Sam Merlotte

Sam Merlotte is a fictional character from The Southern Vampire Mysteries book series, written by author Charlaine Harris. He is introduced in the first novel of the series, Dead Until Dark. In True Blood, the HBO television adaptation, Sam is portrayed by actor Sam Trammell.

At the beginning of the series, Sam Merlotte is Sookie Stackhouse's employer and the owner of Merlotte's Bar and Grill in the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sam is a shape shifter and has the ability to physically transform into an animal he has seen at will. When Sam is introduced, the existence of shape shifters is not public knowledge