Tag Archives: TV cast

‘AHS: Freak Show’: Say hello to the freaks (Plus a very special scoop inside!)

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Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages–no, let’s face it, American Horror Story is not for the faint of heart. Here’s your first official look at the ensemble cast of Ryan Murphy’s latest horror story, Freak Show. Watch them come alive in a new one-minute teaser embedded after the break. Look out for Sarah Paulson’s conjoined twins, Angela Bassett’s three-breasted beauty, Michael Chiklis’ strong man, and Kathy Bates is the bearded lady. AHS: Freak Show premieres October 8 on FX. Oh, and that hashtag is German and translates to “We are all freaks.”

In addition to the teaser, jump after the break to learn about a most exciting character addition. I’ll give you a hint: the scoop comes seasoned with a dash of salt and………… Continue reading ‘AHS: Freak Show’: Say hello to the freaks (Plus a very special scoop inside!) →

Gillian Anderson locked in as series regular for ‘Hannibal’ season 3

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Cast additions and statuses typically don’t make waves here at [e-i-a]. But this is one that cannot fly under the radar. Gillian Anderson, who plays Hannibal Lector’s shrink Bedelia du Maurier, has been upgraded from guest star to SERIES REGULAR for the upcoming third season of NBC’s serial killer thriller Hannibal. This is the most delectable kind of news for Fannibals because Anderson brings a remarkable sense of elegance and subtle jest to an already stellar cast led by Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen.

At the very, very end of season 2, a bonus post-credits scene revealed Anderson’s Bedelia flying away with the murderous Dr. Lector. Is she in cahoots with the mad man, or is something even sinister happening here? Whatever the case may be, viewers can rest assured that Hannibal creator Bryan Fuller has free reign to tell her story and explore her intentions at length now that Gillian is properly on board for the season.

It’s been spilled that Hannibal and Bedelia are off to Europe and that the season 3 premiere episode will essentially act like “a pilot for a new series starring Mads Mikkelsen and Gillian Anderson.” Does that amazing, or does that sound amazing.

TVLine broke the news and Fuller shared the following statement: “The cast and crew of Hannibal are positively giddy to be welcoming Gillian to Season 3 as a series regular. A striking presence on stage and screen, she brings wit, grace and intelligence to every role she embodies. Screenwriting is so much easier when you’re inspired by a great actor and Gillian has filled the Hannibal writers room with wonderful inspiration. I can’t wait for audiences to see her make a bigger meal out of the Cannibal than ever before.”

The X-Files actress has been enjoying quite the career resurgence as of late. Disregarding her failed NBC series Crisis, Anderson has been wowing audiences during her guest stint on Hannibal and she also currently stars in the fantastic BBC Two/Netflix crime drama The Fall. If you haven’t had the pleasure of getting sucked into that Irish/British series I highly recommend you watch binge it today.

Hannibal returns in midseason to NBC.

’24: Live Another Day’ to shoot in London, trio of veterans rejoin the cast

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The new season of 24 is being billed as a “thrilling international adventure” as it will take place and shoot on-location in London. Star and executive producer Kiefer Sutherland and EPs Evan Katz and Manny Coto commented on the exciting news and at the same time dropped some intel on the upcoming 12-episode event series.

“24 has always had such a global sensibility,” said Sutherland. “But to be able to tell this intense 24-style story with the beauty of Europe’s history and architecture as the backdrop is going to be fascinating. Hopefully, by the time you’re finished watching an episode, you’ll feel like you’ve been there…on the edge of your seat.”

“We wanted the show’s return to be an event, and part of that was putting Jack in a very different context,” added Katz. “Four years ago, we left Jack a fugitive from justice and we’re going to pick him up four years later in London.”

“Jack is soon back on the run and it takes us into the streets of London and in places that break new ground for the show,” continued Coto. “We’ve shot in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Cape Town — but now we’re in London and Jack’s loose on the streets of Europe, hunted by and hunting bad guys.”

