Enter Eye Candy
December 8, 2010 in Secondary Characters, True Blood
Neil Hopkins has been cast as Claude – Claudine’s stripperlicious and extremely vain brother.
Book readers will recall Claude and Claudine were two thirds of triplet siblings – and that Claude was described in the books as dark haired like his sisters.
While True Blood Claudine is also dark haired, I can’t help but notice the striking resemblance a blonde Neil Hopkins bears to this guy:
Speaking of striking resemblances, Chris Butler (The Good Wife, 24) has been cast as Emory, “a prissy and conservative shape-shifter with his own agenda“.
I don’t want to call this yet based on such scant information…but he looks like him. He sounds like him – not so much prissy and conservative, but certainly with his own agenda.
A female shape shifter character involved in cage fighting has already been cast, and many here felt that Tommy Mickens’ story line last season was a clear set up for He Who Shall Not Be Named.
Holy fucking hell…could it BE him???
The original casting call for Emory was for a man in his 50′s – but we know they’ve thrown curve balls before when casting key characters, and Ball himself has openly admitted to fudging casting calls in order to throw bookies off the scent and keep major plot points in doubt.
Alan Ball: Well obviously, for the stuff in the novels, um, you’re not going to be able to keep secret. I have been surprised by how quickly audition sides for scenes show up on the internet. You know, I understand that people are excited about the show, and they want to feel like they’re a part of it. But I have taken to – we are actually, you know – we’re writing scenes that don’t exist…in an effort to actively mislead people…
I am actually putting information in those sides that is never going to be on the show. And sometimes, it goes directly opposed to what’s gonna be on the show. Just because, I feel like the element of surprise is really an important part of this particular story. So…whatever ends up on the internet from our casting sessions, audition sides – just let there be a caveat that we know people are posting it, and we are actively planting misinformation.
LOOK at the guy! Don’t know what I’m talking about? Picture him in genie pants…or perhaps picturing him in PURPLE might help.
I’m not necessarily rooting for this either, by the way. But a guy who looks like that being cast as “a shifter with an agenda”, while Mississippi and most probably Louisiana each find themselves with indisposed monarchs and ripe for political picking??
Has to make you wonder.
*Thanks to Helenahandbasket for finding me a source for Ball’s comments about casting.
Sigh. I’m already ripping my hair out over S4 for reals.
I hope it’s not him. I wanted him to be much much hotter. Unless this is just a bad picture I would not be impressed. I’m willing to wait another season.
I think that if he shows up at all, he’s going to played down as a suitor.
Sookie has too much on her plate as it is – and with the condensed timeline of the show in comparison to the books, introducing another supe to drivel after her wouldn’t work.
But the political situation is such that, depending on what happens between Bill and Sophie Anne we have two states that are without a monarch and ripe for an opportunistic takeover – Louisiana and Mississippi.
Perfect opening for him to show up, I think.
Interesting and great catch on both counts (the fairy and a possible Quinn)! Well, I don’t want to see Quinn BUT if it’s in this capacity, politically and not as a suitor, then I don’t mind. I think adding one more suitor to the mix at this stage of the game would be a little too much. I really like your scenario and hope that’s where they’re going with Quinn.
I’m so curious to see how Claude will come into play on TB.
See, I don’t think it is too much, especially if Quinn’s entrance is post AE and at the tail end of the season. I mean, when is ‘too much’ too much for this show? LOL.
I don’t know, I feel as though it would be too unbelievable. I mean, are ALL the straight men on TB going to have a thing for Sookie? I feel like it would be too much in that way, you know? But you’re right, TB is all about the “too much”. lol
I hope it’s not HIM. I don’t want to see him on TB. At least, I don’t want him to be another suitor for Sookie. Already too many males around her.
Hime, I second that emotion. The character could be dropped totally as far as I’m concerned. Utterly despised him in the books. lol.
I hope its not and I dont think it is. It wouldnt make sense for him to come into the story this early. I see why they did it with the Fae and hadley and hunter, but this wouldnt serve much purpose. Plus, wouldnt they call him Quinn? Also, prissy and conservative arnet exactly words i would use to describe Quinn LOL.
Well, you know they like to change things around. Just look at what they did with Franklin Mott – they may have kept the name but the character was very different from the books and it really worked. I feel like there can’t be a coincidence that they’ve introduced the cage fighting + this guy.
Yeah i could see them combining the character with someone else, but who? And would Sookie really be into a prissy and conservative guy? LOL. Doesnt seem like her type.
I’m sure they’ll give Claude the ye old Clairol treatment. They seem to have enough in stock to perpetually stain (and ruin) Eric’s hair. It’s such a tragedy what they’ve done to it.
While I don’t think that guy is hot, muscular, or cocky enough to play Quinn, I can TOTALLY see him licking Sookie’s leg. LOL.
Umm…Mr. Ball I really hope this guy isn’t playing Claude! Nothing like the book described!!!!! Im SO not for this casting call!!!
When the casting call for Callum came out i though of Charles Twinning right away, but then i looked up the name Callum and it said it was derived from Coleman (Claudines husband?)……Any chance that the casting call was a combined character?
