True Blood: Why was James recast with new actor? (2024)

True Blood: Why was James recast with new actor? (1)

by Josh Sanchez

The HBO hit show True Blood is entering its final season, which is an awfully strange time for a casting change. However, the show’s producers were left no choice but to recast vampire James whenever Luke Grimes left the show last year.

See Also
Lucy Stone

James is now played by Nathan Parsons.

But why did Grimes leave the show so close to the conclusion of the series?

An HBO release initially said it was because of the creative direction of the character. According to Buzzfeed, it was because Grimes was uncomfortable with playing a gay character.

From Buzzfeed:

According to the source, Grimes objected to the first few scripts he received, once it became clear that his character would become romantically involved with Lafayette. He countered that he would be willing to play the role if Lafayette were attracted to him, but not if the attraction was mutual. He also did not want to do any same-sex kissing or sex scenes. The writers were unwilling to change the scripts on his behalf.

It is smart for the show to stick to their guns, even if it means recasting an actor in the final season of the show.

They have a reason for the way the story lines are set to develop and we will find out why they went that direction leading up to the series finale at the end of August.

True Blood: Why was James recast with new actor? (2024)

FAQs

Did they change the actor for James in True Blood? ›

When "True Blood" returned for its seventh and final season earlier this summer, fans immediately noticed that one crucial character had a different face -- James, the studly vampire who entered the show in season six to romance Deborah Ann Woll's character, Jessica, was now being played by a new actor, Nathan Parsons.

Why was Luke Grimes not in season 7 of True Blood? ›

Ellis suggested, in an interview with Vulture magazine, that the real reason Grimes quit was because he didn't want to continue playing James, a straight vampire character who switches directions and takes up with the gay vampire Lafayette.

Why did Nathan Parsons leave True Blood? ›

Honestly, I didn't even miss him when Originals star Nathan Parsons took over as James in the Season 7 premiere last Sunday. But it turns out that there's a little more to this story — Grimes quit True Blood because he didn't want to play a gay character.

Why did they change Jessica boyfriend on True Blood? ›

In his recap on Sunday's True Blood, Burnsy noted that Luke Grimes, the actor who originally played Jessica Hamby's boyfriend (now replaced by Nathan Parsons), left the show “because he didn't like the direction of his character.” Well, as it turns out, the direction his character was heading in was straight to Gaytown ...

Why did Big James get replaced? ›

James is now played by Nathan Parsons. But why did Grimes leave the show so close to the conclusion of the series? An HBO release initially said it was because of the creative direction of the character. According to Buzzfeed, it was because Grimes was uncomfortable with playing a gay character.

Why was Big James recast? ›

The role of Big James, originally played by Shayan Sobhian, was later recast to Kian Kavousi. This was because Sobhian departed to play Behrad Tarazi on DC's Legends of Tomorrow (2016).

Why Was True Blood canceled? ›

And I think in the case of True Blood, it just felt like we had reached a place where the storytelling was hitting a wall." With no ideas of where to take the series, it was decided by HBO and the show's producers that it would be best for True Blood Season 7 to be the show's last.

Why did James leave True Blood? ›

Essentially, the reason vampire Grimes left True Blood, forcing the show to recast the character of Kent, was his discomfort with playing a gay character and potentially getting involved in same-sex action.

What happened to Willow in True Blood? ›

After having already fed, she was unable to resist feeding from her own father. She drank the blood of Bill Compton to be saved from the True Death. Because of that she gained the ability to daywalk. Warlow's death however, stripped this ability from her.

Was Luke Grimes replaced on True Blood? ›

The role of James was recast, and Luke was replaced by Nathan Parsons, an American actor who plays the role of James Kent throughout the series' seventh, and final, season.

What happened to Arlene baby in True Blood? ›

Arlene, who feels abortion is wrong, nevertheless turns to her friend Holly Cleary, who performs a wiccan ritual that could terminate the unwanted pregnancy. Arlene wakes the next morning in a pool of blood, however, after a visit from Dr. Robideaux, he informs her the baby is still alive.

Is there a spin off of True Blood? ›

True Blood: Jessica's Blog (TV Series 2010–2014) - IMDb.

