‘True Blood’ Actor Quit Over Gay Romance Story: Luke Grimes Reportedly Balked At Plans
Did a True Blood actor quit the show over a proposed gay romance storyline? That’s what sources indicate now over the decision that Luke Grimes made to seemingly suddenly quit the show a while back. While his publicist says otherwise, sources for Buzzfeed provide some compelling tidbits to ponder.
At the time that Grimes quit the show, HBO indicated that it was due to “the creative direction of the character.” They recast the role of James with Bunheads star Nathan Parsons, and now more is emerging regarding the reasons why the True Blood actor quit last December. It seems that the plan to pull James and Lafayette together romantically made Grimes uncomfortable to the point that he was willing to quit the show over it.
Sources for Buzzfeed reveal that as the first few scripts laying the groundwork for the Lafayette and James pairing were shared with Grimes, he objected. He is said to have pushed back with options, such as that he would be fine if the storyline were that Lafayette were attracted to James, but there was no reciprocation. Grimes also is said to have drawn a line in the sand that he wouldn’t do same-sex kissing scenes or sex scenes. Despite his objections, the show was unwilling to change course.
Grimes’ publicist says that the True Blood actor quit over scheduling issues. Luke has gone on to land parts in several films, including the upcoming Fifty Shades of Grey. The publicist, Craig Schneider, says Grimes’ decision to leave “had nothing to do with storylines.” The conflict was said to have baffled and even angered some of the cast members and the writers at the time.
As Yahoo! News notes, it is hardly a move out of left field to have a gay romance storyline on True Blood. This would not be the first gay or bi-sexual pairing on the show. In fact, the show has a very strong history of leading its characters down a variety of romantic paths. Many online point out that it’s within Grimes’ rights to walk if he doesn’t like where the character is headed, or if he isn’t comfortable playing certain types of scenes. However, it definitely was a controversial move that has people buzzing.
Given the past storylines on the show, should Luke Grimes have been so put off that the writers created this type of plan for the character of James? Reactions to having Nathan Parsons in the role now seem mixed, but many are anxious to see where things are headed. With this season being the show’s last, clearly there are a lot of shockers ahead with James and the rest of the characters. Time will tell if the decision for the True Blood actor to quit over his hesitations regarding the role end up paying off for him in terms of new roles ahead.
[Image via The Wire]