Callum=Claude, and instead of a former stripper, Claude was a 1980′s punk rock bartender, (he would fit the criteria, thats how he looked on LOST)
Thoughts?
Hmm… I don’t think it’s him. The “prissy and conservative” bit doesn’t really fit the bill, and I don’t see them casting Quinn as an afterthought that way. But I DO agree that if he does show up, it will probably be in a slightly different capacity than the books (way too many romantic prospects on this show already), so… you never know.
As for Claude, I noticed the exact same thing when I saw this actor’s photo! I like him– he’s hot, and looks like he could carry off arrogance well. That is, assuming they even keep the character’s attitude– Claudine’s already so different, so it’s anyone’s guess.
Yeah I’m not sold on the idea either MAS…but the physical similarities are striking (even down to the lips! Sookie loved Quinn’s full lips) and it seems like the set up is there for him to come in soon.
I’m not putting too much weight in the casting call because they’ve fudged them before.
I’m liking this guy as Claude, too. IDGAF that he’s not like book Claude – as long as he’s pretty and can play vain and aloof, he’ll cut it.
This is all very true.
If I had to venture a guess, however, I’d say that Emory will end up being the face of the shape-shifters’ political cause. (Sort of like a counterpart to Nan Flanagan and the AVL.) I’ve said before that I think there might be a BIG time jump, and that when we revisit Bon Temps upon Sookie’s return from Fairytown, the shifters may have already had their own “Great Revelation.”
Sheer speculation, obviously. But this is where I’m hedging my bets for now…
That said, Quinn’s introduction seems inevitable, what with shifters taking front and center and the cage-fighting thing and all. I’m so hungry for more spoilers, it’s not even funny.
Hmm, I was thinking Emory’s ‘agenda’ goes against Hallows. Maybe he is in Susan McKittirick’s crew which also contains Marnie, who then tries to get them all to go with her to raise hell in Shreveport.
Or
Emory is one of the local Lousiania Werewitchs and resists Marnie’s takeover of the Shreveport/Bon Temps coven. But she kills him or something, so thats why they all comply? IDK.
That totally could be– and the “agenda” might have absolutely nothing to do with politics. It’s just that when I hear the terms “conservative” and “agenda” used in the same sentence, my mind immediately goes there.
We shall see…
I meant to add that he could also represent more of a Russell Edgington-like counterpart to whatever front the shapeshifters have assumed politically. In other words, if they made the collective decision as a community to “come out,” this guy Emory could be opposed to that decision and somehow be subversively undermining the cause.
But again, this is sheer speculation with absolutely NO basis at all. LOL. Well, except that it’s more than possible that Alan Ball would pull from storylines of the later books to keep the show’s plot fresh (especially where Sam’s story is concerned).
Oh 4 real? Cause when I heard ‘conservative’ I thought sexual type conservative like Emory wasn’t very gung-ho about making a group claim on the Gracious Plenty, (isn’t that on everyone’s agenda? Lol). He’d be the odd man out on the planet but he is prissy….
Yep, everybody is after the GP.
Good catch SVB about Claude in the pic…really look like him!!
I don’t wanna see Quinn but i think we’ll see him instead at a certain point in the story and the storyline will probably move forward? dunno…it’s a possibility…
If thi guy is Quinn well… not my type of guy, but even Quinn is not my type of guy so it’s perfect LOL
This IS Quinn…I have that feeling. I don’t know if he’ll be interacting much romantically with Sookie, but I think he will be involved more on a political level. NH does seem capable of Claude’s vanity and arrogance. And he’s very pretty.
Mmmmhmm! Claude be purdy!
I agree.:D Neil Hopkins works for me as Claude. Very purdy indeed! *slurp*
And I reckon Chris Butler is going to turn out to be Quinn. *scowls* I was hoping we wouldn’t see him at all. But if we must, I hope he won’t be chasing after Sookie and that he will just be involved in the politics.
Well, if it IS Quinn then I hope he’s there just for the political machinations that will be going on.
I’m not sold on the idea of Emory being Quinn, but the similarities are striking and the name seems to fit.
It’s a Norman form of EMMERICH, a name associated with power and work. In any case, I’m calling Emory as bad news. Most of the characters with Norman names are doppels for Bill.
I like Neil Hopkins as Claude, he is handsome enough, if it has the right attitude, and be a stripper. much better than Claudine (I hate the casting for Claudine much or more than the casting of Sookie)
but I do not have much hope
AB chooses to emphasize weird things from the books and sometimes out of order (Hunter, for example). That being said, the first thought I had when I saw Chris Butler’s picture there was
BASIM
If that were the case, get ready for another wig. I’m thinking it’s Quinn, though. Unfortunately.
I think this guy is sexy and I like him for Claude! So far the casting has been really great so I’m sure we’ll get a great character in Claude. I’m hoping that he’ll be really shallow and funny – sort of like a Talbot but not as flamboyant. lol I can see this guy playing it that way.
As far as Claudine is concerned, I really haven’t seen enough of her to determine if I like her character on TB or not. I’m thinking she’ll be the level headed one and Claude will be the one without a filter. lol
I like the Claude choice (certainly like it better than the Claudine choice).
