Brentwood, England, native Stephen Moyer distinguished himself by coupling an almost Greco-Roman look and figure with elements of refined sophistication abetted by -- and frequently attributed to -- his British origins. Something of a series mainstay in the U.K., this St. Martin's School alumnus turned up as a regular on English programs including Conjugal Rites, The Grand, and Castles, before scoring a significant crossover success with his turn as Prouix in Philip Kaufman's Marquis de Sade drama Quills (2000). Additional Hollywood projects varied tremendously in genre and overall quality, and included the Keira Knightley-headlined, Disney-produced fantasy-adventure Princess of Thieves (2001); director Jon Avnet's atmospheric, war-themed miniseries Uprising (2001); and the Aussie thriller Restraint (2007). Moyer achieved broadest exposure on American television opposite Debra Messing in the romantic comedy miniseries The Starter Wife (2007) and as enigmatic, alluring vampire Bill Compton on Alan Ball's gothic HBO drama series True Blood (2008), and it quickly became a cult favorite. That same year, Moyer reteamed with Avnet for a small supporting role in the Al Pacino thriller 88 Minutes. In 2010 he married his True Blood co-star Anna Paquin.
Stephen Moyer
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- In his teens, was a lead singer in a band called The Prophecy.
- Performed with the Royal Shakespeare Theater Company in productions such as Romeo and Juliet.
- Recognizable to American audiences for his roles in USA's The Starter Wife and HBO's vampire series True Blood.
- Has played a vampire twice: in True Blood and Ultraviolet (1998), a British television series.
- Did not need to wear prosthetic fangs for his role in Ultraviolet because his natural canine teeth were considered sharp enough to resemble a vampire's.
- Once lived in a houseboat on a London canal, where he entertained famous guests such as Who guitarist Pete Townsend.