And who will be joining Jack in London when 24 returns next year? Of course Mary Lynn Rajskub will reprise her role as Jack’s CTU confidante Chloe O’Brien and in some surprise casting news Kim Raver and William Devane are also coming back. Raver played Audrey Raines, a former love interest for Jack, and Devane was Audrey’s father and once United States Secretary of Defense. These two were last seen at the end of season six; Raines was in a catatonic state after her captivity with the Chinese and Heller threatens Jack that he cannot see his daughter ever again. Well, things are about to get interesting.

24: Live Another Day premieres in Spring 2014 on FOX. As previously reported, the new season will still take place over a 24-hour period but it will skip hours to make for a shorter but even more exciting ride.

John Noble to join the cast of FOX’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’

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Normally I wouldn’t report on casting updates, but this one’s real special. Actor John Noble, who famously and delicately portrayed the mad scientist licorice lover Walter Bishop for five seasons on Fringe, is boarding the new FOX drama Sleepy Hollow. On Monday the show about Ichabod Crane and the fight against the evil four horsemen of the apocalypse premiered to big ratings; 10.1 million people tuned in making it FOX’s most-watched fall drama debut in seven years. News of Noble entering the mix will surely stir the pot some more and attract more eyeballs.

Here’s what we know. Noble will appear later in the season as Henry Parrish, a kind and reclusive man who possesses supernatural powers that have the potential to help Crane. If there’s anything we know about Noble it’s that he can most certainly play “reclusive” and “kind.”

Noble joins the cast of Sleepy Hollow as a recurring guest-starring role (which will hopefully turn into a series regular part) and this occasion marks a creative reunion–Sleepy Hollow executive producers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Heather Kadin all worked on Fringe as well.

Sleepy Hollow airs Monday nights at 9PM on FOX.

Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe to depart ‘Parks And Rec’ this season

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This is literally the worst news for fans of NBC’s sitcom Parks And Rec: Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe are leaving the series this upcoming season. According to the show’s executive producer Mike Schur, their exit stems from no controversy; this is purely a creative decision to let them go. He released this statement to BuzzFeed explaining the situation head-on:

The news about Rob and Rashida is true — they will be leaving the show after the 13th episode of the upcoming season six. We’ve been working on their storyline (on and off) for four seasons now, and heading into this year, with the two of them contemplating parenthood, it felt like a natural time to move them into the next phase. 

We absolutely love both Rashida and Rob, and will be sad to see them go. Rashida was one of the very first people we knew we wanted in the cast, and as important as Ann is to Leslie (and vice-versa), she’ll certainly never be far from Pawnee. Rob we initially thought we could only have for six or eight episodes, and we couldn’t be happier that he will have stuck around for 75. 

They are wonderful, funny, committed actors, they’ve been a huge part of the Parks and Rec family, and we think we have a great Pawnee send-off in the works for them.

Schur shared additional details with EW: “The decision that they make that will see them transition off the show is made very early, so it’s a long fun kind of celebratory send-off. And it happens in the first episode after the premiere — the seeds start being planted. So it’s going to be a long crescendo and Leslie will go through a series of complicated highs and lows about what’s happening. For obvious reasons, it’s the main arc that plays out in the first half of the year…. They’re moving into a new phase of their lives and they have a lot of things to consider and they’re going to consider them, and then make a decision that leads to their [exit].”

So there you have it. The absolutely positive and lovable Chris Traeger and Leslie’s most ardent supporter and best friend Ann Perkins are departing Pawnee at the half-way point in season 5. The show with one of the greatest ensemble casts will carry on without them, of course, but that doesn’t mean they will be greatly missed. Try to imagine the scene where Leslie has to say goodbye to Ann, a character who’s been with the show since the shaky beginning; a tear-jerker is most definitely in the works.

