectations. You never know what is going to do well. My job is to interpret the part I’m playing and to give it everything I’ve got. I had no idea the show would catch fire like it has , but it’s wonderful isn’t it?
The Vault: You are in some pretty intense scenes in the first season. The staking of Longshadow at Fangtasia was a very bloody and gruesome event. What can you tell us about filming that scene, how long did it take to shoot? And what was it like to crawl around in that puddle of blood?
Tara: Yes, we filmed all day! As I recall it was about a 15+ hour day. It was filmed at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach.
It was a very complex scene. There were 6 characters in the scene, special effects, tons of blood, stunts and who can forget the back to back vomiting sequences! Exhausting, exhilarating? Yes. But it was so much fun!
It was amazing that when I wasn’t on camera I got to watch amazing and talented actors doing some really technical work that in the final product looks flawless, easy and spontaneous.
It was disgusting crawling around in a pool of blood. No acting needed! I got spattered with a glob of vampire goo that hit me in the eye, which you really can see in the tape underneath my right eye.
That was the last shot of the day and I felt pretty gross. I love when you find your self in the middle of a scene and something happens and you have no choice but to experience the moment. It’s probably not the last time I’ll have to get down and dirty. Ginger doesn’t have a very glamorous life.
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The staking of Long Shadow
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The Vault: When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in acting? What was your first acting experience? Who were your role models, which actresses did you admire growing up?
Tara: My first dream as a little girl was to become a ballerina. Typical, I know. Next a circus performer. I had a well rehearsed acrobatic routine that I wanted to perform on horse back. I got good at the headstand but had a very difficult time staying on the horse. Then I saw “Back to the Future” with Michael J. Fox and I fell in love. I was ten years old at the time and shifting my life goals to an acting career seemed like the next logical step.
I was in a children’s mime troupe in elementary school and we came to LA to meet and perform with Marcel Marceau (the legendary mime expert)! It was a big moment for me. Yes, I’m a nerd! That same trip we saw Lily Tomlin’s, “Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe”. Talk about a Chameleon! She is brilliant! I’ll never forget how I felt after seeing her in that show. She was really the first actress who got under my skin. I’m still blown away when I think of the range of characters she created for that show.
The Vault: You are a true chameleon. I watched video’s and photos of you from different characters you portrayed and you look so different every time. How do you prepare for a role?
Tara: Good question and a hard one to answer.
Every time is different. Sometimes the writer captures something that you just can’t miss. It just jumps out at you. Other times it’s a little harder. Sometimes I see a random person on the street and I can’t stop staring. I look for those people when I’m creating a character. I also love a good costume. The wardrobe people on True Blood rock! I get the right skirt on and I’m golden.
The Vault: You will be back in the second Season of True Blood. In how many episodes can we expect to see you?
Tara: Well, I’ve noticed some sites already list cast members for early episodes in season 2 so I think it’s safe to say that Ginger is around for at least two episodes early on and from there fans will just have to watch and see…
The Vault: The fans are very excited about the upcoming season. In the first season we saw you mopping up a disintegrated vampire from the floor, what can we expect from the sophomore season, could it possibly be even wilder and stranger?
Tara: Last season Ginger really had a traumatic couple of days so she probably deserves a break. However the life of a fangbanger is often fraught with darkness, a little dysfunction and hopefully lots and lots of blood. Normalcy is never on the menu and season 2 will not disappoint!
The Vault: Besides True Blood, what are you working on at the moment. Are there any TV/film or stage projects in the pipeline for you? Another HBO production perhaps?
Tara: I’m working on a play at the moment called “THE GODDESS”. It’s a fantastic piece written by Carlyle King and directed by Lillian Groag. I also start work on an independent film called The Grind in two weeks.
Yes, I have another project that I completed for HBO called “ONE PERCENT”. Alan Taylor is the director (Sopranos) and it was written by Michael Tolkin. I unfortunately do not have an air date yet. I’ll keep you posted though because I’m very proud of the piece.
I just booked the lead in the West Coast Premier of a new play called “TEN CENT NIGHT”. A dark comedy. The playwright is Marisa Wegrzyn. She is a fantastic young playwright from the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. I am thrilled about the project and believe that the play is a very special one. We start rehearsals this week and will open the play June 19. The week that TRUE BLOOD comes back on the air.
We open to previews June 11,12,13, 14. Dress Rehearsal is June 18. We open to critics on June 19th. The show will run Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through August. Call the theatre for curtain times.
The Victory Theatre Center
3326 W Victory Blvd
Burbank, CA , 91505
818.841.4404
www.TheVictoryTheatreCenter.org
email:thevictory@mindspring,com
Tara Buck info
Photo credit: www.billyhamilton.com
Article on broadcastingcable.com by Melissa Grego
WHO: Sue Naegle, President of Entertainment, HBO
WHERE: Le Pain Quotidien, Studio City, Calif.
WHEN: April 2009
Mike Lombardo, Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Sue Naegle and Alan Ball at the True Blood Premiere - Photo by Michael Buckner/Getty Images
THE DISH: It’s just a few weeks shy of a year since Sue Naegle made her big career shift when we meet for breakfast at the casual, quiet Le Pain Quotidien in Studio City. She left her 16-year stint at talent agency UTA to become president of entertainment at HBO on May 1, 2008, and the results of her first bit of development for the pay-TV network are now rolling in. At the same time, she’s also entering her second period of pilot production.
“After going through it in the fall, I feel better about doing it,” she tells me over breakfast in early April.
But the pressure is on. The executive trio of CEO Bill Nelson and HBO co-Presidents Richard Plepler and Eric Kessler took over the network in 2007 after former chairman Chris Albrecht was ousted. Michael Lombardo took over the programming group at that time. They took a gamble by installing an agent with no programming or development jobs on her resume to rejuvenate the programming lineup.
Her bar is as high as that of any executive, as success at HBO is measured by much loftier standards after hits like The Sopranos and Sex and the City made it one of the top creative places in television. Naegle hopes pouring more time and money into more pilots than ever will help HBO get its mojo back.
VIDEO: More on what Naegle is looking for at HBO.
Mel’s Diner: HBO’s Sue Naegle from Broadcasting & Cable on Vimeo.
Naegle is taking a, pardon the expression, big shot with the first series developed entirely under her aegis, dramatic comedy Hung, about an unusually well-endowed schoolteacher-turned-male prostitute. Call it the former agent’s debut HBO “package.” It premieres in July alongside new seasons of sophomore True Blood and veteran Entourage. Her second and third entries, comedies Bored to Death and How to Make It in America, are slated to debut in the fall and 2010, respectively.
After slugging out the often-frustrating broadcast development cycle for years as an agent, Naegle quickly employed a process at HBO for creating series that diverges both from how the broadcast networks do it and how HBO has developed in the past.
“I did have the feeling what the company needed to do to right the ship required money,” she says. “There hadn’t been enough in the pipeline, and there wasn’t enough choice. So [failed series] John From Cincinnati comes along, and you just have to put it on the air. That went right to series; they didn’t even pilot it.”
Entertainment Weekly includes Ryan Kwanten in their list of 26 Superhot Australian Exports.
Ryan Kwanten
As the dim-witted but lovable hunk Jason Stackhouse on HBO’s True Blood, Kwanten bared it all in some steamy, drug-fueled sex scenes. The racy role is a far cry from the easygoing surfer he played on The WB’s Summerland, though his sculpted abs would suit any character just fine. Especially if said character was required to spend as much time as possible shirtless.
See the complete list on Entertainment Weekly
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