[Below Taken from LaTimesMagazine.com]

You can’t accuse Alexander Skarsgård of going Hollywood. At a recent photo shoot, the six-foot-four Swedish stunner—currently heating up the small screen on HBO’s hit series True Blood—showed up sans entourage, parking his own car in the same lot as the crew. His outrageous on-set demand? A cup of coffee, please. Oh, and he volunteered to be his own stand-in for lighting setup. Unheard of!

The actor’s unaffected manner—all the more striking given his angular movie-idol looks—put the set in a state of mild bewilderment. This is, after all, the home of high-maintenance celebrity needs. So when someone as easygoing and ego-free as Skarsgård comes along, we almost don’t know what to do with him.

And yet there’s no arguing Skarsgård is a born star. The acting bug is hereditary. He’s the son of Swedish screen veteran Stellan Skarsgård. Like his father, Skarsgård the younger got his start as a child actor in Sweden. For American fans, he first emerged from the dust and cynicism of HBO’s Generation Kill by commanding scenes as easily as his character, Sgt. Brad “Iceman” Colbert, ordered around his marines.

But it’s True Blood’s wickedly sexy vampire sheriff Eric Northman that made him a bona fide sex symbol. Now, at 33, Skarsgård is in such high demand—both here and in Sweden—he shot two films simultaneously during his last hiatus. And his chiseled, athletic frame and riveting pale blue eyes have sent fans into such a worshipful tizzy they’ve given themselves a name: Skarsgårdians.

The plot for season three of True Blood, coming in June, is tightly cloaked (oh, how those vampire franchises bring out the puns), but Skarsgård has hinted that Northman’s machinations will grow more intense than ever. Let’s just hope the Skarsgårdians can control themselves.

Leslie Gornstein: I would imagine that playing a vampire these days is almost like plunging into a major franchise like Star Trek or Star Wars—the scrutiny and adoration just go off the scale. What do you think it is about vampires, anyway?

Alexander Skarsgård: People are kind of intrigued because they represent immortality. And a character like Eric has been around for a thousand years. All that wisdom and experience—you carry it around with you. That’s attractive. What makes vampires a platform for good drama is they’re also lethal. Eric is an animal. He’s on that edge where you don’t know if he will turn and kill you in a second.

You filmed both an American film, Straw Dogs, and the Swedish film Puss—known stateside as Trust Me—during your latest hiatus. You’ve also said you never want to stop doing Swedish cinema. Tell me about that.

It’s not about if it’s a Swedish project or an American one. For me, it’s about the quality of the material, who the filmmaker is and if there’s something in the script or the character that gets me excited. I need that to get my creativity going.

Straw Dogs and Puss are so different. One is a reimagining of a Sam Peckinpah classic, and the other’s an indie. Why those two?

I shot Straw Dogs with Rod Lurie, who directed The Contender and [the TV series] Commander in Chief. We had a meeting, and I found the project very interesting. Puss—that’s Swedish for “kiss”—without a doubt was a film that excited me. It was directed by Johan Kling, who directed a movie called Darling three years ago—a beautiful little film about a woman and an older man and their friendship against all odds. When he called and asked if I wanted to be in his next movie, I said, “Absolutely.” I want to be able to do different characters, different projects, work in different languages. Doing Straw Dogs and Puss simultaneously and then going back to True Blood? That kept me on my toes.

And on a plane, from what I understand.

Oh yes, I flew back and forth between Shreveport, Louisiana, and this tiny island on the Baltic Sea. It was a bit of a nightmare, because it took, like, 23 hours to get from one place to another. And then as soon as I landed, I had to go straight from airport to studio to work for another 14 hours. I probably aged about 20 years doing that.

But so many actors require time to transition between characters, prepare themselves, really sink into a role.

I agree. Ideally, I would have gone back to Sweden, chilled out for a week or so, gotten into focus, but this was the only way we could work things out. I prepared for both projects before they started, then got as much sleep as possible on the planes.

Apparently, the paparazzi have shots of you going to the movies by yourself. Rising Hollywood idols don’t go anywhere by themselves—don’t you watch Entourage?

I’m not a “Hollywood” actor. I am a social guy, but I’m not one of those actors who will show up to a shoot with 15 agents and managers and publicists. An entourage like that just makes me uncomfortable.

You were a child actor in Sweden. That term carries a very specific set of stigmas here in the States—loss of childhood, too much pressure. Is the experience any less Drew Barrymore–esque over there?

