147 replies to this topic

[tablemejakeryan]

In the spoiler thread we began ranking the actors, best to worst. Discussions about acting, the good, the bad, the Ugly, keep coming up in other threads. Now you have a place to stay on-topic. Got an opinion about how a TB actor played a scene? You're in the right place.

I'll start by ranking the main cast IMHO.

1. NE
2. ST
3. RK
4. DAW
5. RW
6. AS
7. AP
8. SM

Basically, NE/ST/RK have never really made a misstep. Honestly, they could tie at number one. And DAW is the best among the females, and really I can’t recall a bad scene from her. I think RW is better than AP. I put ASkar before Anna because I think he does well with his role and material he is given and usually shines above it. His break-out scene last season has to be considered (Godric meeting the Sun). While AP could do so much more with her role. I do think the writing fails her sometimes, but still. She kills the crying scenes though. SM has never impressed me and the Bill accent takes me out of the scene sometimes. He’s not awful but I just can’t think of one scene where I went – wow he really nailed that! And I could see another actor playing Bill (and Sookie, actually). But I can’t see anyone else playing the other roles.

It’s completely ironic that I’m rating Anna so low. Because I’ve been fan of hers for long time. SHE was the first reason I signed up to watch True Blood . It was like, “Anna Paquin AND vampires AND Alan Ball?...I’m so there!

But honestly, I love the whole cast as a unit though!

And I do reserve the right to change my opinions as the series continues though!

[K42]

Good idea opening this thread, tablemejakeryan. Like I said elsewhere, I'm an acting buff myself, so I'm always inclined to value acting in everything I watch. (Also directing, but this is another thing, albeit a subset of which directly affects acting). I have just a nitpick for this thread, though: can we please use the full names of the actors at least once? Out of respect, but also because I find very difficult and alienating to follow a discussion full of acronyms. It just requires a few seconds to write the names.

So I'm reposting my ranking from the spoilers thread. I was ranking the actors, not the performances, though. More precisely, the actors based on the performances seen on TB (for most of them, I have no other tools to judge them), like I was asking myself, "Given what I've seen from them so far, which of these actors I believe it's good and versatile enough to shine in another totally different and more demanding role?" And only as far as the 8 regular leads are concerned, not considering minor (Carrie Preston) or guest starring roles so far, otherwise Michelle Forbes and Denis O'Hare should be guiding the ranks along with Deborah.

1. Deborah Ann Woll
2. Nelsan Ellis
3. Anna Paquin
4. Ryan Kwanten
5. Alexander Skarsgard
6. Sam Trammell
7. Stephen Moyer
8. Rutina Wesley

I see our judgments mainly differ in Sam Trammell's case. It's a very special case to me. I'm not saying he's not good, but I did not know him before, and he just doesn't strike me as especially brilliant here. Like, just right, nothing more. Sam got to express the same few things again and again, and Trammell just does that, so maybe he's underserved. But not making a misstep is not a true sign of brilliance to me, it's just being professional. Even William Sanderson (as mostly any other supporting actor for that matter) does always his job never failing a scene, and he's a great and beloved character actor (he's J.F. Sebastian!), but will never be a truly great performer.

About Anna Paquin, I said she's no more as brilliant as her 11-year old self was, but she still got something. She's prodigy no more, and her performance in TB is not flawless (besides, her attempted turn into sex symbol seems silly enough to me), but judging by the best she does here, I still rank her among the strongest performers in this cast.

Deborah Ann Woll is just another league. And basically she started to act yesterday. I hope/think she's got a bright future ahead of her. For one, I will not be surprised if she will end up being the lead of some next Alan Ball's project after TB will end.

Edited by K42, Aug 22, 2010 @ 6:59 PM.

[GGobsessed]

This is brilliant!!

So. I concur with all that Nelson Ellis is amazing. The writing for Lafayatte is amazing, but NE's acting is beyond incredible. I also think Rutina Wesely's acting is deplorable. Tara was my favorite character in season 1, mostly due to Ms. Wesley's acting, but this year...I don't know. The acting is driving me crazy. Ryan Kwanten is incredible, even with the god-awful writing they've given him this year. Sam Trammell is also way talented - he does a lot with such a low-key character. He's also very charismatic. As for Anna Paquin...I can't figure her out. I can't decide if she's a bad actress, or if the writing for Sookie is awful. I actually think AP is a pretty good actress; I think she has good instincts. But I also think for Anna Paquin, the directors aare perhaps ruing things. I actually think Carrie Preston is the best female actress, if not the best, on the show. Her acting is what makes Arlene relatable. Arlene says such hateful things, and yet Ms. Preston has...something that makes her almost sympathetic. Deborah Ann Woll is really great as well. She's a wonderful actor, and she's lucky in that the writing for her is great as well. Stephen Moyer - hmm. I can't decide if he's a horrible actor, of if he's playing Bill as being stiff and unwatchable. I think it's a mixture of both. All i know is that the only time i've ever wanted him on my screen was when he and Sam were nearly making out. Kristin Bauer knocks it out of the park as well. Actually, with her, I think her insane charisma is what really sells Pam.

Now, Eric is my favorite character on the show. I can't tell if Alexander Skarsgard is a good actor. I think he and Kristin Bauer are both insanely unbeleleivably charismatic. I've seen him in a few other things, and I actually think he's a really good actor. But Eric's really hard to play, and sometimes I'm not sure if AS is a bad actor, or if Eric is a bad actor. It's confusing.

