When True Blood first premiered in 2008, people were skeptical about whether or not it would be a series that would resonate with audiences. From vampires walking around in casual society to fairies living in an alternate universe, it didn’t exactly have a storyline that was all-encompassing for viewers. Yet, the romance aspect of the series and fight-to-the-death scenes were just enough to ensure millions of fans tuned in each week to catch the next episode of True Blood. The series lasted for seven seasons and helped launch the careers of a multitude of actors featured over the years.

While the star of the show, Anna Paquin, already went into the series with her own fan base due to her role as Rogue in the X-Men films, not all of the True Blood characters were that lucky. Some of the actors shown on the series actually got their big break by being portrayed in a hit HBO show. Audiences all seemed to have their own favorite character that they wanted to see with each new week. Whether it was a small supporting role or one of the many sexy starlets or heartthrobs, there were many different characters to choose from. Once the series concluded in 2014, people began going into serious True Blood withdrawal since they missed seeing their favorite characters on the small screen. Some of the characters from the series went on to achieve furthered success, while others faded into obscurity. Check out our list of the 15 stars from True Blood after the series ended and see where they are now and what they’ve been up to.

15.  Kristina Anapau - Starred In Grimm

When Kristina Anapau first appeared on True Blood during Season 4, fans didn’t know just what to make of her. When she appeared out of nowhere in the woods and seduced Andy Bellefleur, even Andy didn’t really believe that it was all real. Appearing as an unearthly being with unbelievably stellar looks, this was a dream come true for Andy. However, he probably wouldn’t have thought as much if he would have seen her in her true faerie state. He ultimately wound up regretting their dalliance in the woods when she showed up pregnant, gave birth to the babies and left. What people don’t often realize about Anapau is that she was trained in classical ballet at an early age and was probably a factor in her being cast in the 2010 hit film, Black Swan. Since her time away from the True Blood series, Anapau portrayed the character, Megan Marston, on Grimm and also starred in BlackJacks and Altergeist. However, in 2012 she began focusing on editorial writing and was even published in a variety of magazines.

14.  Amelia Rose Blaire - You've Seen Her In Scream

Portraying the role of the daughter of the Louisiana Governor, Truman Burrell, Amelia Rose Blaire did an amazing job at portraying Willa Burrell and all the complexities of her character. Not only was she made to look like the innocent daughter in the beginning of her introduction on the show but she also transformed herself after she became a vampire, as the progeny of Eric Northman. Since the series concluded, Blaire has starred in a number of short films and a few character portrayals that went pretty much unnoticed. However, she has had some success through roles on TV. She’s starred in episodes of The Mentalist, Grey’s Anatomy, Blue Bloods, Criminal Minds, and Quantum Break to name a few. Yet, the recurring role of Piper Shaw in Scream is probably her best known character since she was last seen on the True Blood series when it finished its final season.

13.  Karolina Wydra - You'll Catch Her On Twin Peaks

Karolina Wydra portrayed the True Blood character, Violet Mazurski, during Season 6 and 7 of the series. Her character started off as the fiercest vampire in the women’s section at Burrell’s Camp and never really relented in her hard exterior. Although it wasn’t exactly a match made in heaven regarding her relationship with Jason Stackhouse, her time on the show was more than a tiny bit memorable to viewers. She must have made an impression with casting executives because she’s been featured on a number of shows since the True Blood series concluded. Wydra joined the cast of Justified during Season 5, had a guest starring role in the CBS series, Scorpion, and even starred alongside Aaron Eckhart in the 2015 film, Incarnate. While her series, Wicked City, didn’t have a huge amount of success, hopes are high for her upcoming roles. She is slated to star in the 2017 upcoming series, Twin Peaks.

12.  Jurnee Smollett-Bell - Quickly Becoming An A-List Celeb

Jurnee Smollett-Bell is an actress that already had a long list of credits prior to joining the cast of True Blood during the sixth season. Some of her previous roles were memorable enough where she went into the True Blood series with a sizable fan base already. From the 2007 film, The Great Debaters, to the hit TV series, Friday Night Lights, she wasn’t exactly an unknown actress plucked from the masses. After her run on True Blood as Nicole Merlotte, the wife of Sam Merlotte, she was cast in the Tyler Perry film, Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, as well as the 2016 film, Hands of Stone. Smollett-Bell actually played the wife of Sugar Ray Leonard and starred alongside such stars as Usher and Robert De Niro. She has been married to Josiah Bell since 2010 and the couple welcomed their son, Hunter Zion Bell, in November of this year.