I’ll admit the Emory casting does make me think of Quinn, but I just don’t believe AB would choose to *not* use the name if he’s going to include the character. I wouldn’t put it past AB to fudge on the name in the casting call and such to throw off fans, though.
*If* AB brings Quinn into the mix, I expect him to be named Quinn.
i think this ‘prissy conervative’ is Patrick Furnan, causing trouble with Alcide (an someone tell Sookie on tv to stop saying the ‘d’)book 5,
or Cal Myers the detective who’s sister killed patrick furnan, book 8.
could all be very interesting, fingers crossed he doesn’t screw up the story lines like he seems to have done with Sam.
i reckon this guy “Jason Momoa, Ronon from Stargate Atlantis” should be Quinn, and i kinda hope we wait another season, let all the many other storyines slow down.
[img]http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTI5MTU5NjM1MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODc4MDk0Mw@@._V1._SX214_CR0,0,214,314_.jpg[/img]
This guy could be Emory AND be Quinn – they could just be changing his first name from John to Emory. I have to say that Quinn was my least favourite character from the books, though, and not because he was a rival to Eric (although that didn’t help). There was always something about him that grated on my nerves, from the smug attitude to the constant use of ‘Babe’. I struggle not to skim over the scenes with him in them whenever I re-read the books. I could happily live without him being in TB but if he can be utilised for setting up the NV takeover (which I have posted my own theories about his involvement on the forum) I guess I’ll just have to suffer him.
As for the character of Claude, I hope that they have a damn good actor to play him as Claude has grown into more than just a ‘beautiful asshole’ as the books go on and he is quite multilayered by the time we get to DITF and he’s moved in with Sookie and is playing with Hunter.
I thought I was the only one that felt that way about Quinn’s “charasmatic” vocabulary…..*shudders*
New theory – “Emory” could very well be “Emory Quinn” – super sneaky AB could have changed Quinn’s first name to throw us off the scent.
I’m thinking this is a possibility too.
John Quinn….Emory Quinn….makes no difference really.
He used only the name “Marnie” when casting Hallow and alot of people didn’t make the connection between the characters at first – Marnie was only mentioned in the books a couple of times, most of the time she was referred to as Hallow.
The casting call had his last name, Emory Broome.
I hope that means this is definitely not Quinn.
I would rather Alcide take on the romantic interest that Quinn was in the books.
Okay, maybe this just me… but doesn’t this name sound.. familiar?
Isn’t he an intensely minor book character?
And Broome? He has to be one of the witches.
I don’t remember whether he was a character in the books. But yes, Broome definitely smacks of witchy-ness… and actually, the name REEKS of anagram to me.
I just typed “Emory Broome” into an anagram generator and the first result came up with “Embryo Romeo”, ha! Sounds like Quinn
Ha! I found the same thing– maybe Emory is Arlene’s devil child, all grown up and returned from boarding school????? (To take over Newman Enterprises, of course.)
Seriously, though, I didn’t find anything of interest, which is surprising, because the name just seems STRANGE. Well, except that Emory sounds an awful lot like “memory.” But that’s shit on a wall at this point.
Memory sweeper.
Ha! Good point, so it did.
really think he could be patrick furnan’s character, who first appears when trying to take over alcide’s pack after colonel flood died, and then again at calvin norris’s house after he’d been shot.
I could swear there were some casting calls for characters who never showed up in s3. Sneaky bastid.
So we are going to get a stack of red herrings thrown at us from Ball & Co throughout the filming?…..bring it on AB! We at SVB will sift the wheat from the chaff (and when I say ‘we’, I mean mostly everyone else on this blog but me cause I am clueless when it comes to speculation) as we have done since S1…..Excellent! Its going to be one hell of a ride up to June…..
Broome Surname Origin
The Earls of Anjou first took the surname of Broome or Broome after their pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Fulke, Earl of Anjou, having worn a sprig of the broom-plant as the symbol of humility.
Source: An Etymological Dictionary of Family and Christian Names With an Essay on their Derivation and Import; Arthur, William, M.A.; New York, NY: Sheldon, Blake, Bleeker & CO., 1857.
All this hostility was on account of the son of the Earl Robert
of Normandy, named William. This same William had taken to wife
the younger daughter of Fulke, Earl of Anjou
http://www.britannia.com/history/docs/1124-27.html
I always imagined Quinn as more Vin Diesel looking, Chris Butler looks a little wimpy.
Here, here! While reading those horrible Eric-free-Sookie’s love life, I could only picture a bit taller Vin Diesel with purple eyes….which makes it a little bit easier for me to bear her romances.
WTF happened to Claudine’s arms in this pic LoL!!??!
Nothing sinister. Left one’s stretched out towards the camera, so we can’t see it. Right one’s beside her, hidden by her ample bosom and hip.
Alright…one more comment…
I was thinking of Ian Somehalder (Damon Salvatore of Vampire Diaries) for Claude since he has the dark hair and haughty disposition.
Um…does his acting skills go for dudes with Alcide’s-Sam’s-type of guys? (you know…the flannel, handsome, hardworking man with a short beard).