‘Once Upon A Time’ spinoff set in Wonderland in the works [Update: series get a title & three stars]

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It’s true: a Once Upon A Time spinoff is in the works! Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, creators of the ABC fantasy series based on classic fairy tale characters, are imagining a new realm to explore in a completely new series separate from their current show. They are working closely with Once consulting producer Jane Espenson and writer Zack Estrin (Zero Hour, The River, No Ordinary Family, Prison Break) to make Wonderland the main setting for the spinoff series. The original plan was to make the Mad Hatter (played by Sebastian Stan in Once) the protagonist of the new series. But there’s a reason why the charming actor hasn’t been featured in the current season of Once a whole lot–he’s a very busy actor and for this reason he unfortunately likely won’t be able to headline the proposed spinoff. The latest rumor to come out of the mill says that the Once spinoff in Wonderland will star Alice, a classic fairytale character we still haven’t met in Once just yet. According to Deadline the new series will surround Alice with other new characters including “Amahl, described as exotic, soulful and optimistic; and The Knave, a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker.” The site also reports that the spinoff will take place in a post-curse world but will indeed feature flashbacks so viewers may once again be acquainted with (spoiler alert) the not-so-dearly departed Cora who once ruled Wonderland as the Queen of Hearts.

Interestingly, the Once spinoff set in Wonderland starring Alice is being envisioned as a 13-episode anthology series a la American Horror Story, meaning it will have a solid beginning, middle, and end to simply serve as a bridge between the fall and winter episodes of the main series Once Upon A Time. Most of this is simply speculation at the moment, as we won’t know more until Kitsis, Horowitz and their creative team present their spinoff ideas to ABC later this year after Once wraps its second season. Still, intriguing news for fans of the show!

Update (3/29): In the past week the Once spinoff really started to make some headway. Though shooting is not set to begin until May after the flagship series wraps its second season, a title has been bestowed unto the offshoot and its three main characters have been casted. Aussie actress Sophie Lowe has been cast as the protagonist Alice in Once: Wonderland. Her character is described as one “who has a generous heart but carries the scars of a long hard life.” Surrounding Lowe are British actors Peter Gadiot and Michael Socha who are set to play Cyrus (“Alice’s love interest with a background shrouded in mystery”) and The Knave of Hearts (“a sardonic adventurer, a man of action, a loner and a heart-breaker”). A fourth lead named Amahl (“an exotic, soulful and optimistic character”) has yet to be cast. With a name and a cast forming, Once: Wonderland is slowly but surely spinning into reality.

[Via Deadline 1, 2, 3]

‘Bates Motel’ finds its Norman Bates

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A&E’s upcoming Psycho prequel series from Carlton Cuse (Lost) and Kerry Ehrin (Friday Night Lights) has just found its Norman Bates. Twenty-year-old Englishman Freddy Highmore, who you should remember from films such as Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, August Rush, and The Spiderwick Chronicles, has been cast as the famous series killer invented by Alfred Hitchcock. Cuse celebrated the news in a tweet: “I am so delighted that Freddie Highmore will play our young Norman Bates. He is a wonderfully gifted actor and a great guy.”

In other casting news, actor Max Thieriot (Jumper) has landed the role of Norman’s brother Dylan. In another tweet Cuse shared, “Max Thieriot joins BATES MOTEL playing Norma’s OTHER son, Dylan. Max is a phenomenal, smart & magnetic actor. An amazing casting day.”

Bates Motel is described as “a contemporary exploration of the formative years of Norman Bates’ relationship with his mother, Norma [played by Vera Farmiga], and the world they inhabit. Viewers will have access to the dark, twisted backstory and learn firsthand how Norma helped forge the most famous serial killer of them all.”

It’s expected to premiere on A&E in October 2013.

