True Blood' exclusive: 'Law & Order' alum is Sam's mom!

From AusielloSam’s mom is MIA no more.

True Blood has tapped Tony-nominated actress J. Smith-Cameron to play the recurring role of Sam’s estranged mother, Melinda.

In addition to her many Broadway roles, Cameron has appeared on Law & Order, Six Degrees, and K Street.

As previously described in this very column, Melinda is dirt-poor, hungover, and trashy-looking. Prison Break’s Marshall Allman is on board to play her son (and Sam’s younger sib.) Still-to-be-cast is Melinda’s equally filthy hubby, Joe Lee.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2009/12/14/true-blood-finds-sams-mom/

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'True Blood' exclusive: 'Tudors' star is Franklin Mott!

by Michael Ausiello

Something tells me Tara’s going to fly through her five stages of grief when True Blood returns next summer.

Tudors star James Frain has just been cast in the heavily recurring role of Franklin Mott, Tara’s over-protective vampire squeeze, sources confirm to me exclusively.

The English actor, whose TV credits include recurring roles on Invasion (as Eli) and 24 (as Paul Raines), will debut in the second episode of the show’s upcoming third season.

The casting breakdown for the role describes Franklin as a tall, dark, and handsome vampire who seems to have an “immediate and torrid” connection to Tara. In the books, Franklin is essentially Tara’s sugar daddy, but I’m guessing Alan Ball is taking the character in a different direction.

My question for you: On a rebound relationship scale of 1 to 10, where does Frain’s Franklin fall?