AMC’s ‘Preacher’ Casts ‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Actress Ruth Negga [Updated]
AMC’sPreacherhas picked up its first cast member, and it’s someone with comic book experience.Ruth Negga, most recently seen in ABC’sAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D., has joined the pilot fromSeth RogenandEvan Goldberg. More on the newPreachercasting, including character details, after the jump.
Update:Preacherhas also just castIan Collettias an important and unforgettable supporting character.Deadlinereported the news.Preacheris based on the 1990s comic byGarth EnnisandSteve Dillon. Rogen and Goldberg developed the project and will direct the pilot, whileSam Catlinwrote the script and will serve as showrunner. All three will executive producer. Here’s the basic plot:
Negga will play Jesse’s ex Tulip, who joins him on his quest. She’s described as “a volatile, action-packed, sexified force of nature, a capable, unrepentant criminal with a love of fashion and ability to construct helicopter-downing bazookas out of coffee cans and corn shine who’s not afraid to steal, kill or corn cob-stab her way out of a bad situation.” In other words, she’s a total badass.
Interestingly, Tulip is portrayed as Caucasian in the books, while Negga is black. (Specifically, she’s Ethiopian and Irish.) Even more interestingly, it’s the same time Sony has switched up races in a comic book adaptation. They also cast Susan Heyward as Deena Pilgrim in PlayStation’sPowers. Hmm, maybe those rumors of a non-white Spidey aren’t so far-fetched after all.
While Negga is the first actor to join, others shouldn’t be too far behind. Shooting is expected to get underway this summer, suggesting the pilot will air in 2016 or so. Not long agoDominic Cooper– another Marvel Cinematic Universe vet – was rumored to be a top choice for Jesse, but nothing’s come of those stories yet.
BesidesAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Negga has also appeared inWorld War Z,Jimi: All Is By My Side,Breakfast on Pluto, and the U.K. sci-fi seriesMisfits. She’ll next be seen in Warcraft, Duncan Jones’s adaptation of the popular video game.
Update:Deadlinereports that Ian Colletti ofRakehas been cast as Arseface, an abused young man who (swipe over to read what may be a pilot spoiler for those unfamiliar with the comics)is so enamored with Kurt Cobain that he seeks to emulate his suicide. But this kid doesn’t succeed in his own suicide attempt; instead, he survives with a severely disfigured face and a newly sunny outlook on life.(End possible spoiler.)
The character has a pretty important role early in the longPreacherstory cycle, and ends up being a consistent player in the long term, too.
Deadline has this description of the character, which reads like it came straight from the casting office. It suggests that we’ll see Arseface show up already disfigured, and that the reason for his disfigurement will be concealed for a while.
Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene’s still the nicest kid you’ll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene’s the town’s reviled Frankenstein’s monster, but that won’t change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he’s done in the past — something he fears might have turned God himself against him.