Outside of the maincast, Dennis O'hare is so fucking incredible I wish he will be on the show forever. To me, he is by far the best actor on this show.

[hgalve]

Outside of the maincast, Dennis O'hare is so fucking incredible I wish he will be on the show forever. To me, he is by far the best actor on this show.

I want him to stay forever too.

Deborah Ann Woll constantly impresses me. She's just got so much charisma and charm on-screen. As for Alexander Skarsgard, I adored him in Generation Kill and thought he was amazing in that and I do like him as Eric but something always feels lacking when it comes to that character. I don't know whether it's the writing or the acting but I feel like something is missing.

The secondary characters are great as well. I lovelovelove Jim Parrack. Hoyt is probably my favourite male character (with Sam, Lafayette, Eric and Russel all tied for second) just due to how much I adore his performance. Todd Lowe, Chris Bauer and Carrie Preston might not get a lot of screen-time but they definitely make the most of what they have.

Edited by hgalve, Aug 22, 2010 @ 8:05 PM.

[Turkish]

I'm so indecisive about my rankings with this cast because I do genuinely think that this is one of the best casts in terms of acting on tv. This is a show that can be very campy and soapy yet I don't think most of the actors play their scenes as over the top as they probably appear on paper. Even when I don't like certain characters I at least concede that they are acted well.

I always have major problems with Bill and Sookie as characters but I find SM and AP so utterly charming in interviews that I can't hate them. If these characters were played by other actors I probably wouldn't be as invested in this show as I've become.

And I agree with earlier statements about NE and DAW. I don't think either one of them has had bad moment yet. I know Eric/AS is hit or miss with some people but for me the only bad moment I think he had was his crying fit with Godric. Pam is just awesome. Who doesn't love Pam or KB? I even enjoy Sophie-Anne which I know is UO. In her case, I think it's that I've seen Evan Rachel Wood in many things so I know she can act. She's definitely being written differently than she was in the books and that may be some people's problem with her but I don't mind her characterization or how ERW plays her.

This show is also really good with their casting of minor characters. Summer, the Newlins, Nan Flanagan, Hoyt, Terry, Arlene, etc. all fantastic in the little scenes they get.

[tablemejakeryan]

I have just a nitpick for this thread, though: can we please use the full names of the actors at least once? Out of respect, but also because I find very difficult and alienating to follow a discussion full of acronyms. It just requires a few seconds to write the names.

This did cross my mind. But alas, sorry, I took the lazy way out.

More later!!

[topoftheworldma]

Bringing my post from the spoiler thread over here. I ranked them:

1. Nelson Ellis, 2. Sam Trammel, 3. Ryan Kwanten, 4. Deborah Ann Woll, 5. Anna Paquin, 6. Alexander Skarsgard, 7. Stephen Moyer, 8. Rutina Wesley.



After watching tonight's episode, I might want to switch Sam and Ryan, because Ryan was freaking amazing. It's not easy to play that amount of clueless/innocence or go from feeling bad to feeling angry like he did with Bill.

I think the top four are more consistent than the bottom four, because I think I have seen moments when AS and AP were a little flat. And also, moments when Moyer and Wesley have just been really, really bad, but also moments where they've been great.

Moyer and Wesley I think have had more bad moments than good - but with Moyer - I believe that Season 2's writing did not do him any favors. Every other word was: "Sookie, I will be fine." " Sookie, stop." "Sookie , don't" and he just didn't feel like a real character to me. At all.

Alexander Skarsgard has had moments of greatness. As has Anna Paquin. But there were times when Paquin just played a scene wrong - mostly her seduction scenes with Bill are just - uncomfortable to me. And there have been times when Skarsgard has delivered a line too distantly or too flatly for my tastes. But with these two, I know they can act because I've seen them do it in other films. Skarsgard was really, really good in Om Sara and Generation Kill and Paquin really made me feel for Rogue in the first two X-Men movies.

But if we're talking "IT" quality? Not acting, but like movie star potential charisma. Just watchability -- I find that the only three who have the ability to transcend the small screen would be Nelson Ellis, Anna Paquin, and Alexander Skarsgard. They have "big" personalities when they're "on".

Edited because grim squeaker as obviously seen X-men more recently than I :)

Edited by topoftheworldma, Aug 23, 2010 @ 1:50 AM.

[grim squeaker]

I can't really rank them to be honest. My favourites are Woll, Ellis, Wesley and Skarsgard, and I do think they are all very good. I don't find Skarsgard's choices for Eric so unusual - it is a stoic character, who is deadpan at most, and who has been going through massive emotional turmoil for the last two seasons. I see that on screen, so I have no trouble with him. Kwanten is usually amazing, although his writing is getting a little lazy (this week - Jason is dumb!). Sam Trammell is very solid in a very non-flashy - and thus somewhat thankless - part. He largely held the show together for me last season, and I actually think he and Wesley would make a better male and female lead. I find Paquin's take on Sookie a bit unusual, but think she's additionally hampered by the writing. I couldn't say anything about Moyer since the character is so all over the place, he seems to play a different person every other week.

For the minor players, Carrie Preston is wonderful, but I'm especially in awe with Adina Porter. Lettie Mae could easily be just a caricature, but she always manages to show different facets to her.
For the guests, Denis O'Hare is doing great damage to the scenery, but for now I still like it. Michelle Forbes was fab. Allan Hyde is amazingly talented. Marshall Allman has been pretty good. The actresses for Summer, Hadley, Sam's mother and Hoyt's mother are very very awesome as well. As is Alfre Woodard, but that's not a surprise.

