The fifth season of the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

supernatural drama series ''

True Blood ''True Blood'' is an American fantasy horror drama television series produced and created by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', a series of novels by Charlaine Harris. A reboot is currently in development. The serie ...

'' premiered on June 10, 2012 and features 12 episodes, bringing the series total to 60. It picks up right after the events of season four. It is loosely based on the fifth book in ''

The Southern Vampire Mysteries ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'', also known as ''The True Blood Novels'' and ''The Sookie Stackhouse Novels'', is a series of books written by bestselling author Charlaine Harris. The first installment, ''Dead Until Dark'' (2001), won the Ant ...

'' series, ''

Dead as a Doornail ''Dead as a Doornail'' is the fifth book in Charlaine Harris's series ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries''. Summary It's the first full moon since Jason was bitten by the werepanther Felton Norris (in ''Dead to the World''). Calvin Norris comes ...

'', but incorporates much more of the following books than the previous seasons have.

Cast and characters

Main cast

Anna Paquin Anna Hélène Paquin ( ; born 24 July 1982) is a New Zealand actress. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Wellington, Paquin made her acting debut portraying Flora McGrath in the romantic drama film ''The Piano'' (1993), for which she won the Aca ...

Sookie Stackhouse Sookie Stackhouse is a fictional character and protagonist of ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series, written by Charlaine Harris. In HBO's television adaptation, ''True Blood'', Sookie is portrayed by Anna Paquin. Creation and casting ...

Stephen Moyer Stephen Moyer (born Stephen John Emery; 11 October 1969) is an English film and television actor who is best known as vampire Bill Compton in the HBO series ''True Blood''. His first television role was in 1993 as Philip Masefield in the TV ad ...

as Bill Compton *

Sam Trammell Sam Trammell (born January 29, 1969) is an American actor, known for his role as Sam Merlotte on the HBO fantasy drama series ''True Blood''. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance as Richard Mil ...

Sam Merlotte Sam Merlotte is a fictional character from ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse Series'' by author Charlaine Harris. Sam lives in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and is the owner of a bar named Merlotte's. Sam has stra ...

Ryan Kwanten Ryan Christian Kwanten (born 28 November 1976) is an Australian actor and producer. He played Vinnie Patterson from 1997 to 2002 in the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away''. After his stint ended, he joined the American teen drama series '' ...

Jason Stackhouse Jason Stackhouse is a fictional character from ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' book series by author Charlaine Harris. Introduced in the first novel, ''Dead Until Dark'', Jason is Sookie Stackhouse's older brother and road crew supervisor for ...

Rutina Wesley Rutina Wesley (born December 21, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Tara Thornton on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', and Nova Bordelon on OWN’s ''Queen Sugar''. Early life and education Wesley was born ...

Tara Thornton Tara Mae Thornton is a fictional character in Charlaine Harris's ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' and their television adaptation, HBO's ''True Blood''. Profile Tara Mae Thornton is a twenty-something Louisiana native and lifelong friend of t ...

Alexander Skarsgård Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in th ...

Eric Northman Eric Northman is a fictional character in ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries,'' a series of thirteen books written by ''New York Times'' bestselling author Charlaine Harris. He is a vampire, slightly over one thousand years old, and is first intro ...

Christopher Meloni Christopher Peter Meloni (; born April 2, 1961) is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as NYPD Detective Elliot Stabler on the NBC legal drama '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' for its first 12 seasons and its spin-off ' ...

as Roman Zimojic *

Chris Bauer Mark Christopher Bauer (born October 28, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his television work in ''The Wire'', ''Third Watch'', ''True Blood'', ''Survivor's Remorse,'' '' The Deuce and'' the Apple TV+ original science fiction spac ...

Andy Bellefleur ''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris. This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...

