Stephen Moyer : PopWrap

 

For two seasons we've watched Stephen Moyer literally and figuratively tear into the town of Bon Temps as, perhaps, the most well meaning vampire since Count on "Sesame Street." But all that is about to change in a big way this season. Big as in day one at fat camp.

Bill stood front and center in "True Blood's" big season ending cliffhanger as he was kidnapped immediately after proposing to a pause-prone Sookie. And even though we learn the identity of his vamp-napper in the first episode, their true intentions will remain shrouded in mystery for much of the third season.

But one thing we know for sure is that Bill is going on a character altering journey this year, that will see him struggling to find his way out of the darkness. An off choice given his aversion to sunlight, but I think you get the metaphor.

I had the pleasure of chatting with the very un-Bill-like Stephen (for starters, he smiles) about big season three changes, the lengths Bill will go to for Sookie and how that could actually be detrimental to his beloved.

PopWrap: How exciting was it for your show, which started with 1.4 million viewers to wrap up season two with over five million a week? 
Stephen Moyer: It’s extraordinary. But without being disingenuous, we all thought it had the potential to do so well. I think there was also only one episode in the first season that didn’t go up. So they’ve all kind of done that and done that and done that. I think it helped that every episode last year was bigger than the last.

 

PW: What are your feelings going into Emmy season? 
Stephen: I think awards expose the show to a wider audience, making them realize we're not your run of the mill show. But typically The Emmys don’t seem to go for genre shows, so honestly, I'm not sure that any of us expect anything this year. Don’t get me wrong, it would be lovely if it happened, but I don’t think any of us are expecting anything.

 

PW: What did you think of season two over all? 
Stephen: Michelle Forbes was amazing. There was a moment of “what the f*** are we doing?” But it worked.

 

PW: And how does this year differ? 
Stephen: The new season doesn’t have the same sort of out of control craziness because we’ve stopped searching out the crazy, the crazy is just coming to every single one of us.

 

PW: Yes, the crazy is kidnapping Bill. 
Stephen: Yea. He’s lost, he’s on his own.

 

PW: The first two years were very Bill/Sookie heavy -- were you excited to film with actors aside from, or in addition to, Anna? 
Stephen: I think we both were. Obviously we’re well aware that, as TV viewers and knowing what our show is now, you just can’t watch two people be together forever. Alan [Ball, creator] said, happy relationships are great in real life but they’re not very interesting on TV [laughs]. I love working with Anna, absolutely love it, but it’s nice to work with other people.

 

PW: I loved her impression of Bill saying Sookie in the first episode. 
Stephen: [laughs] As soon as I read it in the script, I was dying to see her bring it to life. When we watched the episode, it brought the house down. I love that we didn’t set out to create a quotable line. It just happens. It's weird though, all I do is say Sookie in the way Charlaine [Harris, creator] told us to say it, but for some reason it became this thing. Which is lovely, it’s wonderful.

 

PW: Which of your new co-stars were you most excited about working with? 
Stephen: One of my favorite relationships this year is with Denis O’Hare as the King of Mississippi. You'll see as the season builds that he is so amazing. He’s great fun to work with, he brings something new to the plate and makes you, as an actor, feel like you have to be up to his level. It sharpens your blade again.

 

PW: But knowing him takes Bill to a very dark place this year. 
Stephen: Yes. That’s very true. I think the most interesting thing is that for better or for worse, Bill will do anything – ANYTHING -- to protect Sookie. Even if it means losing himself. It’s like this crazy protective instinct in him. He’ll massacre anyone, even himself, and go so far away from who he’s become to protect her. One wonders even if it’s to the detriment of Sookie in some respects because he’s willing to go so far. And that’s a really interesting thing to play – how protective you are of the person you love?

 

PW: Were you excited to take him so dark? 
Stephen: What’s fascinating about Alan Ball, is that none of the characters are golden. We’ll never see Eric be 100% wonderful – we know he’s flawed, we know Bill is flawed, we know Sookie is flawed. Alan puts obstacles in our heroes’ paths and likes to see how they react.

 

PW: So what would your dream scenario be for Bill? 
Stephen: I’d love to see Bill – and this will happen – learn from his mistakes. I’d love to see him grow as he’s informed by the choices he’s made. If that happens, we might, down the road, see a lighter Bill at some point.

 

PW: So what you're saying is Bill might smile? 
Stephen: [laughs] You never know! I think it’s interesting because obviously everyone is fascinated by the Eric/Sookie stuff. And the so called love triangle with Sookie/Bill/Eric is beautifully played out. But what’s interesting about Bill is that you know he’s a solid anchor for Sookie. And that creates a great dynamic for somebody much more Machiavellian, like Eric. So we see she’s got the choice of the guy who’s out for himself and the one who will be her ultimate protector. For a woman in that situation, she’d probably want a little mixture of both. I find that really interesting

 

PW: Do you think there is such a thing as "happily ever after" in Bon Temps? 
Stephen: I honestly don’t know. I’m not sure whether you’ll ever be able to properly see that. Maybe in the last moment at the end of season 72, where we’re left with Sookie and whomever she’s with. Because dramatically, dynamically and interestingly, the stuff that we want to watch is the turmoil and the tussle and the laughter and sex that leads to that final moment. Be it with Bill, with Eric or with 15 other lovers.

 

PW: Being "True Blood" that could all happen at once! 
Stephen: That's how the show ends, with every male actor on the show in bed with Sookie. Right at the last moment. [laughs]