The ‘True Blood’ veteran and ‘Sexy Beast’ actor jests about embracing “the pickleball cult” and shares how engaging in multiple daily matches amid the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike “was actually kind of holding me together.”

Stephen Moyer holds a fervent love for pickleball. The 54-year-old British actor humorously dismisses his pickleball enthusiasm, calling it “stupid” and admitting to being part of the ‘dink’ cult. “Yes, I am part of the ‘dink’ cult. I can’t believe it got me,” he says with a laugh. 

Stephen Moyer, currently featured in the Paramount+ series ‘Sexy Beast,’ a prequel to the 2001 gangster film, shares that pickleball played a crucial role in navigating the recent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes.

“It was actually kind of holding me together,” confesses the former ‘True Blood’ star, residing in the U.S. with his co-star-turned-wife Anna Paquin and their 12-year-old twins.

Detailing his routine during the strikes, Stephen Moyer shares, “I’d take the kids to school, play pickleball, engage in strike picketing, return for more pickleball, and finally, school pick-up. It was like school, pickle, strike, pickle, school.”

Even the shift from summer sun to wintry weather doesn’t deter Stephen Moyer from playing pickleball. “The other day, clearing snow off our courts, it was 34 degrees, the wind blowing the ball everywhere. But we still played.”

Stephen Moyer, who not only stars but directs two episodes of ‘Sexy Beast,’ where he portrays East London gangster Teddy Bass, traces his affection for pickleball back to his youth playing ping pong in Essex, just outside of London.

“I grew up playing table tennis, and there is very little I find as satisfying as competitive table tennis, the back and forth of it all—backhand, forehand. I love it.”

Addressing tennis enthusiasts and pickleball skeptics, Stephen Moyer suggests they may not have given pickleball a fair chance. With a playful jest, he adds, “Or, of course, those that live next to a court.”