Kristin Bauer van Straten Kristin Bauer van Straten ( Neubauer) is an American film and television actress, notable for her roles as vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', Jerry's girlfriend Gillian ("man hands") on ''Seinfeld'', ...

as Pam Swynford De Beaufort *

Lauren Bowles Lauren Elizabeth Bowles is an American actress. Early life and education Bowles was born in Washington, D.C., to Judith (née LeFever) and L. Thompson Bowles. Her half-sister (on her mother's side) is actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She majored in ...

as Holly Cleary *

Valentina Cervi Valentina Cervi (born 13 April 1976) is an Italian film and television actress. Cervi was born in Rome, Italy. She is the daughter of director Tonino Cervi and granddaughter of actor Gino Cervi. Her mother is the Italian producer of Austrian- ...

Salome Agrippa ''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris. This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...

Nelsan Ellis Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017) was an American actor and playwright. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), for which he won a Satel ...

Lafayette Reynolds ''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris. This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...

Scott Foley Scott Kellerman Foley (born July 15, 1972) is an American actor and director. Foley is known for roles in television shows such as ''The Unit'', '' Scrubs'', '' Felicity'', and ''Scandal'', and in films such as '' Scream 3''. He has als ...

as Patrick Devins *

Janina Gavankar Janina Zione Gavankar (; born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician. She is trained as a pianist, vocalist, orchestral percussionist and majored in theatre at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her roles include Shiva on ''The ...

as Luna Garza * Lucy Griffiths as Nora Gainesborough *

Todd Lowe Todd Lowe (born May 10, 1977) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Terry Bellefleur, a PTSD-suffering Iraq War veteran who works as a short order cook at Merlotte's Bar & Grill on HBO's ''True Blood'' and as Zack Van Gerbig o ...

as Terry Bellefleur *

Joe Manganiello Joseph Michael Manganiello ( ; , ; born December 28, 1976) is an American actor. His professional film career began when he played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man''. His breakout role was as werewolf Alcide Herveaux in five seasons of ...

Alcide Herveaux Alcide Herveaux is a fictional character from the ''Southern Vampire Mysteries''/Sookie Stackhouse novels by author Charlaine Harris. He is a Were (a full blooded werewolf) who owns a construction company in Jackson, Mississippi with his father. He ...

Michael McMillian Michael McMillian (born October 21, 1978) is an American actor and writer, known for his roles as Henry Gibson on '' What I Like About You'', Steve Newlin on the HBO series ''True Blood'', Owen on ''Hot in Cleveland'' and Tim in ''Crazy Ex-Girlf ...

Steve Newlin ''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris. This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...

Denis O'Hare Denis Patrick Seamus O'Hare (born January 17, 1962) is an American actor, singer, and author noted for his award-winning performances in the plays '' Take Me Out'' and ''Sweet Charity'', as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on HB ...

as Russell Edgington *

Jim Parrack Jim Parrack (born February 8, 1981) is an American actor best known for his role as Hoyt Fortenberry in HBO series ''True Blood''. He has also appeared in the film '' Battle: Los Angeles'' and as "Slim" in the 2014 Broadway production of ''Of Mic ...

Hoyt Fortenberry ''True Blood'' is an American television drama series created and produced by Alan Ball. It is based on ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' by Charlaine Harris. This article includes main characters (i.e. characters played by a main cast member) ...

Carrie Preston Carrie Preston (born June 21, 1967) is an American actress known for her work on the television series ''True Blood'', ''Person of Interest'', ''Crowded'', ''The Good Wife'', ''The Good Fight'', and ''Claws''. Preston received critical acclaim ...

as Arlene Fowler Bellefleur *

Deborah Ann Woll Deborah Ann Woll (born February 7, 1985) is an American actress and model. Woll played Jessica Hamby in the HBO drama series ''True Blood'' (2008–2014), which earned her a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award. She subsequently starred as ...

Jessica Hamby Jessica Hamby is a fictional character in the ''True Blood'' series, portrayed by Deborah Ann Woll. In the series, which chronicles the life of human waitress Sookie Stackhouse and her friends after vampires make themselves known to humans, Jessic ...

