11 Amazing Bodies From True Blood

Sink your teeth into the fitness secrets and healthy habits of the supernatural stars of "True Blood." From Sookie Stackhouse's enchanting workouts to Jason Stackhouse's resilient spirit, this article reveals how the cast of this vampiric saga maintained their amazing bodies. Anna Paquin's on-the-road workouts, Anna Camp's snack-hoarding strategies, and Joe Manganiello's 80/20 diet plan will leave you thirsting for more. Rutina Wesley's agile dance-based regimen and Jurnee Smollett's jump rope prowess prove that vampires aren't the only ones with killer moves. Whether they're riding horses in the wild west like Luke Grimes or juggling auditions like Denis O'Hare, these actors have secrets to staying in shape.

1. Anna Paquin

Anna Paquin played lead character Sookie Stackhouse on the show. She shared some of her fitness secrets in a 2010 interview with SELF. "I had this really amazing trainer in New York, who I worked out with for years," she said. "He got me in amazing shape and taught me how to work out by myself and on the road. Half the time, I'd be in a hotel room somewhere and there would be a gym - if you could call it that - with not much more than a treadmill and some weights. He would write out workouts for me that I could do anywhere."

2. Anna Camp

Anna Camp played Sarah Newlin on seasons two, six, and seven. She tells People that she takes healthy snack options with her when she’s working. “I’m on the run a lot in L.A. Whether I’m hiking with my dog Rocky or driving from meetings to sets, having good snacks on hand is a top priority. I always carry almonds, fruit and water with me to fight the afternoon crash.”

3. Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello played Alcide Hervaux from season three on. His trainer, Ron Matthews, told Men’s Health that he has the actor on an 80/20 plan. “We never do less than 80 percent of full capacity with the diet and the workouts. But that means he can still have a cheat meal and enjoy life the other 20 percent.”

4. Rutina Wesley

Rutina Wesley played Tara Thornton on all seven seasons of the show. She shared some of her favorite workouts with Fitness Magazine. “I do a mix of cardio and strength — the elliptical machine and weight lifting — three times weekly. But a lot of my agility comes from being a dancer; I trained at Juilliard. I also do yoga. It helps me relax and let go of the crazy character I play.”

5. Ryan Kwanten

Ryan Kwanten played Jason Stackhouse on all seven seasons. He revealed in an interview with FOX News that he’s developed a lot of resilience, which has helped with his career. "I have that sporting background where I want to be the best, I want to be the champion. If I'm knocked down, you're damn sure I'm getting back up again. A lot of actors who may very well be more talented than me don't have that kind of tenacity in the face of rejection. That resilience gives me a distinct advantage."

6. Christopher Meloni

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Christopher Meloni played Roman Zimojic in season five. He shared his approach to eating with Men’s Health. “I have to juggle the correct kinds of foods, but I have to ingest enough calories to push the weight that I need to push in order to kind of maintain…whatever this thing is. I really eat everything. My philosophy—well, my diet—is I’m basically horse-trading all day. I like to pick and choose where I’m going to ingest my cholesterol or my heavy fats or starches.”

7. Denis O’Hare

Denis O’Hare played Russell Edgington on seasons three and five. He shared how he approaches an audition with Backstage.com. “I try, when I go in, to not let the director talk to me. I don’t want them putting any ideas in my head before I’ve done what I’m doing. Afterward, it’s fine. And I don’t tend to banter—I don’t tend to chat. I don’t try to make friends. I just come in, do my job, and leave. And I also don’t hang around. Once I’m done, I get out of there so fast. I don’t want anybody to see me. I don’t want to have another conversation. I don’t want to have a second audition. I just leave.”

8. Jurnee Smollett

Jurnee Smollett played Nicole Wright on the final two seasons. She shared some of her favorite exercises with SELF. Smollett says that she makes sure to workout when traveling. “If I have a jump rope and a resistance band, I can work out anywhere. Even without a jump rope. If you do 200 jumping jacks, then drop and do some crunches, and then do some squats, you’re good.”

