Source: ET Online
Date: October 2, 2009

Alex O’Loughlin segues from CBS’ short-lived “Moonlight,” on which his vampire character drank blood, to playing an organ-transplant surgeon on “Three Rivers,” where he is up to his elbows in blood.

O’Loughlin’s role as the vampire Mick St. John made him a heartthrob and earned him a large fan base. The Aussie hottie is hoping that his fans follow him to “Three Rivers.”

“It is telling an important story,” says O’Loughlin, who tells ET’s Kevin Frazier that he is a real-life organ donor. “I absolutely am. As an organ donor, I can save up to eight people’s lives if I pass away — and change up to 50 people’s lives with tissue donations.”

“Three Rivers” is a medical drama that goes inside the emotionally complex lives of organ donors, recipients and the surgeons at the preeminent transplant hospital in the country.

Before taking on the role of Dr. Andy Yablonski, O’Loughlin shadowed real-life transplant surgeon Dr. Gonzalo “Gonzo” Gonzalez-Stawinski at his hospital in Pittsburgh.

“I have seen about nine procedures now,” says O’Loughlin, who admits to not being bothered by the sight of blood. “You are there, scrubbed in, watching him do his thing. They are in surgery 12 hours sometimes. You get in touch with all sorts of things. You see how resilient we are and it raises questions of faith and God, and all sorts of philosophies flash through your mind.”

Since donning scrubs to play the TV doc, O’Loughlin has become a trained Donate Life America ambassador, and is featured in a public service announcement in which he reveals that he is an organ, eye and tissue donor.

“That is at least as important to me as the success of the show,” he tells Kevin.

“Three Rivers” premieres Sunday, Oct. 4 at 9 p.m. on CBS.