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Can you believe that it's been 10 years since True Blood debuted on HBO?

The series starring Stephen Moyer and Anna Paquin remains one of the network's most beloved for its campy nature and breakneck storylines that kept viewers on their toes week after week. However, the show almost turned out to be an entirely different beast. During Vulture Fest in Los Angeles, creator Alan Ball dropped the bombshell that True Blood almost enlisted an entirely different crop of actors which would have changed the vibe of the show entirely.

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In his search to find the perfect man to play Bill, the southern vampire, Ball says his quest took him to London where he met up with Benedict Cumberbatch. Their talks fell through, however, and the role ultimately went to Moyer. Ball also revealed that Jessica Chastain auditioned for Sookie but lost out to Paquin, who had to audition five times before landing the role.

In an alternate timeline, we could have had Cumberbatch and Chastain as Bill and Sookie, which would have made for a very interesting, albeit likely less fun, True Blood.

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