Since season one Sam Trammell has played our favorite bar owner Sam Merlotte since season one. Now of course the main story line for ‘True Blood’ is vampire and werewolves but it looks likes this season might bring trouble for shape shifters from the Louisiana Governor (Arliss Howard). So after six seasons is he still finding new things about his character?
“Here’s the thing, in ‘True Blood’ time, only about two years has passes. [Laughs] There’s still a lot to learn with Sam and there are new things and new relationships and there are some new people this year. The shape shifters have been outed and certain people [the aforementioned Governor] wants to take away your personal freedom to be who you are in the world.
The short answer is that the show is so well-written and shows so many dimensions, at least with my character, I feel that you continue to find things out about him.”
After last season Alan Ball left the show as the showrunner and Brian Buckner stepped into the role. Brian has said he wants to shake things up. Has Sam seen a shake up as an actor?
“Alan, I’m so sad to see him go but he wanted to take a break. There’s barely been a shift but this year is a little different. I feel like this year is going to be a little more about the core characters. There aren’t as many side character stories going on. It’s a little more focused in that sense and I know as the show continues, if we do another year, I feel like it’s gotten back to the core people and really focused on character.”
It seems like Sam has a lot of trouble finding love. Will he be able to find true love in this world?
“It just seems like it comes and goes, doesn’t it? I think Sam has found true love but he just keeps getting kinda screwed. On the one hand, it’s fun to meet new people and have new relationships but, on the other hand, it would be nice to get into something pretty deep and have a mature relationship at least before a week passes and someone leaves or gets killed.”
In the new season it seems like Alcide (Joe Manganiello) and Sam are not getting together very well. What can he tell us about that?
“Yeah, Sam and Alcide are definitely going to be butting heads. The shifters and werewolves…Sam is on the wrong side from the werewolves, let’s put it that way. The werewolves are a rabid bunch and a big bunch and that’s a big parts of my season is how I deal with the werewolves and Alcide. Alcide and Sam have ben friends in the past but that gets complicated because of Emma and Luna that definitely is trying our relationship.”
When the show first started there were a lot of scenes between Sookie (Anna Paquin) and Sam. I kind of miss those scenes between the two. So will this season have any more of those scenes?
“I love working with Anna and I love the Same and Sookie dynamic. There’s a real genuine relationship there. Same has affection for Sookie and Sookie has affection for Sam in her own way.”
Besides ‘True Blood’ what else has Sam been working on?
“I did this movie called ‘White Rabbit’ this past summer, which is really intense and really great. It’s about a father and son in Louisiana and it looks at the psychology behind someone who commits violence at a school. It’s one of the best characters I’ve ever done. He’s this drugged out and alcoholic father who becomes a born again Christian and I hope people get to see it. It’s really fantastic and one of the best parts I’ve ever done.”
You can read the full interview here.
And as you know the new season of ‘True Blood’ starts tonight on HBO.
Source: TV Fanatic – “Sam Trammell on True Blood Season Six: Shifters, Beware!”
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
