By Erica Hanson | Published
Benedict Cumberbatch has made a name for himself thanks to his role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but long before he was a superhero, and long before he was an iconic dragon or the world’s greatest detective. Play the role of, he almost got his start in Hollywood. Popular vampires. In 2008, true blood Rocked the world with his unabashed take on the vampire genre, and Cumberbatch almost played Brady the vampire Bill.
Benedict Cumberbatch was almost a real blood bill.
This revelation comes to us thanks to him. true bloodseries creator, Alan Ball. Ball admitted that Benedict Cumberbatch auditioned for the part in 2007. While we still don’t know if the Marvel star turned down the role, we do know that the part bill eventually went to Stephen Moyer.
For those unfamiliar with the show, true blood Based on the Southern Vampire Mystery series of novels by Charlene Harris. The HBO show follows Sookie Stackhouse (Ana Paquin), a bartender living in the small town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, in a world where vampires have openly outlawed themselves.
The first season follows Sookie and Bill’s relationship, and we have to admit, it’s easy to picture Benedict Cumberbatch as a Southern vampire even if we enjoyed Stephen Moyer’s character come to life.
For starters, Benedict Cumberbatch has to do an English accent in a southern drawl, sounding very familiar to what Stephen Moyer produced. true blood (Both actors are from England). And, comparing the two actors with each other reveals more than enough physical similarities. But still, given what happened behind the scenes between Moyer and Paquin, things could have been very different if Cumberbatch had played the role.
Could change things on and off screen.
true bloodActors K Suki and Bill met on the set of the show and as it turns out, the actors didn’t have to pretend to fall for each other. Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer began dating within months of filming. Till date, they are happily married.
Taken by Benedict Cumberbatch. true blood character, would sparks have flown so easily between the two Marvel stars (Anna Paquin played Rogue in the original X-Men movies)? We have no idea, and worse, it would never have given us one of Hollywood’s greatest enduring couples.
Other celebrities who auditioned
Benedict Cumberbatch is almost playing Bill. true blood Trivia isn’t the only interesting part about the popular vampire show’s casting process. Another Marvel alumna, Jennifer Lawrence, auditioned for the role of Panther in Season 3. Likewise, Jessica Chastain was almost cast as Sookie.
It’s been a decade. true blood has come to an end, and the show continues to find new fans on streaming. The vampire show was so popular that just a few years after its cancellation, HBO announced plans for a reboot. Those plans fall through in 2023, but who knows: maybe we’ll get a reboot or revival someday, and maybe Benedict Cumberbatch will come on board to play a different vampire this time around. go
