As Eric Northman on HBO’s racy vampire saga True Blood, Alexander Skarsgård is not your average bloodsucker. Sure, he’s tall, pale and inclined to exsanguinations, but he rarely chews the scenery—or his co-stars—and his louche breed of boredom is a refreshing antidote to those pubescent Twilight lightweights. The 33-year-old actor, who says his character is “both a mirror and weird reflection of my personality,” masterfully embodies Northman’s above-it-all cool. And for good reason. He’s seen it all before—albeit on a smaller, Scandinavian scale—as the son of internationally respected actor Stellan Skarsgård.

Pop singer Leona Lewis, whose soundbites have gotten substantially more interesting since that very unfortunate incident, has come on the record on the most important newsbeat to emerge this year: Twilight. She whispers, "I'm obsessed with the Twilight films." This in turn leads us to believe that in addition to marathoning the vampire franchise, an ideal night in for Lewis would also involve inviting best friend and former Sugababe Keisha Buchanan over to munch on Kinder Bueno bars, paint each other's toenails, and take the piss out of the celebrity-industrial complex.

● Tom Ford has dressed numerous Oscar nominees over the years, but will he be present as a nominee at the Academy Awards in 2010 for his directorial debut? [FashionWeekDaily]
● Lauren Conrad wasn’t really serious when she said friend Lo Bosworth would be the star in the movie version of her book L.A. Candy. [Us]
● Jon Gosselin seems to be under the impression that people want to hear him speak and that radio stations should pay him $10-$12K for an appearance -- because as we all know, Gosselin is "quite funny, sharp witted and interesting." [MSN]

In case you awoke this morning wondering whether a steaming pile of bat crap and a well-executed drama about vampires can coexist, Stephen Moyer says that yes, yes they can. But Bill Compton's always been diplomatic, eager to bring disparate worlds together; there's no reason the actor behind the character should differ in this regard. He says, "I think they serve a certain audience and we serve a certain demographic so we can all exist happily together." And in this regard, Moyer kind of hits the nail on its head.

Robert Pattinson and Megan Fox make sucking it sexy, Lady Gaga accessorized last night's VMA performance with it, and HBO makes it True: Blood is having its moment. While sporting a pair of plastic fangs is only cool in a middle school cafeteria, and stage blood should stay on stage (though it also makes unnecessary appearances in middle school cafeterias), fashion houses like Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, and Dolce & Gabbana have made fashionable interpretations of all the pop culture gore, sending modern-day vamps down their fall runways. With variations of pale skin, dramatic eyes, and blood-red lips, the look is perfect for a little bloodletting after hours, and with a few tweaks, can also be wearable at your day job.

● Evan Rachel Wood has moved on and up from Marilyn Manson and is currently courting True Blood costar Alexander Skarsgard. The two were snapped enjoying an outdoor festival in Louisiana where Skarsgard is filming a movie. [JustJared]
● Drew Barrymore is throwing a roller-skating party in honor of her directorial debut Whip It; attendees can skate with Barrymore and the cast at Bonaventure Skating Center in Michigan where the film was shot. [AP]
● Rapper Ludacris channeled Oprah over the weekend by giving away 20 free cars to those in need in his hometown of Atlanta. [CNN]

● Spencer Pratt has risen to a new level of d-baggery by legally changing his name to “King Spencer Pratt.” [Us]
● Christina Aguilera doesn’t believe in dieting -- mostly because she can’t stop eating --so instead of putting down the ice cream, the singer works off every bad thing she eats. [Showbizspy]
● Jon Gosselin has joined Twitter, therefore cutting out the middleman (a.k.a the tabloids) in updating civilians on every inane moment of his life. [Twitter]

Disappointed you couldn't make the Twilight cruise? Fret not -- the "Fangs and Fur Seminar" caters to both Twilight freaks and True Blood fanatics. The fangbanging cruise sets sail January 2, 2010, and is basically a floating fan-fiction wet dream. It's meant to hook fans of both vamps and werewolves, plus aspiring writers trying to break into the goth-monster-fiction marketplace.

While we're thumping along the vampire beat, let's entertain what is sure to be an ill-advised cash-in on people's fascination with dead people who have really pale skin, sharp teeth, and snappy temperaments. Stephen Moyer, or more famously, Anna Paquin's fiance, has signed onto star in Priest, a vampire thriller also starring Paul Bettany. But if talents like Moyer and Bettany are billed, where does Priest get, well, shady?

Last night on True Blood, we all clung to the edge of our seats as Sookie, Jason, and Bill returned to find their sweet hometown of Bon Temps ravaged by Maryann Forrester's madness. And then we realized that after nearly 14 episodes of meticulous construction, series creator Alan Ball has brought to life one of the most horrific forces in contemporary culture, a force that appears immortal no less, but remains frightening in her moral ambiguity. Say what you will about the wickedness of maenads like True Blood's Maryann, but the outstanding player behind the character has a different look on the madness of this Dionysian handmaiden. After the break, Michelle Forbes explains how blood and gore don't necessarily make the character sinister and how portraying such a maniacally carefree creature may have been one of her most upbeat roles ever.