What do you think it is about the vampire genre that’s so appealing to LGBT fans?
I think it’s certainly not a huge step for LGBT people to identify with any group of characters that are, as a group, outsiders, that mainstream society feels threatened by; that are fabulous and powerful and sexy and all of that stuff.

What other gay characters will be introduced in season 3?
We’ll be meeting the vampire king of Mississippi and his long, long-term companion — and by long-term I mean really long-term — Talbot. I think Lafayette may meet a love interest, and certainly Pam, who works with Eric, she’s certainly got a lesbian vibe — I don’t know that that’s all she is, but she certainly does seem to appreciate the women.

Will we see Jason Stackhouse scantily clad again in season 3, considering how modest he was in season 2?
Well, he was at church camp! [Laughs] There’s no shortage of man candy on the show and Jason is back in Bon Temps and he may be up to his old ways. I can tell you that you’ll definitely get to see a lot of Jason in the first few episodes, and by a lot, I mean a lot physically. [Laughs]