Ryan Kwanten : Jive TV

Not so long ago, the man who won our hearts on Home and Away and who now spends most of his time away from home, returned to Australia on a mission to promote the Telstra T-Box. In recent years, Sydney’s Ryan Kwanten has been taking on the film and television industry in the US, landing himself a lead role in one of HBO’s latest success stories – True Blood.

He doesn’t get to come home often but on those occasions when he does, it’s evident how much he relishes the opportunity.

“I was back home last year for two films and that was really nice. One was shot in Omeo Victoria and one back here in Surry Hills. Actually it was really really nice, that was the first time I’ve worked here in 8 years.”

The eight years ago he’s referring to was when he graced Australian television screens as Summer Bay’s loveable Vinnie Patterson. Today, this side of the equator, it is how he is still remembered. Tell someone that True Blood’s Jason Stackhouse is played by Ryan Kwanten and they will look at you funny, recognition is achieved by adding: "You know, Vinnie from Home and Away".

In light of True Blood’s popularity, you would think the screams for Jason Stackhouse had overshadowed the Vinnie legacy by now. But there are many hearts that still leave space for Vince Patterson.

“There are still the diehard Home and Away fans; there was a lady the other day when we were giving out T-box’s at the Ronald McDonald children’s hospital in Randwick, an older Scottish lady, who just went ballistic. She started calling me Vince. I haven’t been called Vince in years.

“It’s there; it’s certainly something that I don’t deny. My time on Home and Away was pretty amazing, I’m very proud to say that I came from that show initially.”

Alan Ball’s (American Beauty, Six Feet Under) adaptation of The Southern Vampire Mysteries (Charlaine Harris) into the HBO success True Blood is vampire fiction for adults. Sex, violence, murder, politics, mystery, love and lust, all the things Stephanie Meyer lacks in her life and her stories, are packed into True Blood’s hour long episodes.

Kwanten plays the role of Jason Stackhouse, older brother to the show’s main (breathing) protagonist Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin). Blonde and chiselled like a Botticelli angel, Jason Stackhouse is the hunk that every southern girl wants to bed, but with the intelligence of a puppy. It’s this latter characteristic that often lands him in trouble worse than peeing on carpet.

But if Jason Stackhouse was to go on a holiday to Summer Bay, he would probably hit it off with Vinnie Patterson. Even Kwanten recognises some similarities between the two characters.

“I guess in their sort of extroverted nature for sure. I think Vinnie had slightly more ambition and more of an ability to work things to his advantage. I think he was much more of a thinker whereas Jason’s just ah...not.”

Season 3 of True Blood commences on Showcase tonight. Rumour has it it’s their bloodiest season to date, not for the faint-hearted at all. In light of the “realness” of vampires it would be reasonable to assume they are but one species in a much larger supernatural community. In this season, the extent of that community will be revealed.

Kwanten’s character Jason, so far, has been in one hairy situation after another and had some life-changing and possibly psychologically damaging experiences. He’s developed into a much nicer character than the version that appears in Harris’ novels and this season, as Ball continues to shape Harris’ story into his own, Kwanten hints at further character development for Jason who “can finally shake off the ashes of the past and start growing.”