Anna Paquin Reads Alan Ball's Mind

They grow up so fast, don't they? It seems like just yesterday that Romeo won his Oscar pool by picking pre-teen Anna Paquin to win for The Piano.

Now Paquin is in her 20s, and next up for her is True Blood, the new HBO series from gay Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball.

Based on Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire series of books, the show deals with the undead - who can now live off of synthetic blood made in Japan - settling into a small town in Louisiana.

Paquin stars as - how much do you love this character name? - Sookie Stackhouse, a waitress who can read minds.

Sookie's romance with a vampire will be a central plot for the show, which goes into production this fall.