Alex O’Loughlin has become a regular presence on TV screens with work on “The Shield,” “Moonlight” and “Three Rivers” — and this fall he’ll star in a remake of “Hawaii 5-0.” Recently seen in theaters opposite Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy “The Back-up Plan,” the Australian actor returns to the small screen this summer as The CW resurrects all 16 episodes of “Moonlight,”?in which he plays a sexy, do-gooding vampire detective.
“Moonlight”?was originally canceled by CBS in 2008. Are you tired of getting questions about vampires?
No, I love vampires. I did “Moonlight” because I love the genre and because I really believed in the show, and I will always love the genre. I think it’s the coolest. I would totally play a vampire again — if it was the right thing. I’ll never be sick of vampires.
Your character is a conscien-tious bloodsucker. Do you have a preference between playing heroes or villains?
It feels to me like — and this isn’t to say that I’ve ever done anything clever or talented in my career yet — but I feel like when I’m playing a villain, I can get away with a lot more. You go, “Hey, listen, what if this guy had a tattoo on his face?” And the director’s like, “Yeah! That’s f—ing evil!” But as the hero, you’re like, “Hey, can we …?” “No! You’re the hero. Just look and smile.”