Who does Bill cheat on Sookie with? ›

However, his betrayal didn't stop there. Not only did Bill cheat on Sookie with his maker, Lorena, but he allowed the Rattrays to beat her close to death in the series' premiere episode so that he could trick her into ingesting his blood, forcing them to bond under false pretenses.

Who did Suki marry in True Blood? ›

Yet in the series' final moments, it was revealed that Sookie didn't end up with Bill, Eric, Alcide or any other supernatural being. Instead, in a conclusion that left fans woefully disappointed, it was revealed she married a nameless, faceless everyman.

Does Eric sleep with his sister in True Blood? ›

"She tells them the life they knew is over now and that if they return, it would be the end of her. Eric and Nora have sex in a shipping container on the dock. They are loud, causing Bill outside to tell them they should be more quiet.

Was the disciple James disabled? ›

James son of Alpheus was born in Galilee. He was born with a form of paralysis which gave him a limp he would have he whole life.

Are James and John related to Jesus? ›

John the Apostle was the son of Zebedee and the younger brother of James the Great. According to church tradition, their mother was Salome. Also according to some traditions, Salome was the sister of Mary, Jesus' mother, making Salome Jesus' aunt, and her sons John the Apostle and James were Jesus' cousins.

What happened to Big James? ›

James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa I in the year 44. The tradition at Compostela placed the discovery of the relics of the saint in the time of king Alfonso II (791–842) and of bishop Theodemir of Iria.

Is Big James Jesus brother? ›

The Gospel of James (a 2nd-century apocryphal gospel also called the Protoevangelium of James or the Infancy Gospel of James) says that Mary was betrothed to Joseph and that he already had children. In this case, James was one of Joseph's children from his previous marriage and, therefore, Jesus's stepbrother.

Is James the Less the brother of Jesus? ›

James son of Alphaeus was one of the twelve main disciples of Jesus Christ. The New Testament only mentions him in the four lists of disciples, and always toward the end, indicating he was less important than the others. James son of Alphaeus is traditionally identified as James the Less and James the brother of Jesus.

Who will play Judas in The Chosen? ›

The Chosen (TV Series 2017– ) - Luke Dimyan as Judas Iscariot - IMDb.

Is True Blood coming back 2022? ›

Despite all of this, the latest official update from February 2022 was pretty negative. In an interview with TVLine, Chief Content Officer Casey Bloys said the reboot is not "anything close to [getting a green light]". And no news has emerged since to suggest it's any closer yet.

Is Midnight Texas A spin off of True Blood? ›

NBC's new supernatural drama is like its predecessor.

Who is the father of Sookie's baby on True Blood? ›

Warning, spoilers! Sookie Stackhouse married a stuntman! At the end of True Blood, viewers were treated to a flashforward of a married—and pregnant—happy Sookie (Anna Paquin) at a Thanksgiving dinner. Her mystery man was never revealed, but he was played by stuntman Timothy Eulich.

How long was Luke Grimes on True Blood? ›

Grimes portrayed James in True Blood for six episodes during the show's sixth season, but later left the show.

Who turned Pam in True Blood? ›

She is a vampire, crated by Eric Northman and co-owner of Fangtasia, a vampire bar. Her age is not mentioned on True Blood, however it is later revealed, in the short story "Two Blondes," that she is approximately 160 years old.

Who does Lafayette end up with? ›

3. Lafayette and James. Their first hookup is filled with drama, but Lafayette seems to get his wish about finally being happy. At the Thanksgiving table in the epilogue, he and James are sitting beside each other, looking like an in-love couple.

Does Jason Stackhouse become a vampire? ›

Jessica, who is working at Merlotte's, senses Jason in fear (since she had fed Jason her blood) and quickly finds Jason to protect him. It's eventually revealed that despite being bitten, Jason cannot turn into a werepanther because weres and shifters only get that power from being born as one.

Who turns Tara into a vampire? ›

Seasons 5, 6, and 7

After being shot and left for dead, Tara is turned into a vampire by Pamela Swynford De Beaufort at the request of Lafayette and Sookie. She subsequently attacks Lafayette and Sookie upon awaking, holding resentment that the only people she loved would turn her into her worst nightmare.