[Via TV Guide; Twitter]

New featured player Kate McKinnon joins ‘SNL’ next week

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Well that was fast. In under two months Saturday Night Live honcho Lorne Michaels has found a replacement feature player for NBC’s late night sketch comedy show. One Kate McKinnon will be filling the void that Paul Britten left vacant when he rather abruptly left the show in early February. An active member at New York City’s Upright Citizens Brigade theatre since 2008, McKinnon for her time spent playing Fitzwilliam, a young British boy who wishes to be a girl on the LOGO program The Big Gay Sketch Show. She also has experience voicing animated characters on shows like Venture Brothers and Robotomy on Cartoon Network and Ugly Americans on Comedy Central. Interestingly, McKinnon will become SNL‘s first openly gay cast member since Terry Sweeney in 1985. The plan is for McKinnon to make her debut next weekend when Modern Family‘s Sofia Vergara has hosting duties on April 7.

[Via Deadline; UCB]

Megan Mullally joins ‘Breaking In’ as the FOX series undergoes creative changes

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The show that won’t die just cast a big-name star. Megan Mullally (Will & Grace) is joining the FOX comedy Breaking In as a series regular. She will play the new boss at Contra Security, overseeing the missions played out by the ragtag team of break-in experts Cam, Cash, Josh, and Melanie. Where does season 1 Contra boss Oz (Christian Slater) factor into the shakeup at the top? That plot detail is still under wraps. The addition of Mullally is part of “significant creative changes” for the show heading into season 2, according to Deadline. The source reports that “the “mission of the week” concept where members of the Contra team go out of the office on a different assignment in every episode will be scaled back as Breaking In will segue into a more office-based comedy.” The show came so close to death (twice!), so a change in the way things will play out is expected. Creators Adam F. Goldnberg and Seth Gordon did a fine job introducing the characters during the series’ seven episode debut season; let’s hope the dynamic between all of them doesn’t change too much in round two. The entire cast is expected to return when Breaking In comes back to FOX this spring, even Odette Annable who is now a series regular over at the FOX medical drama House.

[Via Deadline]

Chord Overstreet set to return to ‘Glee’ in December

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The Chord Overstreet saga just won’t die. To make a short story even shorter… Back in July it was reported that Glee stars Darren Criss and Harry Shum Jr. were going to be upgraded from guest stars to series regulars at the start of season 3. The show, however, did not pick up the New Directions member known as Trouty Mouth as a series regular and he was left with the decision to come back as a guest star or leave the show entirely. Later that same month when it was reported that Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, and Cory Monteith would not be leaving the show at the end of season 3, co-creator Brad Falchuck revealed that Overstreet was offered a deal to return for ten episodes with the possibility of becoming a series regular sometime in the future (likely by the start of season 4). Overstreet declined the offer stating that he wanted to focus on his own music career.

Since his departure from Glee, Overstreet went on to guest star in an episode of ABC’s sitcom The Middle. And now, just three episodes into the new season, Trouty Mouth is ready for a comeback. “I had the best time on Glee and couldn’t be more excited to be returning,” says Overstreet, pretty much nullifying everything that went down since the summer. Co-creator Ryan Murphy is excited about Sam’s return: “We love Chord and have always said that we wanted him back. So here’s an early Christmas present for all the Gleeks — Sam is coming back to McKinley, and just in time for sectionals!” Now that Mercedes has a boyfriend, one can only imagine how Murphy and Falchuck will work Sam back into the story naturally. Though the exact episode in which Sam returns is being kept under wraps for now, you can expect to see him return to the show in December.

Glee returns with all-new episodes November 1.

[Via EW]

Lost’s Tania Raymonde & Freddy Kruger to guest star on ‘Hawaii Five-0’

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Can you believe it? Another Lost actor is returning to the Island! According to EW, Tania Raymonde (aka Alex Rousseau) will guest star in an upcoming season 2 episode of Hawaii Five-0. She will play “Trisha, a married woman caught up in a love triangle between her husband and the volleyball coach she’s sleeping with.” Raymonde joins Five-0 regular Daniel Dae Kim and new recurring guest star Terry O’Quinn in the greatest attempt to reunite the case of Lost. Glad this natural beauty is finding work post-Lost; she’s currently starring in the new MTV series Death Valley.

