Ryan Kwanten

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Greeting me in his Sydney hotel room with a big white-toothed smile and a warm welcome, it’s easy to see how Ryan Kwanten’s gone from a role on Home And Away to a gig on one of America’s biggest TV shows, True Blood. With his laidback charm and rugged good looks, it’s no wonder the vampire series has six million viewers glued to it in the US. NW sat down with Ryan, 33, to chat about LA life, ladies, getting his kit off for work and that sex-book rumour.
By Keshnee Kemp

Welcome home! Things have changed so much for you since Home And Away. How have you adjusted to getting noticed so much now, particularly in the US?
It’s been a real steady incline over the last two and a half years – I guess from the beginning of season two ‘til now. Now I’m actually sort of happy not just to be here at home, but [also] to [get] away from [the States] because the paparazzi side of things [was] just getting to the point where it was making me slightly uncomfortable. I was hanging out at places I thought were paparazzi-free – but weren’t! It’s nice to be back among people from home. It’s so much friendlier here.

What’s the best thing about the fame?
I look at events like this – like Telstra, this huge company has asked me to come and promote the T-Box which to me is amazing that I have that kind of clout, I guess. The ability to now fly my parents out to see me and to make a living from this profession is the greatest thing. I love doing it so much – the fact that I get paid for it is a bonus. But the fame side of things doesn’t inspire me.

Are you single?
Yeah, I’ve been single for a long time. There have been kind-of relationships, but they’ve been secret… But no – no-one’s going to be holding that back if they’re in a proper relationship.

Is it difficult maintaining a relationship in the public eye?
Oh, even beyond that! Not even necessarily because I’m in the public eye, but with any prospective girlfriend I have to say, “My work and my family come first at this point in my life, so if you’re willing to play third or fourth fiddle…” It sound so callous to say that, but it’s the way it has to be for me right now. Inevitably, it works fine for a month or two, but eventually the girl wants to work their way up the priority list…

Do you have any celeb crushes?
Jennifer Connolly. She’s a very well-studied girl. She’s got a couple of degrees and does amazing work. She’s also very beautiful.

What would your ideal date be?
I’m a real simple man with simple needs. I think cooking a nice little meal and taking the meal down to the beach and having a cheap bottle of wine and watching the sunset – that sounds good to me – with some nice conversation. You can jazz it up, but the more you jazz it up, it looks like you’re trying too hard. You can do that later. It’s always nice just to keep it real and find out about someone when they aren’t on their guard.

You’ve done some pretty racy scenes in True Blood – is it difficult getting your kit off in front of the cast and crew?
It’s not easy! But I always feel worse for the lady I’m doing it with, purely for the fact that 80 per cent of the crew are male and the girl is just as close to naked as I am. And I know that they’re going to be nervous. There have been a few times that I could literally feel them shaking in my arms. I make sure that we go nowhere near the set until they are totally and utterly comfortable.

Alexander Skarsgard recently did a nude scene too – did you give him any pointers?
No, all the guys have their fair share of it. It’s one of those things you can’t just dip your toes [into]. You have to completely dive in and go for it. I kind of set the bar pretty quickly because literally my very first day on set had two sex scenes back to back! Jason, in the first two or three episodes, is very rambunctious. In the third season I get to keep my clothes on a lot more – which has been nice.

Is it true you have a sock you wear to cover yourself?
Ah yeah! That’s the name we give it. The sock or the modesty patch. There are all sorts of nicknames.

The role you play, Jason Stackhouse, is basically a sex addict in the first few seasons. What’s the best thing about playing him?
It’s the fact that he doesn’t think. That he can’t think. It’s really liberating for someone like myself who tends to analyse things far too much. So the moment I step into his shoes I can just switch that part of my brain off.

Have you had any pinch-yourself moments meeting celebs?
I feel like I have that every single day! Celebrities don’t really inspire me. It’s beyond anything I could have possibly conceived. Where I’m sitting right now, doing an interview with you and leaving soon to go and shoot a film in Washington – it’s beyond comprehension. I pinch myself every single day!

I read that you were surrounded by a bunch of beautiful girls at a party and paid them no interest. Is that on purpose?
I don’t know what party they’re talking about! But if it’s an event [where] I know there are going to be cameras out, my filter is very high. I know that the second I put my arm around a girl someone is going to be snapping photos of it. So I try to avoid those types of events – like the plague.

And I have to clear this up – are you writing a sex book?
I am absolutely not writing a sex book! I am writing a book and it’s a satirical look at the self-help world. Somehow it’s been misconstrued – maybe the word “self” has been replaced with “sex”. If they’re talking about it, that’s fine.

What’s your favourite feature of the T-Box?
Personally, I’m a YouTube fiend, so that is there, and obviously I am a huge film buff. So they’ve got… well, I was going to say a collection but that would be an understatement. It’s 1400 movies to pick from.

Right, so just a few choice to get you through a rainy weekend…
Quite a few! Rainy years!

For more information on the Telstra T-Box, click here.

PLUS: Check out all your favourite True Blood stars before they became stars.