Hot True Blood Gallery: Fangbangers, Vamps and Shifters

Alexandra Breckendridge, Locust Valley (1999) tv show red carpet photo

Alexandra Breckendridge, Locust Valley (1999)

Before her breakthrough in the loosely Shakespeare-based teen comedy She’s the Man (2006), Breckenridge had smaller parts in Dawson’s Creek, Freaks and Geeks and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, as well as the failed MTV pilot Locust Valley (alongside a pre-Battlestar Galactica Katee Sackhoff).

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Alexandra Breckenridge, Then and Now

As the mole in Marnie’s coven, Katerina Pelham participates in the Wiccans’ first dabbling in necromancy, then reports back to King Bill—and occasionally shares his bed, as well. There’s a deliciously awkward moment as Sookie looks for Bill and finds him with Katerina, who’s hastily getting dressed.

Courtney Ford of True Blood tv show red carpet photo

Courtney Ford, Criminal Minds (2008)

This isn’t Ford’s first exposure to blood-suckers: Last year she had a guest appearance on The Vampire Diaries, and in 2006 she had a star turn as a reporter who’s dangerously close to a serial killer’s story on Dexter. She’s also guested on Grey’s Anatomy, Monk, Ugly Betty and How I Met Your Mother, as well Criminal Minds, as a plucky bartender love interest for Reid (check out their sweetly geeky pickup scene). Ford is married to onetime Superman Brandon Routh.

Toby Canham/Getty Images

Courtney Ford, Then and Now

Portia Bellefleur is confident, to say the least; she’s a successful attorney who has no qualms about going after what she wants—including Bill (there’s nothing remotely sweet about this pickup scene). Their relationship seems to progress quickly, as Bill is invited over to meet Portia’s grandmamma; things are going great until Bill and Mrs. Bellefleur come to the realization that Bill is actually Portia’s great-great-great-great grandfather. Ewww!

Deborah Ann Woll, Life (2007)

Woll did much of her acting on the stage before True Blood, though her previous TV credits include guest appearances on Law & Order: SVU, The Mentalist, My Name Is Earl and Life. Fans of the statuesque redhead may be surprised to learn that she is in fact a natural blonde who started dyeing her hair because she felt she "disappeared into the background" with her pale skin and light hair (not bloody likely). Check out this creepy/sexy video portrait of her.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Deborah Ann Woll, Then and Now

Jessica Hamby is one of the most compelling vampires in the True Blood bunch, perhaps because she’s also the youngest (Bill was forced to "make" her after killing another vampire in defense of Sookie). She may be immortal, but she’s also a teenager, and she goes through all the angsty drama that entails. Her relationship with Hoyt is both passionate and troubled, and her dalliances at Fangtasia are awfully fun.

Jessica Tuck, The Vendors (1980s)

Before True Blood, Tuck was mostly known for her soap opera roles (on One Life to Live and Days of Our Lives) and guest appearances on Lois & Clark, Party of Five, Seinfeld and Saving Grace. She also played Nicole Brown Simpson in the TV movie The O.J. Simpson Story. But it all started for her back in the ’80s, when she rocked a top hat in the NYU student film The Vendors.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Jessica Tuck, Then and Now

As the spokeswoman for the American Vampire League, Nan Flanagan represents the voice of reason and moderation in the mainstreaming of vampires. Of course, what we’ve learned in Season 4 is that her power—and her connection to Bill—goes far deeper. She also represents the Authority, and she has the power to make kings (and destroy unruly queens).

Denis O'Hare of True Blood tv show red carpet photo

Denis O’Hare, The Anniversary Party (2001)

This veteran stage actor won a Tony Award in 2003 for Take Me Out and has also appeared in Cabaret, Sweet Charity, Assassins and many other highly acclaimed Broadway productions. He’s also had memorable turns on Law & Order, The Good Wife, Brothers & Sisters and CSI: Miami. His movie credits include Milk, Baby Mama, Charlie Wilson’s War, Michael Clayton and The Anniversary Party.

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Denis O’Hare, Then and Now

The 3,000-year-old king of Mississippi Russell Edgington was one of the oldest, craziest, scariest vampires around. That is, until Eric realized that Russell had massacred his Viking family eons ago and plotted his revenge, which involved killing Russell’s lover, tricking him into the sunlight and burying him alive in concrete. But don’t count him out yet: We may not have seen the last of Russell Edgington.