Special guest cast

Kevin Alejandro Kevin Michael Alejandro (born April 7, 1976) is an American actor and film director. He is known for his roles as Nate Moretta in the crime drama ''Southland'', Forklift Mike in '' Parenthood,'' Jesús Velázquez in the supernatural thriller ''T ...

as Jesus Velasquez *

William Sanderson William Sanderson (born January 10, 1944) is an American retired actor. He played J. F. Sebastian in the feature film ''Blade Runner'' (1982), and had regular roles on several television series such as Larry on ''Newhart'' (1982–1990), E. B. ...

as Bud Dearborn *

Alfre Woodard Alfre Woodard (; born November 8, 1952) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including four Primetime Emmy Awards (tying the record for the most acting Emmys won by an African-American performer, along with Regina King), ...

as Ruby Jean Reynolds * Adina Porter as Lettie Mae Daniels

Guest cast

Carolyn Hennesy Carolyn Lee Hennesy (born June 10, 1962) is an American actress, author and animal advocate. Hennesy's early work consisted of guest appearances and roles in shows and television movies, including '' Dark Justice'' and in '' Deadly Invasion: Th ...

as Rosalyn Harris *

Peter Mensah Peter Mensah (born 27 August 1959) is a Ghanaian English actor, best known for his roles in the films '' Tears of the Sun'', '' Hidalgo'', '' The Incredible Hulk'', ''300'', and television series such as Starz' '' Spartacus: Blood and Sand'', '' ...

as Kibwe Akinjide *

Giles Matthey Giles Ingram Matthey (born 11 November 1987) is a British actor best known for his role as Claude Crane on the HBO original series ''True Blood'', Gideon on the ABC series ''Once Upon a Time'', and Jordan Reed on FOX series '' 24: Live Another ...

as Claude Crane *

Dale Dickey Diana Dale Dickey (born September 29, 1961) is an American character actress who has worked in theater, film, and television. She began her career on stage, performing in the 1989 Broadway version of ''The Merchant of Venice'', before appearing ...

as Martha Bozeman *

Louis Herthum Louis Herthum (born July 5, 1956) is an American actor and producer. Herthum has worked as a stage, television, and film actor, and he has also appeared in national television commercials. He is best known for his recurring role as Dep. Andy Broom ...

as JD Carson *

Christopher Heyerdahl Christopher Heyerdahl (born September 18, 1963) is a Canadian actor who portrayed Alastair in '' Supernatural,'' the Wraith Todd in ''Stargate Atlantis'', Sam in ''Van Helsing,'' "Swede" in ''Hell on Wheels,'' and Marcus in '' The Twilight Saga ...

Dieter Braun Dieter Braun (born 2 February 1943 in Ulm, Bavaria) is a former road racer of Grand Prix solo motorcycles from Germany. He won the 1970 FIM 125cc World Championship for Suzuki. In 1973, he rode a Yamaha TZ 250 to the 250 cc FIM world cha ...

* John Rezig as Deputy Kevin Ellis *

Jamie Gray Hyder Jamie Gray Hyder (born April 27, 1985) is an American actress and model. She performed voice and motion capture work for the role of Lieutenant Nora Salter in '' Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare'' and voice acted for the operator Roze in '' Call of ...

as Danielle *

Tina Majorino Albertina Marie Majorino (; born February 7, 1985) is an American film and television actress. She started her career as a child actor, starring in films such as ''Andre (film), Andre'', ''When a Man Loves a Woman (film), When a Man Loves a Woma ...

as Molly *

Kelly Overton Kelly Overton is an American actress. She is known for portraying Vanessa Van Helsing in the 2016 Syfy fantasy drama series ''Van Helsing''. Early life Overton grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and studied at the American Academy of Drama ...

as Rikki Naylor * Chloe Noelle as Emma Garza * Jessica Clark as

Lilith Lilith ( ; he, Wiktionary:לילית, לִילִית, Līlīṯ) is a female figure in Mesopotamian Mythology, Mesopotamian and Jewish mythology, Judaic mythology, alternatively the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-demon. ...

