Creating a True Blood Bill Compton costume is a straightforward task if you're looking to play blonde bombshell Sookie Stackhouse's main squeeze.
Your True Blood Bill Compton Costume
The key to creating a True Blood Bill Compton costume relies on understanding the character played by Stephen Moyer in the HBO series. Bill Compton is a man who became a vampire in the mid-1800s just after the Civil War, in his home town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. As such, he is a southern gentleman. He dresses in conservative clothing that is often dated, although flashbacks show Bill Compton dressed in a Confederate grey uniform as well as in other period costumes from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Tips for Creating the Bill Compton Look
Sideburns are necessary for the Bill Compton look. If you do not have your own or had time to grow them, consider purchasing glue-on sideburns. Bill's hair is a sandy brown, so the sideburns should match. His sideburns are very typical of the look popular with southern gentlemen in the 1860s.
Bill's Makeup
Once your sideburns are in place, you'll want a pale foundation and/or face powder to give yourself a sallow look. Bill never sees the sun and is extremely pale and almost sickly looking under fluorescent light. Be sure to smooth the foundation into the hairline and under the chin and to behind the ears to avoid a foundation line.
You'll also want to use a bit of eyeliner under your lower lashes to give your eyes some definition. You can add a smudge of red eye shadow under each eye to give it that tired, but haunted look.
Bill's Hair
Bill Compton's hairstyle is relatively simple, but it is also very straight. If you have wavy or curly hair, blow-dry it with a little bit of gel to make it smooth and be sure to part it on the right. Bill's hair is brushed straight down with just a hint of the ears in view, although that isn't as important as getting it straight.
Clothing Choices
Bill favors earth tones and grays. He occasionally wears a white dress shirt and white undershirt, but his dress down look is a rumpled business casual look. A long sleeve t-shirt with a rumpled suit jacket is sufficient. Bill also favors slacks over jeans.
Fake Fangs
On True Blood, the vampires all have retractable fangs. So you do not have to wear vampire fangs when you dress up like Bill Compton, but you can wear them if you prefer the look. Bill's fangs are needle points on the incisors. They drop much like a snake's fangs do and he often "hisses" his angry words when his fangs are out.
The Accent
Most of Bill's look is simple and straightforward. If you can get the hair and the sideburns correct, you'll be most of the way there. What sets Bill apart from most of the other characters is the way he speaks. He has a very deep, very purposeful southern drawl where he swallows a portion of the word. He also has a particularly inflection when he says "Sook-ay" where he pulls out the ie as a long a sound.
Practicing this accent will help you go a long way towards authenticating your Bill Compton look. If you plan to dress up as Bill Compton, be sure to watch a few episodes of True Blood to practice your accent and style.