Yeah, we don’t have, like, Hollywood moms and dads in Sweden the way you do here, where it’s a profession for kids. It’s not that big of an industry there, and my parents never pushed me. It can be really, really tough being a child actor. A lot of them have huge problems growing up. I didn’t like being famous when I was 13. I didn’t like people recognizing me.

So you quit—is that right?

Yeah, I told my parents I didn’t want to do it anymore, and they both said, “It’s a tough job, and if you feel like there’s something out there you’d rather do, do that. Only become an actor if you feel like you don’t have a choice.” My father is an actor. I didn’t have a plan for what I wanted to do, I just wasn’t comfortable doing that anymore.

What made you come back?

I missed it—being onstage or in front of a camera. I thought, All right, I’m 20 now instead of 13. Maybe I’m a little different from how I was seven years ago, and I owe it to myself to try it now, and at least I can dismiss it if I’m still not comfortable. I will know for sure, and I can move on. But it was just like my father said: I felt like I didn’t have an option.

Can I get away with saying something negative about your favorite soccer team, Hammarby, or are you a hoolie?

[Laughs.] I try to be a grown-up about that, but I can’t.

I see there are “Mrs. Skarsgård” mugs available for purchase on one of your fan sites. Flattering or unnerving?

Oh no, I am flattered by it. So very flattered. In order for me to stay sane, though, I try to mostly stay away from the fan sites, the blogs and the Twitterers.

Skarsgårdians, actually. So then if there’s someone out there who’s tweeting as Alexander Skarsgård, it’s not you?

It’s not me.

At age 23—according to one interview you did way back when—your idol was Eddie Izzard, your favorite movie was Duck Soup and your favorite book was Angela’s Ashes. Care to update?

Well, I am still a huge fan of Eddie Izzard, so I probably did say that. I was pretty obsessed with him back in the day. And Duck Soup, yeah, that’s still up there as well. As kids, my brothers and I had VHS tapes of all these Marx Brothers movies, and on Sunday mornings we would get up and make nonalcoholic egg toddies. Do you have those here?

Nogs?

No, toddies. Basically we cracked open, like, six eggs and put them in a blender with about two tons of sugar. Then we would mix it up and watch the Marx Brothers.

In that same interview, you did a little doodle of a man with stringy hair and a long, picklelike nose. Who was that?

[Laughs.] I don’t actually remember, but, knowing me, it was probably me.

SOURCE: LATimesMagazine.com and JustJared.com

Photos by: Chad Pitman

Alexander Skarsgard

[Below taken from WhatsOnTV.co.uk]

The True Blood vampire reveals all about the show as well as fame, nudity and Lady Gaga.

What’s the best thing about playing Eric, the 1000-year-old Viking vampire in True Blood?
“As an actor, the last thing I want to play is a typical handsome leading man. It’s always great when you play a complicated character like Eric.”

So there’s more to him than just biting necks?
“In the first series, people thought he was just a bad guy, but there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. We’re now seeing his loyal, caring and sensitive side. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still the same old Eric – there’s just more to him than being an evil vampire.”

Why do you think True Blood is so successful?
“It’s over-the-top, wild, sexy and funny. Viewers can also look at the vampires and draw parallels with our society in terms of alienation and prejudice.”

Do you have a problem with the show’s sex and violence?
“It’s pretty full-on and very graphic and gory, but sex and violence are always something that attracts an audience. I don’t have any problems with getting naked.”

Your father Stellan is one of Sweden’s most famous actors. Did he encourage you to take up acting?
“My parents never dragged me to auditions, things just happened. I had lots of TV roles when I was a kid, but the fame was scary and I hated people staring at me on the street. When I was 13 I decided I didn’t want to do it anymore.”

What made you take it up again?
“When I was 20, I moved to Leeds for six months. I was watching football, hanging out, getting drunk and into trouble. I was wondering what I should do with my life and decided to give acting one last go.”

Are you more at ease with fame these days?
“Actually, I am flattered by the attention. People come up and want autographs and take pictures, but I have no crazy stalkers after me.”

What was it like being in Lady Gaga’s video for Paparazzi?
“I didn’t know Lady Gaga at all before. She was really cool and interesting. She’s very driven and we had a blast.”

Are you a music fan?
“I’d much rather be a rock star than an actor. My favourites are Van Morrison and The Clash. Because I’m Swedish, people think I must like ABBA, but they were always much bigger in the rest of the world than they ever were in Sweden.”

