On HBO's True Blood, the 32-year-old actor spends an inordinate amount of time half-naked. We got him to bare even more: his thoughts on love and dating.

1. As an Australian living in the U.S., have you spotted any differences between Aussie and American women?
Australian women tend to tell it like it is—even if it's the brutal, honest truth. I think American women usually break it to you a little easier. There's a softer side to them.

2. What's one mistake you see women making in relationships?
Trying out the "I love yous" after a week or two [of dating]. You have to give it time before you start [saying that]. I like exploring the mystery of a relationship instead of laying it all out on the table at the beginning.

3. Care to let us in on your most embarrassing dating moment?
I arrived at this girl's house and her dad answered the door. The guy was huge—in my head, he seemed close to seven feet tall and 300 pounds. He looked down at me and said, "Can I help you?" I said, "Yeah, I'm here to see—" and I forgot the girl's name! I was just looking up at him thinking, Oh, God, please don't squash me!

4. You're totally ripped. How much work did you have to do to get that way?
I'm somewhat of a masochist at heart. I like to sweat. I come from a very competitive sporting background—my dad was a world-champion surfer—so it's always been a part of my DNA. I do a lot of soft-sand running, hiking, yoga, and boxing, and I compete in triathlons. But I don't have a strict diet. If I want a beer, I'll have a beer, and I've always been a chocoholic.

5. Any hidden talents?
I'm undefeated in Scrabble. I can figure out an opponent's strategy and mold mine to offset theirs. I play a couple times a week, and I'll often play a game on my bed by myself against myself, which I realize sounds completely mad.

By Christine Fennessy | Woman's Health | Link to article





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