True Blood Final Season Update: HBO Series Casts Nathan Parsons as Season 7 James
HBO's True Blood has cast a new James for the show's last season. The newly available role was recently given to Nathan Parsons.
TVLine reports that Parsons will replace Luke Grimes as the vampire who Jessica, played by Deborah Ann Woll, met at Governor Burrell's vamp camp. The 25-year-old actor is best known for playing Ethann Lovett in General Hospital and Godot in Bunheads.
According to a TVLine "insider," Parsons will portray James as he meddles his way through an unexpected love triangle.
Earlier this month, HBO announced that Grimes would not be returning for True Blood's final season.
"Luke Grimes will not be returning as James in 'True Blood,'" an HBO spokesperson told TVLine. "The role of James is being recast due to the creative direction of the character."
A rep for Grimes had nothing to say, but a TVLine source "close to" Grimes said that the 29-year-old actor wanted more screen time with Woll, who stars in the upcoming film, Forever, with him.
"He initially joined the show because he wanted to work with Deborah Ann Woll, but when he started reading the scripts for season 7, he was disappointed to learn that they were going in a completely different direction with James," the source said.
Another possibility for Grimes' departure is his role in Fifty Shades of Grey. Filming for "True Blood" begins this month, but Fifty Shades of Grey will also be filming at that time thanks to its delayed production date. The movie only began production on Dec. 2. Grimes may have had a tough choice to make, and the big screen can be very appealing.
Season 7 of "True Blood" premieres this summer. Hypable reports that the season's first epsode will be directed by Stephen Moyer, who plays Bill Compton on the show. New characters are expected to include Lafayette Reynold's boyfriend.
Fifty Shades of Grey will be released Feb. 13, 2015.