Watch True Blood on Fridays at 10pm on FX.

SOURCE: WhatsOnTV.co.uk

[Below quoted from ITN.co.uk]

Alexander Skarsgard

True Blood is returning with the all new second season and our favourite vampire Eric Northman is back on the scene.

Swedish heartthrob Alexander Skarsgard plays the 1000-year-old vamp on the series that comes hot on the heels of the trend for all things vampire. Following in the footsteps of mega-hits like the Twilight saga and US show The Vampire Diaries, True Blood has been dubbed the more mature version.

Along with new supernatural types like shape-shifters and other mythical creatures, we can expect to see a different side to Skarsgards character, Eric.

He said: ” In season two it becomes much more personal for him, you will get to know him better and you will see that he can be very loyal and a very good friend.”

He also added: ” It’s important to play characters and not a look and I always look. I always look for real characters.”

Watch video at ITN.co.uk.

SOURCE: ITN.co.uk

Long before he became known as the evil head vampire Eric in ‘True Blood,’ SKarsgard was an anti-terrorist marine in his home country of Sweden, London’s Telegraph reports.

The 33-year-old actor grew up in Stockholm as the son of famous actor Stellan Skarsgard. As he grew up, he says he wanted the challenge of a hard life.

At 19, he enrolled in Sweden’s national service where he practised battle tactics, combat and anti-sabotage assaults.

“I hated it most of the time, because a lot of the guys I served with wanted to be James Bond,” he tells the newspaper. “I was a hippie. But it was good for me.”

Despite the fact that he can “strip a gun and that sort of thing,” Skarsgard is quick to point out that he was training in Sweden, not Iraq.

“People don’t shoot us, so you can’t really… I never left Sweden,” he tells the Telegraph. “Our last war was 200 years ago.”

SOURCE: NYDailyNews.com

Interview below taken from Guardian.co.uk

Hi, Alexander! In True Blood, you own Fangtasia, a vampire bar. What would happen if Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Edward from Twilight or Kiefer Sutherland from The Lost Boys dropped in for a snifter?

Well, Fangtasia is open to humans and vampires alike so we’re very welcoming (1). I’d buy Edward and Kiefer some Tru Blood (2) and I’d buy Buffy a memorabilia T-shirt. Ha!

You weren’t in season one very much. How do we know you’re not going to be killed off in the opening seconds of season two?

I only had a couple of scenes in season one, you’re right. But we get to know Eric a lot better in season two. We get to see his background and why his motives are personal and not always for business. There’s a lot more to Eric than the antagonist bad boy.

Season one gave us vampires. Season two promises vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters and devil worshippers. Who have you got in season three? The Gruffalo and the Bogeyman (3)?

Ha ha, maybe! We’ll have to wait and see …

Do you sleep in a coffin in real life or do you prefer to hang upside down like Batman (4)?

I’m obviously a very diligent actor so I slept in a coffin for three months to prepare for the job. I work with Alan Ball (5), so obviously I slept Six Feet Under.

How many sets of plastic gnashers and bottles of tomato ketchup do you chomp through per episode?

Well, the teeth are pretty strong. They usually last the whole season. I wish the blood was tomato juice but it’s nasty, sticky sweet artificial stuff.

Ever keep in the fangs on the bus on the way home?

Not the teeth, but I’ve gone home drenched in blood. I’ve been so tired that I’ve just pulled on a pair of skivvies (6), jumped in my car and driven home. Fortunately, I’ve never yet been pulled over the cops!

Lesbian Vampire Killers (7). Seen it?

Never heard of it.

You’re not missing much. How would True Blood differ if it were British?

I think we vampires would be far more polite if we were British. We would slaughter someone then apologise profusely!

Would Her Majesty the Queen make a good vampire?

I would want her as a vampire on my side. I wouldn’t want to fight her. Just look at her! She’s serious!

You were in Zoolander, for a bit, and you’re in the video to Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi. Bit gaga, Lady Gaga?

Lady Gaga is pretty wild but she’s very intelligent. She controls her career and knows what she wants. She would make a great vampire. She should give me a call!

There’s a funny circle thing over the A in Skarsgård. How do I get one? (8)

I was born and raised in Stockholm. I’m very proud of that little circle! We don’t really have that sound in English. It’s kind of the way you Brits say, “fart”, like “fort”, with more of an “oar” sound.