11.  Courtney Ford - Keeps Bouncing From Show To Show

When Courtney Ford first made her appearance in the Season 6 premiere of True Blood, fans of The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series were excited to finally be introduced to the Portia Bellefleur character. Bill’s girlfriend after Sookie was a pretty big part of the book series and seeing her in the flesh on the series was a great gift for fans. Yet, Courtney Ford didn’t quite make it as a long-lasting actress on the series since the Portia Bellefleur character wasn’t given much screen time. After Bill “glamoured” her to stay away from him, she was pretty much a forgotten character. After the series, Ford made a series of cameo appearances as a guest star on other television series. From The Big Bang Theory, Hawaii Five-O, Parenthood, Revenge and Castle, it seemed that Ford was able to get a job on every hit series on TV. However, she never obtained any real roles with recurring characters on TV. Unlike other True Blood actors that were able to find their niche, Ford has continued to bounce from one show to the next without ever truly finding a home.

10.  Lizzy Caplan - The New "IT" Girl In Hollywood

Lizzy Caplan starred as the character, Amy Burley, on the True Blood series and made a lasting impression on both Jason Stackhouse and the fans of the show. While Jason was once known for never falling in love, he actually grew to care about Amy in a way that wasn’t shown in the series previously. After Caplan’s character was killed off, she began getting serious buzz in Hollywood as the latest new “It” girl on screen. In 2012 alone, she starred in four different films released that year. She also made an appearance in a few comedy films and was the hot female character in Now You See Me 2. Her latest acting endeavor was in the 2016 film, Allied, starring alongside Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. Perhaps her TV success in True Blood and Masters of Sex helped to garner attention from the industry or perhaps Caplan finally paid her dues in order to be considered a serious actress on the big screen. Whatever the case, it seems like fans are going to start seeing a lot more of Caplan in the years to come.

9.  Alexandra Breckenridge - The Walking Dead

Alexandra Breckenridge is an actress that has been able to star in a number of hit television shows without the same sort of stardom that usually befalls a beloved character. While actresses often worry about taking roles that will pigeonhole them for future acting opportunities, Breckenridge has been able to take on several memorable roles without ever having to worry about being known solely as one specific character. This is perhaps due to the fact that she is able to change her look so drastically or perhaps it’s simply because she is that good of an actress. After starring in American Horror Story as the incredibly hot red-haired maid, some fans didn’t even recognize her as the same actress when she starred on True Blood. Regardless, she’s been in a number of series like Dirt, The Ex List and probably most famously, The Walking Dead. She portrayed the hot blonde neighbor that Rick crushed on and unfortunately met her demise after being eaten by zombies and getting her arm cut off by Rick. Fans will inevitably see Breckenridge again but they might have to make sure to take a close look since she’s known for changing up her hair color to delve into a character.

8.  Evan Rachel Wood - Welcome To Westworld

Evan Rachel Wood starred as the Vampire Queen of Louisiana, Sophie- Anne Leclerq, and did a pretty amazing job before she was killed off. Fans loved seeing her in her “sun room” and loved her girl-on-girl scenes with Hadley even more. Yet, she didn’t exactly fade into oblivion after her time on the series was complete. She starred in the critically acclaimed HBO miniseries, Mildred Pierce, alongside Kate Winslet in 2011. She must be a favorite actress of HBO because she’s currently starring on another HBO series, Westworld. Starring as the Dolores Abernathy character, she has proven that she can play a wide variety of different characters. Whether it’s a vampire or a sentient android, Evan Rachel Wood can seemingly do it all. As an actress that never seems to age, this porcelain-skinned actress has a long future ahead of her. While she is no longer donning the fangs that were so becoming on her in True Blood, fans don’t seem to mind since they still get to see her on HBO every week.

7.  Anna Camp - She's On Amazon

Anna Camp actually had a long-lasting role on the True Blood series when she starred as the character, Sarah Newlin. When she started off as the wife of Reverend Steve Newlin, fans would never have expected her to last all the way to the final season of the series. Yet, Camp was able to prove that she could portray the character with all its changing personas on the show. After the series concluded, Camp starred in a myriad of TV and films. She had already proven that she could do more than just act and showed her musical inclination in Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2. She showed it again in the Off-Broadway play, All New People. She seems to thrive in character portrayals where she’s playing in a period drama. This was seen during her time in Mad Men and the 2011 film, The Help. She’s currently starring in a series specifically for Amazon Video, Good Girls Revolt, which is definitely in her wheelhouse since its set during the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights era in the late ‘60s.

6.  Joe Manganiello -Mr. Vergara

Not many actors can boast getting their most famous role through the support of their fans like Joe Manganiello. When fans of The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series started watching True Blood, a blog was dedicated to getting Joe Manganiello hired as the werewolf character, Alcide Herveaux. The two had strikingly similar characteristics and he was ultimately hired for the role. He became an instant sex symbol for the series and helped him to land his next big roles on the big screen. Starring in both of the Magic Mike films, fans were thrilled to see him in all his stripper glory. Being a TV and film star, Manganiello inevitably mingled with some of the other actors in Hollywood and ultimately met his wife, Sofia Vergara. The two were married on November 22, 2015, and have quickly become one of the hottest couples in the entertainment industry. While Vergara is one of the highest paid actresses on TV, Manganiello can probably spend the rest of his life kicking his feet up and focusing on being Mr. Vergara.

