Wayne grad spills True Blood on TV

By SAM LOGAN KHALEGHISpecial to Journal Register Newspapers

Wayne State graduate Dean Chekvala in a scene from HBOs series True Blood.

Ending the latest season of HBOs series True Blood this fall, Wayne State graduate Dean Chekvalas character was killed off after his heart was ripped out by a vampire.

Chekvala, former resident of Clinton Township, said he is afraid of vampires or at least he took on that fear while playing the character Roy, the wiccan lackey from the fourth season of True Blood.

Chekvala performed the slight comic inferiority complex of Roy through eight episodes of the show and worked alongside Anna Paquins strong-willed Sookie, Stephen Moyers chivalrous Bill and Alexander Skarsgards nefarious Eric Northman.

It kinda took me by surprise. People had told me about it. Being part of that phenomenon is very interesting, says Chekvala.

He is a graduate of Clintondale High School in Clinton Township. Additionally, he came from a family of creative types that gave him the support he needed to pursue acting. His father worked in a film studio in Czechoslovakia before he moved his family to America when Dean was 3.

My parents are very supportive, and want me to keep doing what Im doing, Chekvala says. My favorite place to come back to is my moms kitchen, whenever I return to home.

Chekvala found his passion for acting at Wayne State University, where he received his BFA in 2000. He furthered his acting education in Chicago, studying at the famous School at Steppenwolf.

Trailing west, he won roles in professional theaters, first in Colorado then Los Angeles. Chekvala got his first TV role in the series Numb3rs.

In addition to True Blood, he had a regular roleas J.D. Dunn on the CBS series, Harpers Island. His other television credits include How I Met Your Mother, Breakout Kings, The Defen! ders, Ju stified, Lie to Me, E.R., NCIS,NCIS: LA, Without A Trace, Austin Golden Hour, Skip Tracer and a 2003 pilot, 13 Graves.

Supplementing the rsum Chekvala has assembled, the actor has worked with the likes of Alex Kurtzman (producer of TVs Alias, and the feature film reboot of Star Trek) and can next be seen in Kurtzmans upcoming feature Welcome to the People. Continued...

I hear Michelle Pfeiffer is phenomenal in it, he said. I dont know what it looks like or what its shaped as. I have a small but poignant role in that. Im just as excited to see it as anyone else.

Balancing acting with his personal life, Chekvala says he has found comfort with friends in Los Angeles who also hail from Michigan.

He says he moved to Los Angeles for the production scene, but with the film incentive program he hopes to make it back to Detroit to work on a project.

It wasnt about not liking where I was, it was about finding opportunity elsewhere, says Chekvala.

Its a renaissance (city) I will definitely come back to Michigan and do something there.