Something I still find disappointing is the show so criminally underusing William Sanderson. He can do more than just squaredance.

Edited by grim squeaker, Aug 22, 2010 @ 11:25 PM.

[K42]

My favourites are Woll, Ellis, Wesley and Skarsgard, and I do think they are all very good.

Can you please elaborate on Wesley? Because I share all your other views (especially on Porter, Preston, Summer and Hadley - and Michelle Forbes' fabulosity), but Wesley is probably the only cast member I find absolutely lousy and indefensible. Maybe it's also because I can't stand the character, for how it's devised and written, like a bad cliché from a bad clone of a bad John Singleton's movie. But it's also performed this way by Wesley. While Lafayette, who shares her same ethnicity and mannerisms, manages to pull it quite differently. You put Ellis and Wesley in the same scene and to me it's like an acting teacher next to his weakest student.

BTW, to everyone: it's Nelsan Ellis, not Nelson. :)

[grim squeaker]

Can you please elaborate on Wesley?

To me, she always sold that there is more to the character than just the brash exterior. Tara often has a vulnerability that I find heartbreaking, and as stupid as her decision occasionally are, I find myself rooting for her. Of course, I generally don't mind aggressive female characters as long as they have more than that dimension - which I think she does, as elaborated above. The fact that the writing for her often gets extremely clichéd, and that they somehow dropped her out of her own storyline in Season Two is a different matter entirely. That's all on the writers and presumably for a different thread.

Paquin really made me feel for Storm in the first two X-Men movies.

She played Rogue...

Edited by grim squeaker, Aug 23, 2010 @ 1:46 AM.

[dexie]

My short list -
Deborah Ann Woll, Nelsan Ellis - Perfection.
Ryan Kwanten, Sam Trammell - Marginally behind the top two. Even though I'm not sure how much of a stretch Jason is for RK, he played a PG version of Jason for many years, but both he & ST haven't put a step wrong that I can think of.
Alexander Skarsgard, Rutina Wesley - a couple of questionable choices.
Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer - more than a few questionable choices.

[hardy har]

Awesome thread. BTW, I totally read the thread title with John Lovitz's ACTOR voice.

I don't think I could numerically rank them because I think my list would probably change from week-to-week so I'm going to group them instead.

The Best:

For me it's Ryan Kwanten, Nelsan Ellis, Deborah Ann Woll, and Jim Parrack. I'm always complete engaged when they're onscreen even if their characters are doing something I think is ridiculous and it only ever occurs to me how good they are until and episode is over. I'm never ever thinking "Damn they're good" in the middle of a scene and I love that so very much.

The Always Reliable:

Todd Lowe, Chris Bauer, Kristen Bauer, and Carrie Preston. Great stuff from them with limited screen time. If we ever got an episode that primarily focused on any of their characters I'd be more than happy to watch it. I think I might put Sam Trammell here too. I usually really like him, but I wasn't buying what he was selling in the flashback scenes. Though, it's entirely possible I was distracted by his awful hair, so I'll have to rewatch.

The Ones I Go Back-and-Forth On:

Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard and Rutina Wesley. Bear in mind, I don't think these four are bad actors. For me, these are the actors who I think excel in some scenes and are not so great in other scenes. If you get Sookie and Bill away from each other I quite like AP and SM. Well, except for that one time last season where AP made it seem like Sookie wanted to sex up her brother. That was weird. I like AS when Eric is being mean/pissed off/a jackass, but Godric rooftop scene aside, I don't buy him in the more emotional scenes. I think my thoughts on RW have more to do with the fact that Tara has basically been doing the same stuff for the last 2 seasons and I'm getting bored. I'm so glad she'd had a little more to work with the last couple eps.

Special Shout Outs:

Michael McMillan and Anna Camp. You guys? I flove the Newlins so much and I want them back on the show. Oh, and she was only around for 3 episodes, but I loved Lilly Collins as Dawn. Her angrily shouting "to get a cigarette" at Jason is still one of my favorite TB line readings ever.

On the whole, I think TB has one of the strongest casts on TV.

Edited by hardy har, Aug 23, 2010 @ 11:00 AM.

[GGobsessed]

the actress who plays Summer is seriously great, too.

Willaim sanderson is a fucking genius, and he was criminally underused and I can't beleive he was written off. Did Alan Ball NOT see Deadwood?

I've been thnking about this, and I think Anna Paquin is a good actress, but i dislike how she's playing Sookie. I dislike her choices. And Anna Paquin seems really great, as a person. I wish she brought more of herself to her role.

I know Alexander Skarsgard can act. And I think he does his best when he's playing Eric as droll. Actually, I think with Alexander Skarsgard the issue isn't so much the acting as the writing for him and the dicrecting for him is kind of lame now. but he has suh charisma it doesn't matter.

I dont' know what to think of the actress who plays Crystal. I think she's decent. But she is nothng compared to Ryan Kwanten. i actually think the problem with this show is that no one is bad, but some of the actors are so amazing that it makes others look bad.

Actually, I think the guy who plays Alcide is a bad actor, though he's improved a bit. Hid sooks do not make up for the fact that he's so wooden.

Aaaand, the guy who plays Terry is incredible as well.

Edited by GGobsessed, Aug 23, 2010 @ 12:12 PM.

