It’s just days away from the premiere of season three of HBO’s hit vampire series “True Blood,” and series cast member Ryan Kwanten is busy. Very busy.
There’s a roaring of wind — like he’s at a speedway — when the handsome gent who plays Bon Temps’ resident ladies man and troubled do-gooder, Jason Stackhouse (never was there a more apt name considering his physique), is connected with AccessHollywood.com by phone.
“This is actually a pretty bizarre question,” he laughs when Access asks him to explain the unusual background noise. “I’ve just picked up my parents at the airport and ... my dad has brought his long, sort of 10-foot surfboard and so we’re both holding it to the roof with these makeshift roof racks.
“I’ve got one hand out the window holding the board up,” he continued, after Access, by phone offered a “Welcome to America” message to the Kwanten parents, who can hear every word. “So, I apologize, I didn’t imagine there was going to be anything too provocative.”
Although the 32-year-old has spent his last two seasons of the Alan Ball series occasionally rolling around in various states of undress with a host of nubile young women, his nothing “too provocative” statement is actually rather leading and brimming with hints for Jason in season three.
After ending season two as a hero of sorts, having seemingly helped defeat Maryanne Forrester and her pet, Eggs (whom Jason shot and killed), Sookie’s older brother runs into a new set of problems almost immediately after sometime detective, always drunk, Andy Bellefleur takes credit for the act.
“Yeah, he’s not too happy that Andy is taking the glory for shooting Eggs and while he’s getting the glory, I’m trying to deal with the fact that I’ve killed a man,” Kwanten said of his upcoming story line. “So, Jason’s not one to let anyone have glory other than him. So, he doesn’t take it too well.”
Inspired by jealousy, or maybe just having found a new passion in life post-Church of the Sun, Jason also has a new goal in mind — one that could mean fewer sweaty (“provocative”) tank top scenes.
“Jason is sort of trying to wing his way into the cop force, so that’s sort of a bit of a tease for the new season,” Kwanten said.
Fans who’ve seen the minisodes HBO released to promote the new season in recent weeks will have seen Jason having a moment in the woods, and at his lowest, an interaction with a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Despite the influx of new characters this season, Kwanten said Jason doesn’t encounter the creature one might expect.
“It’s actually not a werewolf. It’s something else,” he said.
While he may not be ready to fully spill season three’s secrets to Access, he has shared plenty of them with his family. Throughout the course of filming, Kwanten admitted his folks have heard plenty of tales.
“Sometimes the things that I do on set are so kind of outrageous that I can’t help but sort of tell them,” he said. “But most of the time, things that happen on the show are so convoluted that I can sort of get it off my chest by telling my folks and my brothers. Because it’s sort of out of context for them — it’s just a one incident thing — it not worth them sort of telling people.”
Kwanten’s folks are likely to get a few other spoilers ahead of the general public, as while they are in town, the actor is currently prepping for his summer projects — two feature films.
First, there’s “Knights of Badassdom,” which pits the Aussie opposite Steve Zahn and Peter Dinklage.
“It’s sort of a comedy ... like ‘Shaun of the Dead’ meets ‘Role Models,’ ” Kwanten explained. “It’s that real black comedy that I really love.”
And then, Kwanten will finish up the summer in New Jersey, shooting a darker project called “Truck Stop.”
“It’s a very much sort of a heavy, dramatic type piece,” he said of the project.
“I play a pimp, believe it or not,” Kwanten added. “He’s not the nicest of characters, so I’ve got to summon the evil inside me.”
In between filming, the Aussie admitted he may try and squeeze in some World Cup watching too — his team faces off against Germany in their opening match on June 13.
“You know what? I’ll definitely try and make some time. It’s going to be pretty amazing and the fact that it’s in South Africa too I think is pretty cool,” he said.