9. Luke Grimes

Luke Grimes played James Kent in season six. He also appears on the hit series, Yellowstone, and revealed to Monsters & Critics that he did a lot of riding to prepare for the role. “When we got to Utah, where we filmed the first season, a lot of us went on a cowboy camp where we went on a pack trip that went out for three nights. Taking these horses up mountains, jumping creeks, and doing a lot of stuff that a lot of us had never done before just to try to get us into the feel of the place and of the world.”

10. Lizzy Caplan

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Lizzy Caplan played Amy Burley on season one of the series. She opened up about finding fulfillment in her career to Variety. “It seems rare to know, for me, what a whole year is going to look like,” she says. “I keep it moving, jumping from lily pad to lily pad. I feel extremely lucky that I get to bounce around so much and do the things that I personally find meaningful or scary or a challenge.”

11. Carrie Preston

Carrie Preston played Arlene Fowler Bellefleur on the entire series. She shared some of her wellness secrets in an “A Day In My Life” interview with Us Weekly. Preston revealed that she makes smoothies for breakfast. “My smoothies are legendary. I start with pea milk, avocado and kale, and then I throw in every kind of berry, flaxseed, cacao nibs powder and nut combo it can handle.”

Cue spooky music and embark on an extraterrestrial expedition to uncover the secrets behind the show's most iconic figures. The FBI's finest, David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson have revealed their off-screen regimens to maintain those investigative physiques that could even make Cigarette Smoking Man quit a bad habit. From Duchovny's passion for juicing to Anderson's dedication to skincare, it's clear these stars are as committed to their health as they are to solving paranormal phenomena. Joining the dossier are Annabeth Gish, who takes family fitness to new heights, and Joel McHale, whose disdain for lunges is matched only by his determination. Read on.

1. David Duchovny

David Duchovny played one of the lead characters, Fox Mulder, on the show. He shared some of his diet and workout secrets in a video interview with Men’s Health. He loves to make juices. “Down here we have juicing stuff like beet, carrot,” he said, showing the viewers his fridge. “I’ve got back into juicing recently. Fruit. I like this coconut stuff.”

2. Gillian Anderson

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Gillian Anderson played Dana Scully on the show. She shared some of her skincare secrets with New Beauty. "Even with all the fancy creams I’ve been gifted over the years, once I started seeing that my skin was suffering, I began to pay more attention to it. There’s a Clinique Moisture Surge Gel, which is kind of extraordinary for application in the afternoon, if you’re starting to feel like you’re drying up and need some hydration.”

3. Annabeth Gish

Annabeth Gish played Monica Reyes on the show. She revealed to Sportify that she and her family do a lot of physical activities together. “My kids know that working out for my mental and physical health is a priority. We all go rock climbing as a family. We ski. We scuba dive. My children are starting to now out-pace me. They want to go deeper, and ski faster, and climb higher. It’s beautiful to see when your children start to actively excel beyond you.”

4. Joel McHale

Joel McHale played Ted O’Malley on the revival series. In an interview with Men’s Journal, he revealed that he does a lot of tough lower body workouts. “I think all leg workouts are harder than upper body workouts just because it’s a much bigger muscle. Even though I don’t like doing lunges and they annoy the hell out of me, I do them, because I know I’ll be happy sometime later. I really don’t have that much trouble with motivation. I’ve never been one of those guys that’s like 'I don’t know if I’m going to work out today.' I’m way too vain to not work out.”

5. Robbie Amell

Robbie Amell played Miller on the revival. He shared some of his at-home workouts in an interview with Men’s Health. "Obviously, times are really weird right now, but I think it's really important to try and stay active, whether it's pushups, situps, burpees, jumping jacks, you know, anything to just get the blood flowing and get the endorphins going.”

6. Robert Patrick

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Robert Patrick played John Doggett on the series. He also appeared in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and talked about the experience with The Chicago Tribune. “If you let your imagination go, you can kind of endure anything. I don’t want that to sound so cavalier, but I think because of the preparation I had done, the training that I had done, I was able to do what was asked of me. And no one got hurt — including myself. I felt like I did a good job. Every effort was made to make me feel comfortable.”