[Thirteenthjuror]

To me, she always sold that there is more to the character than just the brash exterior. Tara often has a vulnerability that I find heartbreaking, and as stupid as her decision occasionally are, I find myself rooting for her. Of course, I generally don't mind aggressive female characters as long as they have more than that dimension - which I think she does, as elaborated above. The fact that the writing for her often gets extremely clichéd, and that they somehow dropped her out of her own storyline in Season Two is a different matter entirely. That's all on the writers and presumably for a different thread.

This is exactly how I feel. Tara is a character that is brash, angry, emotional and irrational at times. Rutina brings the vulnerability to the character that makes me care what happens to her. Alan Ball states that is one of the reasons why he chose her for the role. I think it says something when she was the only character that was recast after the pilot. Sam Mendes, and acclaimed director, recommended her to AB for the role after working with her. I think these two veterans know their craft and what a good actor is. I swear sometimes I get downright uncomfortable when I read some of the comments made about RW. Acting is subjective and I think all of the actors do a great job on this show. I wouldn't presume to go on someone's job and tell them how to do it. The woman went to Juliard and studied at a renowned Shakespearean company. Those aren't easy feats. I make my opinions based on if the character is able to make me feel something. RW's portrayal of Tara makes me feel something.

I also hate with a passion when people say they want her character to go back to season 1 Tara. I think her character has developed more than any other character on this show. Season 1 Tara was very much a stereotype. I'm not even AA and I could see that. Seeing her vulnerable and trying to work through her issues is way more entertaining to me than seeing her being the 'sassy' friend of the white female lead. I hate when characters are minimized to that.

Sorry for the rant. This has just bothered me for quite sometime. IRL, I've never hear the people I know complain about RW's acting. She's actually a favorite character of the people that I know who watch the show. I like all the actors/portrayals, but RW, ST, NE, and DAW are my favorites to watch on this show.

[Turkish]

Season 1 Tara was very much a stereotype. I'm not even AA and I could see that. Seeing her vulnerable and trying to work through her issues is way more entertaining to me than seeing her being the 'sassy' friend of the white female lead. I hate when characters are minimized to that.

Since you brought it up, I am AA and I remember alot of black people complaining about this very thing during season 1. I have never had a problem with Rutina Wesley acting-wise. It's the way Tara is written that's more the problem but that can be said about alot of the characters on this show. She has certainly progressed more than Jason and Sam and Arlene IMO.

[Anastasia169]

I am so glad to see that others share my Nelsan Ellis love. I noticed him in other roles (Warm Springs and Bukenya on Veronica Mars) before I put it together that it was the same actor. Ellis really is amazing and Lafayette has become one of my favorite characters thanks to Ellis. I think that Lafayette is in some ways the moral center of the show and Ellis plays that is such a way that is is genuine rather than annoying.

I can't believe that Anna Paquin is the prodigy we saw so many years ago. You couldn't tell it from her work here.

Skaarsgard does have the charisma for the big screen and I have to admit that I love his pretty.

[tablemejakeryan]

Awesome thread. BTW, I totally read the thread title with John Lovitz's ACTOR voice.

You got it!! That's what I was thinking in my head w/ a sprinkle of Russell. "I'm ACTING!!" - great SNL skit.

So I'm reposting my ranking from the spoilers thread. I was ranking the actors, not the performances, though. More precisely, the actors based on the performances seen on TB (for most of them, I have no other tools to judge them), like I was asking myself, "Given what I've seen from them so far, which of these actors I believe it's good and versatile enough to shine in another totally different and more demanding role?"

It is so interesting to see how other people judge the acting on the show. Generally I don't factor in their future or even past career roles. But I can understand since many a actor has thought they could make it in films only to be hit with the cold reality that they are not big enough for the big screen.

I took sometime to think about how I judge the performances on TB. This is what I came up with:
1-Believability: Are they convincing. Do the embody the role to the point that they are that character. So much so that I don't see "the acting"? Are they owning that role.
2-Actor Deletion: I ask myself if I could see another actor in that role. If the answer is no or it would be very difficult for me to accept another actor, than The Current Actor is doing his or her job. They are owning the rule (see above). But if I can visualize someone else doing a better job or I would welcome someone, Than The Current Actor is not doing their job.
3-Character Deletion: What if the character was totally missing in a episode or deleted all together, would I miss them or be throwing a party? Or maybe I don't care either way.
4-Freshness: Not going through the motions. They do the most with what they are given. They find that hot button within the limitations of the role. They express a few varieties of human emotion and actions in various scenes, instead of playing every scene the same. I'm so engaged with the character that I can't wait to see them get more storylines and can't wait to see what they do next. Everytime I see their scenes I notice something else they did that was interesting. (This is what James Frain did. Franklin was a psycho but the way JF played him made the audience sort of root for him or at least want him to stick around.)
5-Charisma: Do they have the "it: factor that is hard to define but you know when it's not there.


So that is why I ranked Anna and Stephen the lowest - I could so see other actors doing their parts and making a better job of it. I do think the writing didn't do them many favors, but - a good enough actor can overcome a bad script or episode. I question their choices a lot and i'm constantly taken of the scene because of Anna's quirks. I hate that damn blink, blink, blink, head tilt thing she does!!!!!! That's getting into Kristin Stewart territory of ticks. I know this girl can act but I don't think she brings it to Sookie every time. And Stephan gives me tons of unintentional funny moments because of that horrible accent.

