Fang-tastic Futures: Where the Stars of True Blood Turned After Bon Temps

For seven seasons, the residents of Bon Temps, Louisiana, served up a heady cocktail of supernatural drama, romance, and campy horror. When True Blood signed off the air in 2014, the show left an indelible mark on HBO’s legacy, not least for its ensemble cast who became global stars. The series finale may have given the central characters a final, fleeting glimpse of peace, but for the actors themselves, it was merely a career launching pad. From Academy Award winners seeking prestige roles to television favorites finding spin-off success and one Viking vampire achieving meteoric Hollywood stardom, the cast of True Blood has scattered across the industry. Yet, in a twist as compelling as any Alan Ball script, the deepest love story from the show remains intact, forging a real-life partnership that continues to shape the professional trajectories of its two biggest stars.

The Core Duo: Eternal Love and Collaboration

The romance between Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton was the emotional anchor of True Blood, and in a rare Hollywood convergence, the passion between actors Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer proved far more enduring than their on-screen relationship. The pair, who met during the show’s pilot, married in 2010 and welcomed fraternal twins, Charlie and Poppy, two years later. Their commitment to each other remains the show’s most celebrated off-screen legacy, but their partnership is also fiercely professional.

Since leaving Bon Temps, Paquin and Moyer have actively chosen to collaborate, frequently taking on projects where they can produce, direct, and star alongside each other. Moyer, a British stage veteran, has moved into directing with films like The Parting Glass and, more recently, A Bit of Light in 2024, in which Paquin starred. Paquin, already an Oscar winner when she was cast as Sookie, has balanced genre work with critically acclaimed dramas, including a key role in Martin Scorsese’s epic, The Irishman. Their shared ventures prove that for this power couple, working together is not a burden but an affirmation of their creative and personal bond, a harmonious dual life that stands in stark contrast to the dramatic love triangles they once inhabited on-screen.

From Viking Vampire to Hollywood Royalty

While Paquin and Moyer kept their projects intertwined, Alexander Skarsgård, who played the impossibly cool Viking vampire Eric Northman, used his True Blood fame as a springboard to full-fledged Hollywood royalty. Skarsgård has arguably become the most critically successful alumnus of the series, transitioning seamlessly between blockbuster films and prestigious television dramas.

His career exploded with high-profile, complex roles, beginning with his Golden Globe and Emmy-winning turn as the charismatic but terrifyingly abusive husband, Perry Wright, in HBO’s Big Little Lies. He followed this success with a series of major film roles, embodying the title character in The Legend of Tarzan and joining the MonsterVerse in Godzilla vs. Kong. Most recently, Skarsgård has captivated audiences with his portrayal of Lukas Matsson, the mercurial and chillingly modern billionaire in the award-winning series Succession, solidifying his position as one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. Far from the smoky confines of Fangtasia, Skarsgård is now a fixture on the global stage, proving that the thousand-year-old vampire’s ambition was only a fraction of the actor’s own career trajectory.

Beyond the Bar: Fan Favorites and Spin-off Success

The employees and patrons of Merlotte’s Bar and Grill formed the beating human heart of True Blood, and several of the show’s favorite supporting actors have found enduring success in the subsequent decade. The versatile and beloved Carrie Preston, who played the fiery, red-headed waitress Arlene Fowler, has turned her knack for playing eccentric legal minds into a career highlight.

Preston’s long-running character of attorney Elsbeth Tascioni, who originated in The Good Wife and continued into The Good Fight, was rewarded with her own successful network spin-off, Elsbeth, in 2024. This achievement marks a rare and impressive feat in modern television, celebrating a character’s sustained popularity. Similarly, Kristin Bauer van Straten, who played Pam De Beaufort, Eric’s fiercely loyal and witty progeny, continued her genre work by reprising her role as the villainous Maleficent in ABC’s Once Upon a Time. She has also maintained a strong connection with the fan base, co-hosting the Truest Blood rewatch podcast with former co-star Deborah Ann Woll, a venture that keeps the spirit of Bon Temps alive and thriving.

The Next Generation: Marvel, Mysteries, and Morality Plays

For the younger cast members, True Blood provided a valuable platform for pivoting into new and diverse genres, showcasing their range beyond the supernatural. Deborah Ann Woll, who played the young, conflicted vampire Jessica Hamby, found immediate and sustained success in the superhero world, joining the Netflix-Marvel universe as the tenacious journalist Karen Page across Daredevil, The Punisher, and The Defenders. Beyond acting, Woll has leveraged her personal passions, becoming an active and beloved figure in the Dungeons & Dragons community, taking on roles as a Dungeon Master and screenwriting for related content.

Meanwhile, Rutina Wesley, who embodied Sookie’s fiery best friend, Tara Thornton, transitioned to a major dramatic lead role on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network. Since 2016, Wesley has anchored the critically acclaimed series Queen Sugar as Nova Bordelon, a journalist and activist in New Orleans, showcasing a powerful and grounded performance that is a world away from vampire bites and blood addictions. Ryan Kwanten, famous for playing Sookie’s well-meaning but dim brother Jason Stackhouse, maintained a busy schedule, balancing film roles in genre pictures like 2067 and Loveland with a steady stream of roles in television dramas such as The Oath and the horror anthology series Them.

Blockbusters, Blue Collar Roles, and Lasting Legacies

Beyond the main romantic and family ties, other major cast members carved out equally distinct and dynamic careers. Joe Manganiello, who played the brooding werewolf Alcide Herveaux, capitalized on his Hollywood profile and physique by landing major roles in films like the Magic Mike franchise and joining the DC cinematic universe as the assassin Deathstroke. Outside of acting, Manganiello is a self-professed expert and passionate advocate for Dungeons & Dragons, a passion he is currently channeling into directing an official documentary about the game’s history. His high-profile relationship with actress Sofia Vergara dominated headlines for years, and their recent split in 2023 marked another dramatic personal chapter in his life.

Sam Trammell, who played the kindly shapeshifter Sam Merlotte, has settled into a comfortable and dependable career as a versatile television actor, landing significant supporting roles in major network dramas. He notably played the Vice President on the final season of Homeland and appeared in multiple episodes of This Is Us, cementing his status as a reliable presence in prestige television. Finally, no retrospective on the True Blood cast is complete without acknowledging the tremendous talent of Nelsan Ellis, who portrayed the iconic short-order cook and medium, Lafayette Reynolds. Tragically, Ellis passed away in 2017. However, his performance remains one of the show’s most lauded, praised for its groundbreaking and nuanced portrayal of a queer character, a truly immortal legacy that transcended the supernatural narrative of Bon Temps.