Swedish, eh? When Gordon Ramsay is on Swedish telly, is he dubbed to sound more like the Swedish chef from The Muppet Show? (9)

Not really. The chef from the Muppets speaks in a made-up language. Swedish doesn’t really sound anything like that!

How about The Count from the Muppets? Will he join the cast of True Blood at some point?

Um, it’s a great idea. I’ll have to ask him. Ha! (10)

True Blood season two starts Friday, 10pm, FX

1 It’s a lie! Don’t go there!

2 Buy some now at trubeverage.com

3 Is he hiding under your bed?

4 Like in Batman (1989)

5 Screenwriter of Six Feet Under and American Beauty, not the ginger footballer

6 Pants

7 Also pants

8 Richård Pelley?

9 Hurdy gurdy!

10 Ha ha ha ha!

SOURCES: Interview from Guardian.co.uk | Photograph © Ian Daniels/Rex

Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series:

1. Breaking Bad (AMC)
2. Battlestar Galactica (SyFy)
3. The Closer (TNT)
4. Dexter (Showtime)
5. Leverage (TNT)
6. True Blood (HBO)

Best Actor on Television:

1. Josh Holloway (Lost) (ABC)
2. Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad) (AMC)
3. Matthew Fox (Lost) (ABC)
4. Michael C. Hall (Dexter) (Showtime)
5. Zachary Levi (Chuck) (NBC)
6. Stephen Moyer (True Blood) (HBO)
7. David Tennant (Doctor Who: The End of Time) (BBC America)

Best Actress on Television:

1. Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad) (AMC)
2. Jennifer Love Hewitt (The Ghost Whisperer) (CBS)
3. Evangeline Lily (Lost) (ABC)
4. Anna Paquin (True Blood) (HBO)
5. Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer) (TNT)
6. Anna Torv (Fringe) (Fox)

Best Supporting Actor on Television:

1. Jeremy Davies (Lost) (ABC)
2. Michael Emerson (Lost) (ABC)
3. Aldis Hodge (Leverage) (TNT)
4. Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) (AMC)
5. John Noble (Fringe) (Fox)
6. Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) (HBO)

Best Guest Starring Role in Television:

1. Bernard Cribbins (Doctor Who: The End of Time) (BBC America)
2. Raymond Cruz (Breaking Bad) (AMC)
3. Michelle Forbes (True Blood) (HBO)
4. John Lithgow (Dexter) (Showtime)
5. Leonard Nimoy (Fringe) (ABC)
6. Mark Pellegrino (Lost) (ABC)

SOURCE: SaturnAwards.org

SOURCES: JustJared.com, TrueBlood-Online.com

CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL 53 PHOTOS

CLICK HERE FOR A BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO

In the recent Sexiest Man Alive issue of People Magazine, Alex was chosen as their ‘Sexiest Bad Boy’ for the portrayal of Eric Northman on True Blood.  He stated:

“Ever since I was a kid, my mom would scold me for being a bad boy. ‘Don’t fight with the other kids, don’t talk back to your elders, be nice to all the girls.’ So here I am actually getting an award for being a bad boy. Thank you, People magazine. I can’t wait to tell my mom.”  ~Alexander Skarsgard

While Eric may be categorized as a ‘bad boy’, Alex himself (and many of the fans) have said that Eric is more misunderstood rather than the villain.  Those who have read Charlaine Harris‘ Southern Vampire Mysteries, which the show is based on, have more of an idea of who Eric really is.

Season 3 of True Blood begins filming in early December where Alex will spend the majority of the first episode practically nude.  Next summer cannot come soon enough!

SOURCE: Examiner.com

“Waiting in the press line at The Paley Festival’s True Blood night, one could still see the line of fans outside the interview tent. They were a mix of local hardcore fans and people from all over the world who had flown in to see the stars of their favorite bawdy vampire soap – and most of them had been waiting there since the morning.”

To Read more of this article and interviews go Here.

Also be sure to check out another article by Matt Fowler on Season 2 “Bloody Bites from True Blood Season 2″.

So “Who’s Fanging Who”? EOnline.com has just posted a Season 2 exclusive with interviews with Alan Ball, Alexander Skarsgård, Anna Paquin & Stephen Moyer and even a sneek peek at a upcoming episode scene! Go HERE to read the full article and also see some Photos from last nights Paley Fest.

Source: eonline.com