To me, she always sold that there is more to the character than just the brash exterior. Tara often has a vulnerability that I find heartbreaking, and as stupid as her decision occasionally are, I find myself rooting for her. Of course, I generally don't mind aggressive female characters as long as they have more than that dimension - which I think she does, as elaborated above. The fact that the writing for her often gets extremely clichéd, and that they somehow dropped her out of her own storyline in Season Two is a different matter entirely. That's all on the writers and presumably for a different thread.

I agree. But I do wish Rutina would dial it down a bit. She always plays Tara at Dial 10, needlessly. It's like she's overselling it sometimes.I would love if she went down to say, 8 or 7 and kept 10 for really fucked-upness scenes. But, I give her credit because I wouldn't want any other actress to play Tara.

I also hate with a passion when people say they want her character to go back to season 1 Tara. I think her character has developed more than any other character on this show. Season 1 Tara was very much a stereotype. I'm not even AA and I could see that. Seeing her vulnerable and trying to work through her issues is way more entertaining to me than seeing her being the 'sassy' friend of the white female lead. I hate when characters are minimized to that.

I think people mention Season One Tara because she was intelligent and not a victim in spite of what she has been through. People didn't like her being mind-raped and left helpless. I have to re-watch Season One to really form my own opinion. I do remember saying that I didn't see Tara as a stereotype. But I haven't watched Season One in so long I can't remember what were my reasons.

[Thirteenthjuror]

I think people mention Season One Tara because she was intelligent and not a victim in spite of what she has been through. People didn't like her being mind-raped and left helpless. I have to re-watch Season One to really form my own opinion. I do remember saying that I didn't see Tara as a stereotype. But I haven't watched Season One in so long I can't remember what were my reasons.

The impression that I get when I've read people wanting Tara to go back to Season 1 characterization has always been the stereotypical aspects of the character. I'm not just talking about here. I'm not AA, but I am like an advertisement for a National Benneton Ad! Lol. Being of Portuguese, Filipino, Dominican and Russian descent, I can relate when stereotypes are put into play. I hate to see Latino's constantly characterized as gang members, rapists, and straight off the boat. Asians as the smart one, or watch me when I do my Kung Fu!

I would like to see Tara and Sam for that matter, stop being the whipping post of this show for at least 2 episodes. I don't think that will ever happen though. Who in Bon Temps has a drama free life? I think she and Sam are the designated tragic characters of TB. Every show has them. I think it makes for better story telling. Who wants to see happily ever after on a show about vampires and the supernatural? In Billi's voice, "certainly not I." Where's the fun in that?

Edited by Thirteenthjuror, Aug 23, 2010 @ 2:33 PM.

[tablemejakeryan]

The impression that I get when I've read people wanting Tara to go back to Season 1 characterization has always been the stereotypical aspects of the character. I'm not just talking about here. I'm not AA, but I am like an advertisement for a National Benneton Ad! Lol. Being of Portuguese, Filipino, Dominican and Russian descent, I can relate when stereotypes are put into play. I hate to see Latino's constantly characterized as gang members, rapists, and straight off the boat. Asians as the smart one, or watch me when I do my Kung Fu!

That's possible of course. But alot of the comments I've seen on various forums mention that Tara became a dumber and they were tired of her playing the victim.


Oh, forgot to mention - I have been wondering how the show would be if DAW was cast as Sookie. And Anna was cast as Jessica. Aside from the weirdness of Bill being her daddy when they are romantically involved in RL, I think Anna does better work with a character like Jessica. What do you guys think?

[grim squeaker]

The impression that I get when I've read people wanting Tara to go back to Season 1 characterization has always been the stereotypical aspects of the character.

I know that our little watching group hated her storyline in Season 2 because at some point Tara became just a passive ingredient in Maryann's giant orgy soup. She was a lot of negative things in Season 1 - chief of all self-destructive and too prone to blame her mother for all her misfortunes - but at least she actively took part in events. We still liked Tara at the end of it, and I credit both Season 1 and RW for that.

Oh, forgot to mention - I have been wondering how the show would be if DAW was cast as Sookie. And Anna was cast as Jessica. Aside from the weirdness of Bill being her daddy when they are romantically involved in RL, I think Anna does better work with a character like Jessica. What do you guys think?

I think DAW as Sookie would be interesting, but I have difficulties seeing it. Anna Camp (Mrs. Newlin) said in an interview last year that she had auditioned for Sookie and I could definitely see that. I think a more "conventional" Sookie who at the same time is a bit tough and sarcastic and brawny and not too quirky would have worked better for me (not that that means it would have worked better for everyone). I don't see AP as Jessica because she really doesn't look like a teenager, but I would have loved to see her take on Lorena or Debbie.

Edited by grim squeaker, Aug 23, 2010 @ 3:20 PM.

[Sethrane]

I do wish Rutina would dial it down a bit. She always plays Tara at Dial 10, needlessly. It's like she's overselling it sometimes.I would love if she went down to say, 8 or 7 and kept 10 for really fucked-upness scenes. But, I give her credit because I wouldn't want any other actress to play Tara.

tablemejakeryan, my thoughts exactly. Something about Rutina Wesley makes me fully accept her as Tara and even feel affection for her and yet she has this place she goes to Every. Single. Episode. Look for her bottom lip to start trembling and her voice to go all shakey.... Last night I made Mr. Sethrane laugh when I shouted at the screen "Be careful, Jason, that lip of hers is gonna go!" and then it went off like clockwork. "Her voice is shaking and her eyelids are twitching! Run Jason Run!". That would be her "Dial 10" place for me and I wish she would save it because I'm beginning to doubt if she's got much more in her actor's toolbox.