The dead are alive! Here we delve into the fitness and lifestyle secrets of the beloved cast from the iconic show. From Andrew Lincoln's stamina-focused training for his role as Rick Grimes to Norman Reedus's relaxed approach for Darryl Dixon, each star brings a unique perspective to maintaining their health under the demanding conditions of filming. Lauren Cohan champions exercise variety, while Danai Gurira emphasizes wellbeing through varied workouts. Jeffery Dean Morgan finds fitness in farm life, and Melissa McBride reflects on the show's impact.

1. Andrew Lincoln

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Andrew Lincoln played Rick Grimes on the show. In a 2012 interview with Men’s Health, he shared his approach for training for the series. Lincoln revealed that stamina is the main thing he values. "Of course, I want to be in good shape and be fit, but I want to have stamina. It's not an exercise in vanity. It's about being able to do stuff.”

2. Norman Reedus

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Norman Reedus plays fan-favorite character Darryl Dixon, which lead to him getting a spin-off. He shared his fitness secrets with Men’s Journal. “I have a trainer in New York I use every so often when I’m getting ready to go back on the show. Nothing too specific. I just try to shed any holiday pounds and get my mind right. When I’m down there [in Atlanta], I have a gym in my house, so I try to work out when I can, but sometimes when you work so many hours all you can do is get home and fall on your face. I’m also running through the woods in 103° heat and my crossbow weighs a ton, and I’m always riding bikes and building things, so the pounds melt off.”

3. Lauren Cohan

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Lauren Cohan played Maggie Greene on the show. She shared her fitness routine with Shape Magazine. "I am the queen of exercise variety. This week I was in L.A. and I took a Pure Barre class, went to Burn 60 [an interval workout class] twice, ran the track at UCLA, made it to the gym, and took a yoga class. I also really love to dance. I dance through workouts that aren't even about dancing! At home, all my furniture is pushed to the edges of my living room so that I can dance around the room.”

4. Danai Gurira

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Danai Gurira played the fan-favorite character, Michonne, on the show. She shared her approach to fitness with Women’s Health. “If I haven’t worked out, if I haven’t exercised and connected with my body in some way, it chips away at my feeling of well-being,” she says. “It might be lifting weights, it might be boxing, it might be something a little less intense. There’s no need to break records tomorrow. It’s just about slowly finding what feels good and what feels rewarding.”

5. Jeffery Dean Morgan

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Jeffery Dean Morgan played the villainous Negan on the show. He and his wife, Hilarie Burton, live on a farm. Morgan tells Men’s Journal that he likes to chop wood. “I’m a little bit obsessed with it. I love an ax, but I recently got a log splitter, which has changed my life as I near 55.”

6. Melissa McBride

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Melissa McBride plays Carol Peletier on the show. She talked about the impact the show has had to AMC.com. “I think being a part of something that sort of just took over, it still has not quite settled in my mind. I understand how big the show is. I experienced how big it got and that's maybe why it's hard to fathom that I’m a part of it. It's bigger and more unexpected than I ever could have imagined, and I still have not quite grasped that I am indeed a part of this massive thing. I think one of these days, maybe even years from now, I will look back with a different perspective. You know, see the whole of it.”

7. Jon Bernthal

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Jon Bernthal plays Shane Walsh on the show. He also stars on The Punisher and shared his workout secrets for the show with Men’s Journal. “Today we got up at 4 in the morning. Usually we’ll start with a little strength work, whether it is taking on squats or the bench press, doing five sets of three at the maximum weight. There’s a lot of supersetting, and bodybuilding weight practices. Then we work on a lot of MetCon [metabolic conditioning], doing as many rounds as we can, trying to get each movement just right. It will usually be about five or six full-body moves, like pull-ups or cleans. We’ll do that for somewhere around 20 minutes or so. Then in the afternoon we’ll do boxing or jiu jitsu workouts between scenes. I always want to box, but they really try to keep me working my whole body as much as possible. On top of that, learning the fights for the show or weapons training is almost a whole other workout on top of that. So it probably works out to three separate big, different workouts a day. It’s pretty gnarly.”