In related casting news, Robert Englund–the man best known for portraying Freddy Kruger in the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise–will also guest star in a Five-0 episode. And can you guess which one? That’s right–the Halloween-themed one. EW got this scoop too and they say he will play “a homeless desert storm veteran who hangs around an ancient burial site and becomes a suspect in a murder investigation.”

Hawaii Five-0 returns this Monday, September 19 at 10PM on CBS.

[Via EW 1, 2]

FX ready to tell ‘American Horror Story’ (poster & teaser inside)

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Earlier this summer FX picked up a 13-episode order for its next original drama series. American Horror Story comes from Nip/Tuck creator Ryan Murphy and his Nip/Tuck and Glee collaborator Brad Falchuk. Deadline reports: “Described as a psychosexual thriller, [the show] centers on a therapist and his wife who, dealing with the aftermath of the husband’s adultery, move along with their kids into a new house that seems to know all about their fears and plays on them.” Now check out this all star cast extracted from a press release:

American Horror Story revolves around The Harmons, a family of three who move from Boston to Los Angeles as a means to reconcile past anguish. The All Star cast features Dylan McDermott (The Practice) as “Ben Harmon,” a psychiatrist; Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights) as “Vivien Harmon,” Ben’s wife; Taissa Farmiga as “Violet,” the Harmon’s teenage daughter; Jessica Lange (Tootsie, Blue Sky, Grey Gardens) in her first-ever regular series TV role as “Constance,” the Harmon’s neighbor; Evan Peters (One Tree Hill) as “Tate Langdon,” one of Ben’s patients; and Denis O’Hare (The Good Wife) as “Larry Harvey.” Guest stars for the series include Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) and Alexandra Breckenridge (Dirt) as the Harmon’s housekeepers; and Jamie Brewer as Constance’s daughter.

AHS promises to be an extremely chilling TV series with intention to genuinely frighten audiences. Murphy describes it as a “feel-bad” show, as opposed to his “feel-good” show Glee. He and Falchuk were inspired by classic horror films Rosemary’s Baby and Don’t Look Now. Industry members who have seen the pilot were spooked and amazed by its originality.

Says FX president John Landgraf: “We’re thrilled to welcome Ryan and Brad back to their original home. They have shown an uncanny ability to bring original series to the air unlike any that have come before, and to reconcile ’wildly entertaining’ with the ’creatively ambitious.’ Once again, American Horror Story is a wholly unique and original take on its genre with richly drawn characters. The ability to put together a cast of stars such as Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton, Denis O’Hare, Frances Conroy and Oscar-winner Jessica Lange speaks to the quality of the writing and storytelling. This series is going to blow audiences back in their seats, and we can’t wait to have it on our air.”

Others who have seen the pilot say that it’s filled to the brim with character and plot development. One critic says, “The first episode has more stuff crammed into it than some shows have in their first season.” This may not be such a great thing because viewers typically don’t like to get suffocated by too much in the very beginning. At the TCAs, Murphy admitted that pilot “has like eight cliffhangers” but he went on to reassure potential viewers that he has “an obligation to the audience in the next two [episodes] to explain a lot of those things that are set up.”

Over the summer FX has been running a super creepy yet intriguing marketing campaign to amp anticipation for the series. Short commercials featuring AHS “clues” can be screened at this YouTube channel. This week the cable network finally released a standard teaser clip featuring the main cast in the haunted (?) mansion. What’s up with Denis O’Hare vanishing up in flames and who’s that stalker-ish man (?) in the black latex suit grabbing at Connie Britton? This same question can be asked about the bizarre poster pasted above. The teaser video is after the break.

I will certainly give this show a try, and I think you should too. I trust Murphy and Falchuk’s creative vision and so I expect AHS will find its groove at some point during its first season run. The cast is stacked and the intrigue is there. Tune in to see what American Horror Story is all about when it premieres October 5 at 10PM on FX.

[Via FX; Deadline 1, 2] Continue reading FX ready to tell ‘American Horror Story’ (poster & teaser inside) →