CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Sam Trammell had a word of advice for aspiring actors Friday night: Act.

Appearing at an "Inside the Main Street Studio" gathering at the Kanawha Players Theater, Trammell said little successes, regardless of the role, are the most important for an actor's career development, and also are the most exciting.

Trammell, who stars in HBO's hit series "True Blood," is a George Washington High School grad who had little interest in acting until his senior year at Brown University. While attending GW, his creative interest was music.

Once the acting bug bit, though, Trammell turned his back on graduate school, packed his bags and headed to New York City, where he spent time doing menial jobs while doggedly seeking work to satisfy his newfound passion.

The Tony-nominated actor landed a variety of roles, but is now best known as Sam Merlotte, a "shapeshifter" - changing from animal to man and back again - in the supernatural drama series that has pulled in ratings second only to "The Sopranos" on HBO.

Trammell was in town as the honored guest of the East End Main Street "HallowEast" celebration. Patterned after the popular Bravo show "Inside the Actors Studio," Trammell's appearance Friday featured an interview by David Wohl, dean of arts and humanities at West Virginia State University.

Wohl probed Trammell's thoughts on the actor's craft, methods and

techniques. Trammell said the voice and movement classes he took were essential to his development. "You simply can't do theater without them," he said.

Audience members, some of whom came from out-of-state after learning of Trammell's appearance from the "True Blood" Web site, questioned him about his experiences on Broadway and sought to gain insight about what to expect in the coming season. The actor was predictably discreet.

At an earlier "meet and greet" at the Culture Center, where fans paid $100 a ticket to rub elbows with the man who is sometimes a dog on TV, Trammell circulated through the crowd, posing for pictures and signing autographs.

Gina Grigoraci, who graduated with him in 1990, brought her yearbook to share with him. "He remembered me when I showed him my high school picture," she said. "He was always the cool guy in high school that girls had a crush on."

Grigoraci recalls seeing him at the South Hills swimming pool during the summer. She started watching "True Blood" because she'd heard her classmate was starring in it.

Making her second visit to West Virginia, but first to Charleston, Laura Lincks of New York City said Trammell brought her here. "He's my favorite actor on the show," Lincks said, noting that Trammell was a genuinely nice guy in person.

Trammell's parents and a number of his boyhood friends also attended. Former West Virginia Supreme Court Justice John McCuskey said he dined with Trammell at the Bluegrass Kitchen, where the actor accommodated autograph seekers and photo hounds with aplomb.

Trammell said he still recalls every detail when he was told he'd landed the "True Blood" role. "I remember exactly where I was, the weather, the gift I bought myself and, literally, screaming," when he heard the news, he said. "This was the pilot everybody wanted to get."

The actor said he knew director Alan Ball from his days in New York theater. "Alan hires good actors and doesn't worry about their star status," Trammell said. He added that Ball's approach helps the show maintain its realistic quality.

Trammell drew on his own experiences to give advice to aspiring actors Friday night.

"Start acting, no matter where you are. Just do it and don't stop," he advised. "It was a long road for me. The business tries to break you down."