Evan Rachel Wood of Thirteen and True Blood tv show red carpet photo

Evan Rachel Wood, Digging to China (1998)

Born into an acting family, Wood began her career as a child and has worked steadily ever since, appearing in TV series like American Gothic and Once and Again and movies including The Wrestler, Across the Universe and Digging to China, when she was but a wee tot. She burst into the culture’s awareness, though, with the controversial, disturbing Thirteen.

Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Evan Rachel Wood, Then and Now

Sophie-Anne Leclerq was the lavishly wealthy—and deeply indebted—vampire queen of Louisiana who ordered Eric to sell V (against all the laws and precepts of vampirekind) and originally sent Bill to get close to Sookie (which revelation led to Sookie breaking off her relationship with Bill). But she suffered the true death when Bill lured her over to his house and, with the help of Nan and the American Vampire League, assassinated her and became king of Louisiana in her place.

Theo Alexander, CSI: NY (2007) tv show red carpet photo

Theo Alexander, CSI: NY (2007)

This Greek actor sometimes credited as Theodore Zouboulidis appeared in 2007’s El Grecobut had only a few American TV credits to his name before True Blood: Chuck, Pushing Daisies and CSI: NY, in which he did some very peculiar things with chocolate.

Michael Caulfield/Getty Images

Theo Alexander, Then and Now

Russell Edgington’s long-term (and I do mean long—700 years!) partner was also long-suffering. Though the two shared a deep, passionate connection, both also had other outside interests…for Talbot, these included Eric, who killed him with a stake through the heart as revenge for Russell’s butchering of his own family. Discovering Talbot’s icky remains, a distraught Russell scooped them up in an ornate jar and carried them around, until Sookie dumped them down the Fangtasia bar sink in front of his eyes.

Marshall Allman of True Blood tv show red carpet photo

Marshall Allman, Hostage (2005)

Fans of Prison Break will remember Allman as L.J. Burrows, but the actor has also appeared on Without a Trace, Malcolm in the Middle, Cold Case, Grey’s Anatomy and many other TV shows. His film credits include the Bruce Willis thriller Hostage.

Toby Canham/Getty Images

Marshall Allman, Then and Now

Tommy Mickens is a hard guy to like, but an easy one to feel sympathy for. He was terrorized by his abusive father, who forced him into dogfights in his shifted form to earn money for the family. When Sam, the brother he never knew he had, shows up and gives him the option to leave, he takes it but doesn’t know what to do with himself. He manages to alienate Sam and only seems to know how to make a buck by scamming people who care about him.

Lindsay Pulsipher of True Blood tv show red carpet photo

Lindsay Pulsipher, Fair-Haired Child (2006)

Pulsipher had guest roles on House and NCIS, among others, before landing a regular spot on the late Patrick Swayze’s final project, The Beast. She also starred in the "Fair-Haired Child" episode of the Masters of Horror anthology series.

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Lindsay Pulsipher, Then and Now

Crystal Norris is one crazy cat: First she pleaded with Jason to help free her from her abusive half-brother/fiancé, Felton. Then she disappeared with Felton and left Jason to care for her family of werepanthers at Hotshot. But nothing compares to what came next: In order to perpetuate their line, she helped Felton kidnap Jason, tied him up to a bed, mauled him so that he’d become one of them, then fed him a bunch of Mexican Viagra and raped him, all the while claiming that she loved him.

True Blood's Kristin Bauer in The Crew (1995) tv show red carpet photo

Kristin Bauer, The Crew (1995)

Bauer had her first recurring role on the flight-attendant comedy The Crew back in 1995 (is that "the Rachel" she’s sporting?). Her other TV credits include The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Dirty Sexy Money, Two and a Half Men and the voice of Mera on Justice League. Film credits include 50 First Dates and Dancing at the Blue Iguana

John Shearer/Getty Images for Art of Elysium

Kristin Bauer, Then and Now

Pam De Beaufort, the glamorous manager of Fangtasia and Eric’s most loyal devotee, has a sharp wit and little patience for the consternations of humans. She can’t understand Eric’s fascination with Sookie but does everything she can to protect her maker, charging Sookie with hiding Eric and trying desperately to reverse the spell that stole his identity.