Camilla Luddington Camilla Anne Luddington (born 15 December 1983) is a British actress, best known for her role as Dr. Josephine "Jo" Wilson in the ABC medical drama series ''Grey's Anatomy''. She is known for voicing Lara Croft in the ''Tomb Raider'' video ga ...

as Claudette Crane *

Jacob Hopkins Jacob Turner Hopkins (born March 4, 2002) is an American actor. Early life Hopkins was born in San Francisco, California to Gerald and Debra Hopkins. He has an older brother named Gerad (Born 1998). Career Hopkins is best known for playing the ...

as Alexander Drew * Brendan McCarthy as Nate * Tanya Wright as Deputy Kenya Jones *

John Billingsley John Billingsley (, born May 20, 1960) is an American actor best known for his role as Doctor Phlox on the television series ''Star Trek: Enterprise''. Early life and education Billingsley was born in Media, Pennsylvania, and subsequently live ...

Mike Spencer Michael Spencer is an English record producer and recording engineer, who has worked with pop acts ranging from Newton Faulkner to Emeli Sandé. Many of his productions have achieved platinum certification, and have won MOBO and Brit Awards, a ...

Emma Greenwell Emma Greenwell (born January 14, 1989) is an American-born English actress. She made her acting debut as Mandy Milkovich in the second season of the Showtime comedy-drama '' Shameless'' (2012–2016), appearing as a series regular in the third ...

as Claudia Crane *

Robert Patrick Robert Hammond Patrick (born November 5, 1958) is an American actor. Known for portraying villains and honorable authority figures, he is a Saturn Award winner with four other nominations. Patrick dropped out of college when drama class sparked ...

as Jackson Herveaux * Patricia Bethune as Jane Bodehouse *

Tara Buck Tara Buck (born March 16, 1975) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Buck is known for her roles in ''True Blood,'' '' Ray Donovan'', and ''Party of Five''. Early life Buck attended Wood River High School in Hailey Idaho, where ...

Ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices ...

Allan Hyde Allan Hyde (born 20 December 1989)"Allan Hyde"
''Danskefilm'', retrieved 14 September 2021 . is a < ...

as Godric *

Dale Raoul Dale Raoul (born Karen Dale Raoul; August 16, 1955) is an American film and television actress perhaps best known for her role as Maxine Fortenberry, mother of Hoyt Fortenberry, on the HBO television series ''True Blood''. Career Raoul was b ...

as Maxine Fortenberry *

Aaron Christian Howles Aaron Christian Howles (born June 3, 1993) is an American television actor and singer known for his roles on '' Swingtown'', ''True Blood'' and ''United States of Tara''. Howles began acting at age 11 when he appeared in a community production of ...

as Rocky Cleary * Keram Malicki-Sánchez as Elijah Stormer *

Noah Matthews Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...

as Wade Cleary * Alec Gray as Coby Fowler *

Mariana Klaveno Mariana Klaveno (born October 25, 1979) is an American actress best known for her television roles as Lorena Ball (Krasiki) in the HBO series ''True Blood'', as the psychopath Abby in the Lifetime movie ''While the Children Sleep'', and as mov ...

as Lorena Krasiki * Laurel Weber as

Lisa Fowler Lisa Fowler (also Shaw) is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Lucy Benjamin. The character was introduced as a "home-wrecking blonde" by executive producer Matthew Robinson on 7 December 1998. The character ...

Erica Gimpel Erica Fawn Gimpel (born June 25, 1964) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is best known for her roles on television shows '' Fame'' as Coco Hernandez and on '' Profiler'' as Angel Brown. She is also known for her recurring roles on ...

as Faerie Elder

Episodes

Production

''True Blood'' was officially renewed for a fifth season on August 11, 2011. In February, 2012 it was announced that creator Alan Ball would be stepping down as showrunner at the end of the fifth season. Ball will continue on as executive producer in a more advisory role and leave the day-to-day production of the series to others. "Because of the fantastic cast, writers, producers and crew, with whom I have been lucky enough to work these past five years, I know I could step back and the show will continue to thrive," said Ball in a statement. Series co-star

made his directorial debut with the eighth episode of season five, titled "Somebody That I Used to Know." '' D.E.B.S.'' writer/director and former ''

The L Word ''The L Word'' is a television drama that aired on Showtime from January 18, 2004 to March 8, 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated with Ilene Ch ...

'' producer Angela Robinson has joined the writing staff. She wrote episodes five and eleven. Series co-star

confirmed that the character Tara would be returning.

Ratings

References

{{True Blood 2012 American television seasons True Blood Iraq War in television