DRAGON CON: The Iconic True Blood Panel
The Hyatt Centennial ballroom was filled with Truebies for the True Blood panel on Saturday, August 30th 2014, at Dragon Con! I was so excited to see what cast members Kristin Bauer (Pam), Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette), and Michael McMillian (Steve Newlin) had to say about the series ending and 7 years of awesomeness! I have to say that these three together were hilarious!
First off, Nelsan wore a kilt (and looked super cool) and was trying to get comfortable and Michael teased him about squirming in his seat. Then he taught Nelsan (and the audience) that there is a “pocket” for his comfort. The audience couldn’t stop laughing and this was just the beginning.
When asked if the writers changed their characters to fit the actor’s personality, Michael quickly said that vampire Steve Newlin had more of his (Michael’s) personality and sense of humor (and after seeing this panel I would have to agree) than human Steve did.
Kristin said that it was easy for her because Pam was so clear in the script. She said she rarely changed lines, but Nelsan was great about adding parts of his mother to the script. Nelsan said that he copied Ru Paul’s Drag Race too. He added that the writers did tone down Lafayette a bit partially because he is so laid back.
Many of us were wondering why Lafayette didn’t have a scene in the finale and Nelsan said it was because he was really sick when they were filming and they had to cut back on his scenes. Nelsan was pleased that Lafayette got a happy ending with his “boy toy.”
Another question that a fan asked was now that they have played such iconic characters, where would they go from here? Each of them agreed that while filming they didn’t feel like it was iconic, but after seeing the reaction of fans and the impact of the show, they are starting to realize what a big deal it is. This started jokes about iconic moments (like Nelsan said he didn’t think his car love scene was iconic) and this became a running joke for the rest of the panel.
Kristin Bauer learned (along with us) that Pam drove a Prius! Michael told her that when he was writing a True Blood comic book he wanted Pam to drive a Prius. Kristen said she suggested Pam ride a motorcycle in the past but it never happened. Michael then said that Alan Ball confirmed with him that Pam did drive a Prius! Kristin loved it because she felt like she and Pam were alike in that way. She always thought of Pam as a vampire that recycles (Vampires need the planet much longer than we do, so it makes sense right?).
Kristin also had a great story about filming the shot of Pam biting Sarah Newlin’s neck in the final episode. Fortunately I caught it on video because there’s really no way to explain it in print.
Overall this panel went by way too fast. There weren’t a lot of questions but the cast was so entertaining, there wasn’t a dull moment! They talked about hanging out together, missing going to set, and of course how Nelsan has a closet full of Lafayette clothes he “borrowed” from the set. Seeing them reminisce and talk about the show was a great experience. Fans were excited to thank them for 7 amazing seasons and it was obvious how much they loved the show, how well they get along, and how they are undeniably iconic.