What happened to Violet True Blood? ›

Violet is the vampire responsible for the death of Maxine Fortenberry, and is killed later that season by Maxine's son Hoyt Fortenberry.

Who plays James in season 6 of True Blood? ›

James Kent is a vampire that appears in the sixth and seventh seasons of True Blood. He is portrayed by Luke Grimes in the sixth season and Nathan Parsons in the seventh.

Who played James in True Blood season 7? ›

True Blood (TV Series 2008–2014) - Nathan Parsons as James - IMDb.

What is Sookie's power in True Blood? ›

Sookie has a secret weapon in her faerie arsenal, however: She can channel light into a single ball of vampire-killing energy. But there's a catch: Because Sookie is a “halfling” — a human/faerie hybrid — she can use this special power only once.

What happened to Mavis True Blood? ›

Mavis and Virgil had an altercation and Virgil ultimately killed Mavis with a knife, burying her next to her child in Mavis' back yard.

What happens to Luna's daughter in True Blood? ›

Emma is later taken by Alcide Herveaux and Martha Bozeman, who believe that she belongs with a werewolf pack because she is a werewolf. She is taken to the werewolf camp, where she is hidden from the police when Rikki Naylor frightens the child into shifting into her wolf form.

How old is Suki in True Blood? ›

In the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, 25-year-old waitress Sookie Stackhouse struggles with being telepathic and not being able to control hearing the thoughts of everyone she sees.

How much did Anna Paquin make in True Blood? ›

What was Anna Paquin's salary per episode of True Blood? In early seasons, Anna earned $75,000 per episode. At her peak, she earned $275,000 per episode.

Did Alexander Skarsgård leave True Blood? ›

Granted we never saw Eric meet a complete end inside the resulting flames, the outlook appeared rather bleak. Thankfully, a conversation between TVLine and new showrunner Brian Buckner flatly revealed that Skarsgard will return to 'True Blood' full time in season 7, despite the actor's burgeoning film career.

Who was Sookie's husband at the end? ›

Played by American stuntman Timothy Eulich, Sookie's Husband is seen only at angles which hide his face, and appears only in the 2014 Thanksgiving Dinner scene at the end of the series' finale episode, Thank You, in the series' seventh, and final, season.

Is Alcide in love with Sookie? ›

Alcide is somewhat in love with Sookie but knows the relationship can never be due to Sookie killing Debbie in self-defense although they do kiss in an episode. At the end of season 6, it is shown that Sookie and Alcide are officially together, however, he dies protecting her in season 7.

Does Sookie have Hep V? ›

Sookie gets tested to see if she is the one who infected her ex-boyfriend Bill with Hep-V and discovers that she was indeed infected after using herself as bait to catch the mob of infected vampires that had been terrorizing Bon Temps.

Did Bill know Sookie was a fairy? ›

Bill reveals to Sookie that she is indeed a fairy, which even Sookie finds lame.

Who does Bill Compton end up with? ›

Fortunately, he fell in love with Caroline almost immediately upon meeting her. They had two children: Sarah Compton and Thomas Compton.

Who does Hoyt end up with in True Blood? ›

The "Hamby-Fortenberry Wedding" was the marriage ceremony between Jessica Hamby and Hoyt Fortenberry in the seventh, and final, season of the HBO original series True Blood.

What is Jesus in True Blood? ›

Jesus Velasquez is a brujo (witch) that was introduced in the third season of the popular HBO series True Blood. He was a main character for the third and fourth seasons, but became a recurring character in season 5.

Who does Eric end up? ›

Despite Hyde showing up and professing his feelings for Donna one last time, Donna chooses Eric.

Does Crystal get pregnant in True Blood? ›

Because Calvin stood for Crystal at the wedding and she is pregnant, he will take her punishment. Sookie stood for Jason, so Jason chooses to have her deliver the punishment instead of doing it himself.

Who played James on True Blood season 6? ›

James Kent is a vampire that appears in the sixth and seventh seasons of True Blood. He is portrayed by Luke Grimes in the sixth season and Nathan Parsons in the seventh.