5.  Jim Parrack - The Joker's Right-Hand Man

Jim Parrack first made his appearance in the True Blood series with an ultra small role. He was just one of the coworkers of Jason Stackhouse, the momma’s boy that lived in Bon Temps and the ultra shy guy that frequented Merlotte’s. Yet, his role was expanded over the next few seasons and he quickly became a favorite by fans. People rooted for the love between him and Jessica Hamby and then later rooted that he would move on and find love without her. In the end, they finally got their wish that he would move on since he literally moved to Alaska and was “glamoured” to forget. After his time on the show concluded, Parrack started making an appearance as a supporting actor in a number of blockbuster films. However, it seems like his character is constantly doomed to get killed off. This is exactly what happened during his appearance in Battle: Los Angeles and again in the recent film, Suicide Squad. Yet, playing the role of The Joker’s right hand man, it seems like Parrack’s star is at least starting to rise in film. Perhaps the next turnaround will make him the lead character, rather than the supporting actor that inevitably gets killed off.

4.  Kevin Alejandro - Lucifer

Oftentimes, fans of a series find themselves rooting for certain characters to finally find love. While everyone seemed to have their favorite love interest for Sookie Stackhouse, Lafayette Reynolds was a character that seemed to be a serial player from the start of the series. He wasn’t exactly the character that appeared to be looking for love in the slightest but that all changed once he met Jesus Velasquez. Played by Kevin Alejandro, he completely transformed the character of Lafayette Reynolds and made fans root for their love. Audiences were crushed when he was killed off the series and fans wondered when they would see him again. They didn’t have to wait too long since Alejandro got a job starring on the hit series, Lucifer. As the estranged husband of the lead character, Chloe Decker, Alejandro even seems to have a good relationship with Lucifer. People are again rooting for love, even if it’s not with Chloe. The latest update on the series has been a relationship that seems to be brewing between Alejandro’s character and the mother of the devil. Fans will have to wait to see how this one pans out but it can’t be worse than being stabbed to death, like in his demise in True Blood.

3.  Nelsan Ellis - Starred In Some Major Flicks

Nelsan Ellis starred as the hugely popular character, Lafayette Reynolds, on the HBO series. Although his character was supposed to be killed off the series if they would have stuck to the storyline from the book series, showrunners kept Reynolds in the series, much to the pleasure of fans. Not only was he a great addition to the cast but he seemed to work well with some of the other characters in a way that added true charisma and on screen chemistry to the series. After his time on the series was concluded, it shouldn’t have surprised audiences that they would see Nelsan Ellis again. His ability to transform into a character was so amazing that some people actually thought that he truly was the flamboyant character in real life that he portrayed in the series. However, Ellis is a serious actor and proved it by portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the critically acclaimed film, The Butler. He also starred in the film, The Help, and has become highly respected in the industry. While people might miss his Lafayette character, they will surely see Ellis again due to his ensured success for many films to come.

2.  Stephen Moyer - Glorified Supporting Actors

Stephen Moyer had been in a number of films prior to being cast as Vampire Bill in the True Blood series but none of them gained him the same kind of mainstream success as his HBO role. Not only did he become a household name due to his character portrayal but that is where he met his wife, Anna Paquin. The series highlighted his ability to portray different transformations of his character over the seasons and even showed off his musical talent during some flashback scenes where he sang at the piano. This helped him when he was cast in The Sound of Music Live! starring alongside Carrie Underwood. Besides this TV special, Moyer has been in a number of films as a supporting actor but hasn’t yet reached the status of full-on leading male film star as of yet. He is slated to star in an upcoming television series where he’s going to play a police officer but we shall see how fans react to seeing their favorite southern vampire as a badass cop.

1.  Alexander Skarsgård - Oh Hi Tarzan

For fans of the True Blood series, it seems that there was no one more perfect to play the vampire, Eric Northman, than Alexander Skarsgård. This Swedish actor was a perfect fit to play the Viking vampire with incredible sex appeal, so it’s a little ironic that he originally auditioned for the role of Bill. Obviously, he didn’t see how well he fit the role of Eric, so it’s a good thing that showrunners could see it. He made an ultra memorable performance, which led him to be cast in a number of other things. From starring in the music video for Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” to appearing in a number of films as a supporting actor, there was a bit of a build up before he became a full-on film star. Yet, his role in the 2016 film, The Legend of Tarzan, proved that he could carry a film all on his own. His incredible good looks, tall build and chiseled physique are the perfect combination for a film star. It’s safe to say that Alexander Skarsgård will quickly become a mainstay for future films, which will leave his True Blood character in the dust.

Sources: Digital Spy, Wet Paint, Collider