TRUE BLOOD CASTING Update (12.14.11) The Vampire Authority has it's Big Bad: Chris Meloni joins True Blood! #trueblood

I really like the True Blood - season 5's new cast thus far, both the female (below) and the (alpha) male (above). Chris Meloni is pretty awesome playing awesome so he ought to be quite enjoyable to take in on screen with the rest of the True Blood crew. Another flavour of male. Yum.

I'm anxious too to see Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) and a female not Sookie have some heated discussion--which no doubt his sister, 'Nora' plyaed by Lucy Griffiths (below) and he will do.

This would be a good season for True Blood to surprise people with it's regained momentum. Adding Meloni is a very positive step in that direction.

I am looking forward to bringing Denis O'Hare as Russell Edgington too, back into this mix as the True Blood Season 4-ender all-but-spelled out (previously hinted at, after the finale his return was verified in the press). Right now, he's doing a glorious job on American Horror Story on FX as a murderous, treacherous, brain-cancer-addled, love crazy, serious burn victim.

An HBO spokesperson confirms that Chris Meloni is joining True Blood as a series regular for Season 5!

Executive producer Alan Ball, True Blood's creator, first shared the news with TVLine. Ball describes Meloni’s role as 'an ancient, powerful vampire who holds the fate of Bill and Eric in his hands.'

Ever since the news broke that Meloni was negotiating for a role, fans have suspected he may be part of 'The Vampire Authority', the council which rules over all vampires and gives its royalty their power.

Meloni recently left Law & Order: SVU after 12 seasons on the show. This casting represents a homecoming for the actor after starring in the HBO series, Oz, from 1998-2003. He has also starred on several other series, including NYPD Blue.   He appears in the next Superman movie, Man of Steel, due out in 2013

SOURCE: 'True Blood': 'SVU's' Chris Meloni Joins as Series Regular

Denis O'Hare as 'Russell Edgington'

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Dec 2011 Update: True Blood season 5 Episode Title - Episode 5.02 - 'Authority Always Wins'

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A fresh pile of crazy is making tracks for Bon Temps.

Italian actress Valentina Cervi is joining True Blood‘s upcoming fifth season as a series regular —

 
 

The 35-year-old beauty will play Salome, an ancient vampire who is a world class seductress and fiercely intelligent. She also has quite a lot of madness in her. She is the most powerful person in every way yet capable of hiding this power when it serves her purposes.

  

True Blood Small Season 5 Premiere Spoiler:

The season-five premiere of True Blood will have a flashback to Sookie's (Anna Paquin) childhood, and we get to see her use her powers in a deliciously evil way to embarrass a couple of playground bullies. What did they do to piss her off? They don't pick her for their kickball team!

SOURCE 1: TVLine

SOURCE 2:TVLine

 

Lucy Griffiths will play Eric Northman's sister who has a 'higher calling'--to The Authority in True Blood - Season 5. Griffiths has been cast as 'Nora,' at several centuries old, very much Eric's junior--yet Bill's senior.

 

UPDATE! True Blood  Season 5 Casting News - Lucy Griffiths joins Cast:

British actress Lucy Griffiths is coming to America in a big way.

The 25-year-old stunner — best known for her role as the ill-fated 'Marian' in the BBC drama Robin Hood — is joining True Blood‘s Season 5 cast as a series regular.

Griffiths will play 'Nora', 'Eric'’s (Alexander Skarsgård) centuries-old vampire “sister” (they were both progenies of Godric) who is working as a double agent within The Vampire Authority.

Described as 'intelligent, intimidating, cool under pressure and a very good liar, Nora loves Eric deeply, but has dedicated her life to a higher purpose.' (SPOILER: Serving 'The Authority.')

True Blood‘s fifth season starts production later this year ahead of a Summer 2012 premiere.

Source: TV Line

After the jump - MORE TRUE BLOOD Season 5 Casting NEWS!:
 

 

True Blood - Season 5 - Casting News -  Dale Dickey cast as Marcus’ Mother

(November 10, 2011) 

True Blood has cast character actress Dale Dickey, who knows a thing or two about channeling formidable, backwoods matriarchs (see: her acclaimed, award-winning performance in last year’s Winter’s Bone) as Annie, now-dead Shreveport packmaster Marcus’ werewolf mother. Powerful and respected within the pack due to her late son’s position, Annie is determined to perform a particular ritual. Dickey is set to recur throughout TB‘s upcoming fifth season.

Source: TV Line