Luke Grimes exits True Blood before final season

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Well, that didn't last long. According to TVLine, Luke Grimes (above), who joined the HBO hit in Season 6 as Jessica’s (Deborah Ann Woll) brooding, soulful vamp-camp lover James, has unexpectedly left the series before the seventh and final season could even begin filming.

When reached for comment, an HBO spokesperson confirmed Grimes’ exit, saying, “The role of James is being recast due to the creative direction of the character.” I always hate when they decide to just recast the same character under a new face, but seeing as how Grimes was relatively new to the show maybe it won't be all that distracting.

Grimes’ rep declined to comment, but a source close to the Brothers & Sisters alum tells TVLine that the actor asked to be let out of his contract after he learned what producers had in store for James in Season 7. “He initially joined the show because he wanted to work with [his Forever co-star] Deborah Ann Woll,” says the insider. “But when he started reading the scripts for Season 7, he was disappointed to learn that they were going in a completely different direction with James.”

Production on "True Blood's" final season begins next month ahead of a June 2014 premiere.