The show is so well cast that there've been only a few actors I've taken exception to, outside of just not liking their characters:

1. Eggs/Mehcad Brooks (Ugh, that pained expression he made for every emotion from passion to horror)

2. Deputy Kevin/John Rezig (This one upset me because the books made me look forward to seeing Kenya & Kevin interact but this actor is in a whole 'nother genre of acting altogether with his channeling of Gomer Pyle)

3. Daphne/Ashley Jones (Say the word "Sam" as flatly as you possibly can as many times as you possibly can)

4. Mama Mickens/J. Smith-Cameron (I'm not a fan of the pouty lips and her put-on tough voice)

5. Alcide/ Joe Manganiello (If you put just a few of Sam Elliot's line deliveries on a loop...this would be all of Alcide... he's pretty enough though so I'll keep an open mind.)


As for Anna Paquin, hmmm. Sometimes I love her and sometimes I hate her but I really don't think it's the acting so much as the writing of her character --ie: When her character asks a question of Bill and then she says "And you better not lie to me, Bill Compton cause I'll know." How can Anna Paquin act that line without also coming off a complete idiot? Most of the time Sookie's spouting off crap like this anyway so maybe that's why when Anna cries it's believable only because Sookie is finally behaving like a human being instead of a Reactionary's Walking Dictionary of Spunky One-liners.

I also think with her and Alexander Skarsgard it's the risk factor that comes along with talented actors. It seems like they both like to experiment with their characters, introducing new emotions and behaviors into the pallet and sometimes it pans out and sometimes it doesn't but it's always fun to watch...AND really that's not an acting issue so much as the director's problem to tell them when they've gone too far or become too introspective. (see: Faye Dunaway in Mommie Dearest for the former).

For me, Alexander is usually right on the money and I'm always excited the minute he's on the screen and I'm not even factoring in his looks. As for the rooftop scene, I loved it. Stoic men who finally cry should not be manly pretty things and (having lived in Europe off and on for over nine years) I'd say he was definitely channeling a more Scandinavian-not-afraid-to-be-completely-naked-and-raw sensibility in that scene. It may have been embarrassing and uncomfortable to watch but that's the feeling I think I would have if I really saw a vampire like Eric completely fall apart. The only problem I have with him is the awkward hunching he has to do whenever there's a shorter character in the frame (Sookie) and that, again, is a director's issue.

Stephan Moyer isn't a bad actor but he's severly handicapped with his accent and that horrible speech pattern. Sometimes I'm actually taken out of a scene because I'm wincing at what the poor guy has to say. This season I think I loved Bill so much away from Sookie because Moyer was able to finally drop that perpetually perplexed raised eyebrow look of wuv he wears around her. That and the menacing frown of "I must protect her".

All in all, though, I'm actually amazed the show didn't get an Emmy nod for casting.

Edited by Sethrane, Aug 23, 2010 @ 6:02 PM.

[iliveTV]

On the whole, I think TB has one of the strongest casts on TV.

I agree with you on this. Pretty well rounded.


My first list will be based on just True Blood and the performances so far.

1. Ryan Kwanten - Hasn't missed a beat, I don't always like his story or his writing but as far as acting, RK has Jason in the bag. I firmly believe there is no one in the world who could have played Jason any better.
2. Nelsan Ellis - Same reasons as RK, but I think Jason is the harder of the two character roles.
3. Anna Paquin - This is a hard one. I love her and I think with what is written for this character, there isn't an actress that would fit in better. She plays every scene incredibly well. Most of my problems with Sookie are with the writing for the character. But thats a whole different topic.
4. Alexander Skarsgard - I am fully satisfied with Alex's portrayal of Eric. He plays the character perfectly. But again, I don't think the strong, stoic vampire sheriff is quite as hard a roll as my top 3.
5. Deborah Ann Woll - She's good. But I feel like there are a few young actress with more experience that could have done better. And she looks far older then 17 to me.
6. Rutina Wesley - She good too. But I feel some of her acting choices are over the top, even for the character. Some of her facial expressions bug me, like her face doesn't match what she's saying or doing.
7. Stephen Moyer - I really like the casting. But I think he plays Bill too soft when he is supposed to be soft and not quite hard enough, when he should be hard.
8. Sam Trammell - I think there are a whole lotta guys that could have played Sam better. With more depth. I was most impressed with Sam's acting in S1.


Now this list is overall as actors, based on everything I have ever seen them in. True Blood included.

1. Anna Paquin
2. Alexander Skarsgard
3. Ryan Kwanten
4. Nelsan Ellis
5. Stephen Moyer
6. Sam Trammell
7. Rutina Wesley
8. Deborah Ann Woll

Edited by iliveTV, Aug 24, 2010 @ 1:34 AM.

[K42]

Damn you, iliveTV! :P I was going to say that at least we all agree about Deborah's (and Nelsan's) wonderfulness, and then you come out with this blasphemy! :P

Deborah Ann Woll - She's good. But I feel like there are a few young actress with more experience that could have done better.

You are not thinking to get away with this statement just like that, aren't you? :) If there are other young actress that could have done better than her, you have to: 1. Name a few, 2. Tell us where exactly she failed in Jessica's portrait, and how she could have done better. :)

And she looks far older then 17 to me.

