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From The Star Malaysia By ELIZABETH TAI
It’s finally here: a chance for Malaysian fanpires to sink their teeth into True Blood.
FORTUNATELY for British actor Stephen Moyer, vampires are enjoying peak popularity these days. There are vampire detectives (Moonlight), angst-ridden teenage bloodsuckers (Twilight) and then there’s Bill Compton, hit drama True Blood’s brooding, fanged Southern gentleman.
“I love playing him,” says Moyer in an interview transcript provided by MAX (formerly Cinemax), HBO’s sister channel. “Bill is this tortured soul who is, in fact, trying to be a decent man and trying to hold on to morality of humans when, in fact, he’s immortal.” (Interestingly, Bill Compton is not Moyer’s first vampire role; he also played a bloodsucker in a 1998 British series, Ultraviolet.)
In True Blood’s world, vampires have “come out of the coffin” to be responsible members of society. This is tough on human folk; they are keenly aware that they are vampire food (although vampires now have synthetic alternatives) and are suspicious and fearful of their new neighbours. Vampires, on the other hand, have fallen from being predators at the top of the food chain to being a disdained minority; not all bloodsuckers enjoy this power shift.
Yet, Bill, a 173-year-old vampire, decides to build a life for himself in a small Southern town called Bon Temps. He ruffles more than a few feathers in the vampire-free town – especially when he sets his eyes on one of the residents, Sookie Stackhouse.
“It’s a parallel world, like our world, but one where vampires exist,” notes Moyer. “And you have to buy into that straight away and you have to believe it’s real. And when you have someone like Alan creating this world, you do,” Moyer says, referring to the show creator Alan Ball.
Bill is also a metaphor for discrimination, Moyer points out.
“Bill represents minorities and taboos like addiction, sexuality, racism – whatever metaphor you want to bring to the table,” he says.
And Moyer enjoyed the opportunity of playing a character that is considered a pariah: Humans fear him and his fanged peers look down on him because he is “mainstreaming” (trying to fit into human society).
“I was fascinated by that because it makes him the ultimate outsider. It’s a fantastic role,” he enthuses.
Bloody timely
And to think that Moyer nearly didn’t become Bill!
By the time Moyer, 37, born and raised in Brentwood, England, started work in the United States, he had already established himself a decent resume.
After studying at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and forming his own theatre group, The Reject Group, Moyer appeared in popular British series like Midsummer Murders, Peak Practice and Cold Feet, and in Hollywood thriller 88 Minutes with Al Pacino.
But it was his role in the 2007 US series The Starter Wife that made viewers and casting agents sit up. As Sam, he was the perfect dreamboat for Debra Messing’s lead character, a spoiled L.A. socialite. Rugged, attractive with a mysterious past to boot, Sam made hearts flutter.
He was on the verge of breaking out in Hollywood. And he thought he would when he was lined up to play a character “who was a bit like the new Jack Bauer (24)”. But plans for the show fell through.
read on http://star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/5/movies/3598536&sec=movies‘True Blood’ premieres on MAX (Astro Channel 412) this Thursday at 10pm.
4 comments:
Grrr....
Anna Paquin was born in Canada, but raised in New Zealand. She SAYS she's a Kiwi, and the press should respect that.
Just as Russell Crowe was born in New Zealand, but moved to Australia almost straight away. He SAYS he's an Australian.
I didn't even realise Canada was trying to claim Anna until recently - I've never heard of her as being to referred to as anything other than Kiwi.
Good article otherwise.
If you were born there you are a Canadian You can be raised anywhere and have various nationalities but you are always from where you are born.
I interviewed two Canadians last week who are very proud that she was born in Canada and I think it's great !
I bet she appreciates that folks love her and are proud of her who are from where she was born as well as where she was raised.
I think her passport/nationality is New Zealand but she is noted for the distinction of being the first Canadian-born actress to win Best Supporting Actress.
A distinction thought, she won the Oscar as a Kiwi in a New Zealand Film, produced and directed and funded by a New Zealand Producer (Jane Campion).
Lets say Canadian/New Zealand Actor?
I agree that's what I was saying is that she also holds Canadian distinctions. SHE IS CANADIAN born hence the distinction.
I think it's always better to me more inclusive not less ...
Actually the film producer was an Australia, Jan Chapman and the funding was from the French company, Biby 2000. Just sayin' :)
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