'True Blood's' Ryan Kwanten appreciates his gay following

He may not be the smartest guy in the world on "True Blood," but in real life Ryan Kwanten is just as endearing and infinitely more intelligent than his character. In support of his new movie "Red Hill," the actor sat down with The Advocate to chat about acting, his legions of male admirers, and whether he'd get fat for a role.


For the record, he absolutely would sacrifice his oft-televised abs for a good part. "I'm committed to this profession, so whatever it takes," he says. "Actually, I have to lose a bunch of weight after shooting 'True Blood' season 4 to play a serial killer, so that'll be a nice change of pace. I guess a lot of running will be in order."

Kwanten isn't just a pretty face. "Even if I've got a leading man face or whatever you want to call it," he says humbly, "I still very much enjoy delving into a character. I come from the land down under, where we're used to roughing it."

He credits that down-under vibe for his open-mindedness. "Australians are a very open-minded society, and I come from a very liberal, open family, so it's something that I've embraced from the get-go. My youngest brother, Lloyd, is gay," he says. "He was probably about 18 when he came out, and I can wholeheartedly tell you that from the day that he did, he was a changed man for the better. The sheer beauty of who he is really came through."

What about the question of whether "True Blood" is too gay? It's been buzzed about in the media all year, but Kwanten shrugs it off.

"We've pushed the boundaries on many fronts, and that's what people like. Just like our show has made vampires a mainstream force to be reckoned with, it's forcing people to take note of serious issues, but in such a smart, visceral way."