This is casting, not acting. Anyway, I met myself quite a lot of 17-year old girls who looked way past 21. And judging by what American fiction is telling me, they seem to be frat houses' regular predators. :)

Re: Rutina Wesley. Last episode has been a perfect example of the reasons I can't really praise her. She was constantly all over the place. First scene, Tara is recovering from the shock of Franklin's confrontation. Jason goes all PTSD, and she has to regain control and be in charge of the situation. But what Wesley does is to sound cold and bossy with the man he just saved her life. That "Dig!" sounded like some rude gangster's order to his underling, not a girl trying to overcome her shock. Just after that, she shows hysteria. And it's like a completely different scene, like she came up from a break not remembering the way she was acting before, and just putting on a sort of Greek theater mask. Even worse, the scene in Jason's bedroom (and I admit that acting opposite Kwanten this episode was not doing any favor to her in comparison, because he has been truly awesome). She's acting convincingly sweet and vulnerable, something that makes me think the tough angry girl role doesn't really suit her, and she's playing it so forcedly and unnaturally because she can't truly relate to those emotions. Anyway, next she hears Jason's confession about Eggs, and she does some strange facial expressions that I don't really manage to decode, and again that's played out abruptly, without a transition. And then she does the quivering lips again. And that can't be good acting to me. I can actually see an acting teacher seeing her doing the quivering lips and asking her what she thinks she's doing with that, and to stop that immediately as she's supposed to convey real facial expressions, and nobody does quivering lips in real life past age 4.

Edited by K42, Aug 24, 2010 @ 3:17 PM.

[sucqbus]

I have noticed that the actors who consistently are called out as giving good performances are playing the characters who get the best and juiciest lines.

Lafayette--his lines are chock full of win and he almost never says anything that *isn’t* guaranteed to make the audience cheer. I chalk this up to his winning combination of sass and common sense and his status as somewhat of an observer/everyman character amongst the craziness that is Bon Temps.

Jessica--her teenage baby vamp antics have given Deborah Ann Woll many awesome lines and the character’s mixture of pluckiness and vulnerability are very appealing (her looks definitely don’t hurt--she doesn’t need heavy white makeup to be pale and what they are putting on her just makes her look luminous).

Russell--everyone loves a villain with good lines and O’Hare has been given the gamut from genteel deadliness to raving lunacy

Now the characters whose actors garner the the most criticism.

Bill--His dialogue is written very unevenly and at times is so schmaltzy I give poor Mr. Moyer credit for delivering it without rolling his eyes (as many have pointed out, the makeup is often unkind to him also).

Sookie--I think most people acknowledge that the writing for Anna leaves a lot to be desired. It seems like the writers have been true to Sookie’s false, overly sweet public persona from the books but as the audience cannot see her real feelings and motivations (as you do with an omniscient voice in prose) it falls flat. What we’re left with is very schmoopy and at times boring.

Sophie-Anne--her role as bratty drama queen doesn’t do her any favors. I give Wood props for NOT overacting it into Shannen Doherty territory.

Eric--his understated lines early on may have made Mr. Skarsgård seem wooden. Then he had to move straight to wheels-within-wheels plotting. If he had been given some of the crowd-pleasing snarkiness from the books I think his performance would be more popular.

Tara--I think Rutina Wesley’s acting style for this character is kind of “love-it-or-hate-it” (even though I personally am on the fence, I usually like her in-your-face approach to the performance which mirrors Tara’s personality). She does sometimes get dialogue that sparkles, but I think Tara on-screen is hard for people to watch for reasons that have more to do with plot & writing (the never-ending misery and catastrophe that is Tara’s life) than bad acting.

Honorable Mention:
Arlene--this character does not so much get *bad* dialogue as *uncomfortable* dialogue. It’s hard to express approval for something as teeth-grindingly annoying as Arlene’s bigotry, drama, and self-centered-ness. Here I’m not sure the writing is failing, but the writing and Carrie Preston’s delivery are combining (successfully, assuming this is their aim) to give us a soap-villain-esque character we love to hate.

Pam--she gets the best dialog but so little screen time overall (and so little opportunity to do anything but snark) that it’s hard to even judge her acting.

Jason--Ryan Kwanten does not get a lot of fantastic dialog but he does get to say a lot of funny things and and the unholy sweetness of the eyecandy doesn’t hurt. His storylines are often cringe-worthy but rarely horrifically uncomfortable to watch.

It seems to me like the quality of writing and the emotional tone of the character’s story has a lot to do with how well-appreciated a performance is. I’m wondering if anyone else has noticed this or thinks it could be a factor in how good the acting for a given character is rated. This show seems prone to that kind of thing because the writing is, let’s face it, all over the map and seemingly driven by a desire to top the last script rather than to be believable or provide a compelling character story.

The short version is that it feels like the actors on this show are graded a lot by “How much fun/happiness am I getting while this character is on screen?” rather than by how well they are delivering with the material they have been given. Perhaps that’s a fair enough yardstick, but given the subject matter and uneven writing on this show it doesn’t feel fair to me. Opinions?

[K42]

I think you have a point, sucqbus, but it's especially true in the case of some character hate we see expressed so much often, and that sometimes rebounds on the actors. For the good performances, it might be true the other way around: the characters are giving us pleasure because the performers are good.