When did they change James voice? ›

Notable characters

He was the voice of Brock and James from Season 1 to Season 8, but left the show when Pokémon USA and TAJ Productions took over the dubbing of the show from 4Kids. Stuart was replaced by Bill Rogers who took over the role of Brock and James Carter Cathcart who took over the role of James and Butch.

What part did Luke Grimes play in True Blood? ›

Luke Grimes, born January 21, 1984 in Dayton, Ohio, is an American actor who plays the role of James Kent on the HBO original series True Blood. Making his debut on the episode "The Sun", in the series' sixth season, Luke plays the role of a vampire captured in Burrell's Camp.

Does Patrick Swayze's brother play in True Blood? ›

Don Swayze, born August 10, 1958 in Houston, Texas, is an American actor who plays the role of Gus on the HBO original series True Blood. Making his debut on the episode "Bad Blood", at the beginning of the series' third season, Don plays the role of a werewolf biker.

Was Luke Grimes a Navy SEAL? ›

Grimes played United States Navy SEAL Marc Lee, who was killed in action in 2006, in American Sniper (2014). He played Christian Grey's brother, Elliot, in the film Fifty Shades of Grey (2015), and its sequels, Fifty Shades Darker (2017) and Fifty Shades Freed (2018).

Why was Ash recast? ›

We changed the voice actors for the main characters because we were told that the actors who used to provide voices to our characters had conflicting contractual commitments.

Are Brock and James voiced by the same person? ›

He provides voices for English dubs of anime, cartoons, and video games. Some of his most prominent roles include Brock and James in Pokémon from seasons 1–8, Seto Kaiba in Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Gourry Gabriev in Slayers.

Did Ash get a new voice actor? ›

Before we had Sarah Natochenny, the original English dub of Ash was voiced by Veronica Taylor. However, the entire English voice cast for the anime was replaced in 2006 and that was when Natochenny appeared in the picture. Although a lot of fans loved Taylor's performance, it was Natochenny who really stuck with them.

Who was the father of Sookie's baby in True Blood? ›

Warning, spoilers! Sookie Stackhouse married a stuntman! At the end of True Blood, viewers were treated to a flashforward of a married—and pregnant—happy Sookie (Anna Paquin) at a Thanksgiving dinner. Her mystery man was never revealed, but he was played by stuntman Timothy Eulich.

Who was the most popular character in True Blood? ›

Sookie and Eric won with 36%. Sookie and Bill came in second with 16%. Lafayette and Tara, 8%. And there were single votes for an assortment of others: Eric and Pam, Pam and Lafayette, Sam and Tara, Sam and Sookie, Eric and Bill, Jason and Andy, Hoyt and Jessica, Eric and Lafayette.

What are Sookie's powers? ›

It is from the faeries that Sookie inherited her telepathic powers, magical light and apparently delicious-tasting blood. Sookie comes into contact with a community of faeries living in a hidden world in Bon Temps and, after learning of Bill's betrayal at the end of season 3, joins them in their magical world.

What happened to Lafayette in True Blood in real life? ›

The fan-favorite struggled with drug and alcohol abuse for many years. The exact circ*mstances of Ellis' death were shared by his manager, Emily Gerson Saines, who confirmed that his death was a result of heart failure following an attempt to quit drinking on his own.

Was Katy Perry in True Blood? ›

This week's episode of HBO's True Blood covered a wide array of music, including classic blues from John Lee Hooker, early rock and roll from Carl Perkins and…

Is Aunt Petunia in True Blood? ›

Fiona Shaw CBE (born Fiona Mary Wilson; 10 July 1958) is an Irish film and theatre actress. She is known for her roles as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter film series (2001–2010), Marnie Stonebrook in the fourth season of the HBO series True Blood (2011), and Carolyn Martens in the BBC series Killing Eve (2018–22).

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Errol Quitzon

Last Updated:

Views: 5593

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (79 voted)

Reviews: 86% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Errol Quitzon

Birthday: 1993-04-02

Address: 70604 Haley Lane, Port Weldonside, TN 99233-0942

Phone: +9665282866296

Job: Product Retail Agent

Hobby: Computer programming, Horseback riding, Hooping, Dance, Ice skating, Backpacking, Rafting

Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.