8. Christian Serratos

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Christian Serratos plays Rosita Espinosa on the show. She shared some of her skincare secrets with The Cut. “I started double-cleansing probably around the time my daughter was born, because I noticed that when I would wipe my face dry on a towel after cleansing, I still had makeup around my hairline or the edges of my face. And I was mostly annoyed with the fact that the makeup was getting on my towels.”

9. Michael Rooker

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In addition to playing Merle Dixon on The Walking Dead, Michael Rooker also plays Yondu in the Guardians of The Galaxy franchise. He talked about doing his own stunts with Smashing Interviews. “I didn’t do a lot of major action stuff in this one. I like doing physical stuff, but this was easy enough for me. I really didn’t have many major fights. Yondu is just … you don’t want to mess with this cat. His weapon of choice is pretty powerful, so you don’t want to screw around with the guy. He’s a tough old boy.”

10. Alanna Masterson

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Alanna Masterson plays Tara Chambler on the show. After having her daughter, Masterson was subjected to body-shaming. However, she hit back on Instagram. “Dear Instagram trolls, body shamers, and the men and woman who think it's ok to comment on my weight: I hope that you don't have children. And if you do, I hope you teach them about kindness and acceptance. I hope they learn that it isn't ok to make fun of people or call people names.”

11. Khary Payton

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Khary Payton played Ezekiel on the show. He shared how he stayed in shape on the show to Muscle and Fitness. “We film in Atlanta where it’s hot and humid, and I lose weight if I’m not doing something. So I have this CrossFit-style regimen that’s just 20 minutes. I do five pullups, 10 pushups, and 15 body-weight squats. I do as many rounds as I can in 20 minutes. By the time I get halfway through, I’ve got to cheat on the pullups. By the time I’m done, I’m in a pool of sweat on the floor. My best is nine rounds.”

12. Austin Amelio

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Austin Amelio played Dwight on the show. In an interview, he revealed that he has adopted a vegan diet. “I watched that documentary ‘What the Health’ ten days ago, and the next day I was like, ‘I’m done.’ It’s been 10 days, completely vegan the whole entire time, and I feel better than I felt like in years.”

13. Tom Payne

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Tom Payne, who played Jesus, works with trainer Tom Fitzgerald on his diet and exercise. Fitzgerald told The Hollywood Reporter that Payne eats a lot of protein. “Most people would need a period of ‘cutting in’ after a program like this,” Fitzgerald explains. “However, Tom has such a fast metabolism that just keeping up the calories is the main challenge; losing fat in order to show muscular definition happens almost automatically.”

14. Lauren Ridloff

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Lauren Ridloff played Connie on the show. She revealed to Shape that she is training to run the New York City Marathon, and shared her reasons for doing so. "It was more about meditation," she says. "It was about reentering myself and problem solving, troubleshooting, all of those things...You know, my mind just wanders [when I run]. I never know where it's gonna go, which is quite nice."

15. Steven Yuen

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Steven Yuen played fan-favorite character, Glenn Rhee. He told The Guardian that he wants to represent the Asian community through his work. “Where I try and speak from as an actor is always feeling, I guess, isolated. I warred with that for a lot of my life – of feeling disconnected from a system, a majority, or a group. I deeply wanted to connect, so I would bend and twist and break myself to try and conform.”

1. Emilia Clarke

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Emilia Clarke played Sarah Connor in the film, Genisys. She has amazing skin, and shared her routine with Byrdie. "My morning and nighttime routines are really very similar. In the evening, I might do a double cleanse depending on how much makeup either I or someone else has put on my skin. I also put more moisturizing cream on my face at night than I do in the daytime. In the morning, if I have a big day or I have some stuff coming up, I also do a sheet mask and use a face roller. I keep all of those things in the fridge, which always helps."

2. Linda Hamilton

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Linda Hamilton is the actress most associated with the role of Sarah Connor. She originated the role in the first film, and has returned in three subsequent ones. In an essay for InStyle, she talked about working and training for the film Dark Fate. “On the film we worked a lot of six-day weeks; even if we had a weekend off, there was probably a scuba lesson or military training. When I did have a day off, I’d sleep 20 hours. I’d rest my body and read my books to take my mind elsewhere. Still, the results are different, you know? It’s disappointing that you can work as hard and not look the same. But then you just think, ‘I cannot be what I was.’ It took me a while to just go, ‘Hmm, fuck that! Let’s go with what we’ve got and make it as fantastic as possible.’ I’d never felt like a badass until I made this film.”