Sophie-Anne--her role as bratty drama queen doesn’t do her any favors. I give Wood props for NOT overacting it into Shannen Doherty territory

I'm actually in the minority here, because I very like both the character and Evan Rachel Wood's performance, as they both are so different than TB average approach. I think the hate case here is linked to the book version being (as I understand) essentially another character bearing the same name. But Sophie-Anne's role has been too small to really judge it so far, and the character is dangerously (yet delightfully) over-the-top, so I think she will need more screen time before having people to really appreciate her, and for the different edges of Sophie-Anne (the bratty queen, the snarky glamorous schemer, the sophisticated well of knowledge) all coming together.

Pam--she gets the best dialog but so little screen time overall (and so little opportunity to do anything but snark) that it’s hard to even judge her acting.

Word. I see a lot of unconditioned love for Pam, but I really did not see Kristin Bauer doing more than a stand-up comedy routine with her, until very recently when she had to do a couple of emotional scenes. Bauer did not fail those scenes, but was not astonishingly brilliant in them neither.

[grim squeaker]

Opinions?

All in all, your observations don't match with mine. For instance, I think that Eric consistently gets some of the best lines - of course, I also never felt that AS is wooden. And I really don't agree about Arlene being a soap opera villainess, I think her appeal lies in her having sympathetic glimpses despite being a raging bigot.

I see a lot of unconditioned love for Pam, but I really did not see Kristin Bauer doing more than a stand-up comedy routine with her, until very recently when she had to do a couple of emotional scenes. Bauer did not fail those scenes, but was not astonishingly brilliant in them neither.

I don't see why that should be problematic, though. Good comedic timing is pretty rare, and her chemistry* with AS and DAW (and Tara Buck, who plays Ginger) is great. For now, the part really doesn't need much more than that and charisma, which she has in spades, too.

*(I should mention that chemistry encompasses more than sexual sparks for me. Basically, it's anything where two or more actors make a scene more interesting purely by appearing together.)

Edited by grim squeaker, Aug 24, 2010 @ 5:03 PM.

[sucqbus]

grim_squeaker, I'm not giving these as my opinions, I'm giving them as reasons why I think the actors' performances might not be as appreciated as they deserve to be. I actually feel that both ASkars and Carrie Preston are giving nuanced, skillful performances. However, there has been a lot of hate for Eric as a character and for ASkars' performance (and similarly for Arlene/Carrie Preston) that I think may be misplaced irritation at either the character's actions or the dialog they are given.

I feel like Eric has been given some nice lines, but not as many nor as skillfully written as could be. I'll admit that in my mind the show is suffering for comparison with the books a bit. In the books Eric is more fully-realized and interesting and his relationship with Sookie makes much more sense. I wish I could consider Eric in a vacuum but I can't. However, I find no fault with ASkars' performance at all.

My point about Arlene is that a lot of the hate for the character (and possibly also criticism of her acting) is probably due to the *good* job Preston is doing portraying someone who is driven by emotion, doesn't think before speaking, and is hugely self-centered but doesn't realize it.

[grim squeaker]

grim_squeaker, I'm not giving these as my opinions, I'm giving them as reasons why I think the actors' performances might not be as appreciated as they deserve to be.

Ah, got you.

I think especially in case of Eric, viewer expectation plays almost as much a role as AS's performance or the writing or the directing. Eric is supposed to behave in a certain way, be that because he behaved that way in the books, or because this character type usually reacts like that, or because certain ideas about masculinity have to play out in certain ways. I don't know if this is true, but I just find it interesting that AS's performance is getting more ambivalent reactions the more it seems to deviate from what's considered the norm for this character type, or Eric as the alpha male magnificent bastard, or generally, guys (basically, anything involving the character showing weakness of any kind results in more criticism about the actor). Other elements also play a role, obviously, but that really moves away from the topic.

Where Arlene is concerned, I didn't know that Carrie Preston's acting talent is debated. That does surprise me, to be honest.

Edited by grim squeaker, Aug 24, 2010 @ 6:14 PM.

[Charlie Baker]

It's definitely enjoyable to compare notes on performances, particularly on a show like this one.

Rutina was spectacular in S1--award worthy. But as the character got trauma after trauma thrown at her, it seems to me there was less she could do with all that.

Sam Trammell is the best of the principal actors, I think. Todd Lowe has really been impressive as Terry. And Mariana Klaveno was much better this season as Lorena.

This season saw some supporting characters played so far over the top they were laughable and unconvincing, not menacing. (Gonna make me names names? Oh, OK, Franklin, Debbie, Talbot, etc...)

Funny, though, Denis O'Hare was too much for my taste in a couple things I saw him in on stage, but as Russell, he's well nigh perfect.

[hardy har]

My point about Arlene is that a lot of the hate for the character (and possibly also criticism of her acting) is probably due to the *good* job Preston is doing portraying someone who is driven by emotion, doesn't think before speaking, and is hugely self-centered but doesn't realize it.

That happens a lot in my experience. I've lost count of the number of conversations I've had where a friend/co-worker/family member expresses dislike of an actor because they played an unlikeable character in something else and they just can't see said actor as anything else. My response is always, "Isn't that your problem?" and I'm usually met with a glare of some kind.

I'm actually in the minority here, because I very like both the character and Evan Rachel Wood's performance, as they both are so different than TB average approach.

I've been an ERW fan since Once and Again, but I did find her acting on the show a bit jarring at first because it was so different from the rest of the performances. I changed my opinion after I rewatched S2. It's like she's bored out of her mind and has decided to play an elaborate tea party to amuse herself or something

Edited by hardy har, Aug 24, 2010 @ 10:07 PM.