Kwanten Leap
Now packing heat in Red Hill, eternally shirtless True Blood star Ryan Kwanten opens up about his gay brother, his loyal male admirers, and his top-secret sex life.
By Brandon Voss
RYAN KWANTEN X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM
You’ve seen practically every inch of Ryan Kwanten as endearingly dim himbo Jason Stackhouse on HBO’s vampire drama True Blood. But there’s more to the 33-year-old Aussie than meets the naked eye — including a wild new role, a younger gay brother, and a surprisingly humble outlook on acting.
You play a wannabe cop on True Blood and a young police officer in Red Hill, an Australian Western now in theaters. Do you get the butch appeal of packing a big gun?
Many little boys fantasize about playing the hero in a traditional shoot-’em-up — a guy who’s quick on the draw. But what really fascinated me about Red Hill was that this guy is full of faults, so it felt like a prequel to John Wayne and Clint Eastwood — before they turned into bad-asses.
Before True Blood, you starred as a lifeguard in the Australian soap Home and Away. Were you aware of gay fans that early in your career?
Yes, they’ve always been very staunch supporters of me. The great thing is that it’s a loyal fan base — they’ll stick with you through thick and thin, and I like that. You can’t buy that kind of loyalty.
http://advocate.com/Arts_and_Entertainment/Television/Kwanten_Leap/