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger

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Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the titular character, also known as the T-800, in all of the films. He opened up about his diet secrets in an interview. “The way you do it is burning more calories every day than you eat,” he says. “So take the number 2,000. You have 2,000 calories that you eat every day, but you burn off 2,500 calories every day. And now you have a negative of 500 calories. And every day you will start slowly going down with the body weight and down with the body fat. And the first place it will go is at the stomach.”

4. Sam Worthington

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Sam Worthington played Marcus Wright in Salvation. He is a prolific action star, having appeared in Avatar and Clash of The Titans. For this reason, Worthington has to work hard to stay in shape. "Why waste the opportunity by doing things half-arsed,” he told Men’s Health. “Whether that's mentally preparing or physically preparing, or just giving a crap about the work. Why waste time by going to every party in town? This isn't what I got into this for."

5. Lena Headey

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Lena Headey played Sarah Connor in the TV series. She is open about her struggles with mental health and anxiety. When a fan asked how she manages anxiety on Twitter, Headey shared her secrets. "Anxiety is a beast. You have to talk to beasts. Release them back into the wild. Easier said than done, I know, but still. Good to practice."

6. Common

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Common played Lieutenant Barnes in Salvation. He shared his fitness routine with Men’s Journal. “I work out four days a week and if possible, five. But I’ve been improving my workouts by doing things that are active. I’m not just pumping weights. I work with the bands. Today I was doing drills where it felt like I was doing basketball drills. I never used to do a lot of cardio and I still don’t do a lot of cardio because then I get real thin. But basically it’s just constant workouts and overall I just eat healthy. Of course I have days where I might go in on some French fries but overall it’s a pretty clean diet.”

7. Claire Danes

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Claire Danes played Kate Connor in Rise of The Machines. Danes shared some of her favorite workouts with Net-A-Porter.com. “Generally, I run, but I couldn’t do it when I was pregnant, and I was introduced to SoulCycle, Barre, and then The Class By Taryn Toomey. Initially, I was a little hesitant about the ‘clubbyness’ of it, but it is nice to be in a group and to exercise with others as part of a community. Endorphins are released when you move and when you’re social. So, when you combine the two, the result is quite potent.”

8. Bryce Dallas Howard

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Bryce Dallas Howard played Kate Connor in Salvation. She also stars in the Jurassic World films. Howard revealed to People that she used a wooden platform to help her get in shape for the films. “I’d put my foot on it and do calf raises and then stay on my tippy toe and do squats,” she said. “Then I’d turn perpendicular and exercise each side of my foot. Just to practice the stabilizing muscles.”

9. Brian Austin Green

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Brian Austin Green played Derek Reese in the series, The Sarah Connor Chronicles. The actor struggles with ulcerative colitis, and had a flare-up in 2022. Green talked about how he manages this condition on Good Morning America. “It’s really just dietary,” he said. “As long as I can keep things within my system that my body doesn’t think I’m poisoning it with then it doesn’t fight back.”

10. Gabriel Luna

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Gabriel Luna played Rev-9 in Dark Fate. He tells Men’s Health that he was inspired to get fit because he knew he’d be working with Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I knew I had to get my body into a good place,” Luna said. “Because at the time, I was drinking whiskey and smoking cigarettes and all this other stuff I didn’t need to be doing if I intended to play this role. I knew I’d eventually have to stand in front of this guy, and my motivation was, I want him to see me and see a formidable foe. I don’t want him to see me and think, ‘I could squash this guy with my thumbs’.”

11. Helena Bonham Carter

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Helena Bonham Carter played Dr. Serena Kogan in Salvation. Carter tells InStyle that she makes sure to get enough sleep, and that this is the reason for her amazing skin. “People say I look really good, and it’s because I sleep a lot, which is the biggest collagen booster ever. It’s amazing that I achieve anything considering how much I sleep. I snooze during the day and eight or nine hours at night to help collagen production.”