The Goddess Of Immortal Hysteria

The dancing-girl who extorts a cry of lust and concupiscence from an old man by the lascivious contortions of her body; who breaks the will, masters the mind of a King by the spectacle of her quivering bosoms, heaving belly and tossing thighs; the symbolic incarnation of world-old Vice, the goddess of immortal Hysteria, the Curse of Beauty supreme above all other beauties by the cataleptic spasm that stirs her flesh and steels her muscles, - a monstrous Beast of the Apocalypse, indifferent, irresponsible, insensible, poisoning...

Every season on "True Blood," a new villain seems to head to Bon Temps and set their sights on Sookie Stackhouse and her friends. While details about upcoming events remain scarce, we may now know who the villain will be this year... or rather, the villainess. Emerging reports reveal there's a new vampire in town and based on the description for the new character she certainly sounds like she has the potential to start a whole lot of trouble when the HBO show resumes for Season 5 next year.

TVLine is reporting that 35-year-old Italian beauty Valentina Cervi has signed on for the role of Salome, an ancient vampire who is described as "a world class seductress and fiercely intelligent." The report also notes that Salome is quite insane and that she is very powerful, although she sometimes hides her powers when it suits her to do so. It's unknown if the vampire Salome is the same Salome that appeared in the Bible as the femme fatale daughter of Herodias, the New Testament characterization of dangerous female seductiveness thanks to her chronicled role in the death of John the Baptist. But if Salome is as ancient as the report claims, a connection certainly seems likely.


The casting called for "dark haired with dark features, exotic looking, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and /or African" and Cervi certainly fits the bill. The Italian actress is primarily known for her starring role in the film "Artemisia" and the recent English-spoken detective miniseries, "Zen," which was filmed in Rome and also starred Rufus Sewell. Cervi is also credited for a French film called R.I.F, and has appeared in "War and Peace," "Miracle at St. Anna" and an upcoming adaptation of "Jane Eyre." Next stop, Bon Temps Louisiana: Where the only thing that flows more than the blood is the drama!

Other recent True Blood casting news include: Dale Dickey as Marcus' mother; and Lucy Griffths as a progeny of Godric's.