True Blood Season 7 replaces Luke Grimes with Nathan Parsons as James

MStars reported last month that actor Luke Grimes abruptly left the HBO hit True Blood just prior to production on its final season, which forced the show to recast the role of James for the final 10 episodes. Now, the show has found its man.

TVLine reported exclusively that Nathan Parsons (Bunheads) would step into the role of James in True Blood's seventh and final season. The actor also spent four years on General Hospital as Luke's lovechild, Ethan Lovett.

According to TVLine's inside source on the show, the character of James will be part of a surprising love triangle in Season 7.

MStars reported in December that Grimes, who joined the cast of the show in Season 6 as Jessica's (Deborah Ann Woll) dark and brooding lover, suddenly quit the series.

At that time, TVLine reached out to an HBO spokesperson, who confirmed that Grimes had left the show. "The role of James is being recast due to the creative direction of the character," the spokesperson told TVLine.

The site also contacted Grimes' representative for comment but the rep declined; however, a source close to the actor, who starred on both Brothers & Sisters and Forever (the latter with Deborah Ann Woll), told TVLine that Grimes asked to be released from his contract after he discovered what the producers of the show had planned for James in Season 7.

"He initially joined the show because he wanted to work with [Deborah Ann Woll," the inside source revealed. "But when he started reading the scripts for Season 7, he was disappointed to learn that they were going in a completely different direction with James."

Grimes is not out of work, though, as he recently signed on to play Christian Grey's brother in the Fifty Shades of Grey movie.

True Blood heads into production on Season 7 in January and will debut in June.

What do you think, True Blood fans? Is Parsons the right man for the part? Let us know in the comments below.