Two recurring characters have been added to the AMC Preacher pilot. We've got all the casting details here...
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The PreacherTV series pilot on AMC has just added TV vets Jamie Anne Allman and Derek Wilson.
Ms. Allman will play Betsy Schenck, "a meek wife who appears to suffer beatings by the hand of her husband, Donny. When the Preacher checks up on her, though, she tells a different story."
Mr. Wilson is Donny Schenck, "a Civil War re-enactor and abusive thug who gets into altercations with Jesse Custer (the Preacher) but nevertheless shows up to church on Sundays."
Those descriptions come courtesy of Deadline, and they describe these roles as "recurring." That sounds a little suspect to me considering the "road trip" nature of the comics, but we'll find out soon enough.
The Rest of the Cast
Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark in Captain America: The First Avenger and Agent Carter) will play Jesse Custer, the titular preacher of AMC's Preacher TV series. The Wrap now confirmed that the deal was done.
Cooper has done the fast-talking badass routine as Howard Stark in Agent Carter and Captain America: The First Avenger. Now he'll have to do the somewhat more forceful, occasionally tormented thing as Jesse Custer, a small town preacher who suddenly finds himself with the power of the Word of God. In other words, if he tells you to do something, you have no choice but to obey...often literally.
Ruth Negga is Tulip O'Hare, Jesse Custer's girlfriend, who can kick serious ass and who is a menace with a handgun when needed. In fact, what I just wrote clearly doesn't do her justice. This appears to be from the official breakdown, which describes Tulip 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."
Yes, that sounds about right. Comic fans certainly know Ms. Negga from her role on Agents of SHIELD, although Preacher will certainly be less "safe" than that show. It's interesting that they've (at least officially) found Tulip before Jesse Custer, but make no mistake, Tulip is far, far more than just "the hero's girlfriend" in this story.
Jesse Custer's best friend has been cast in the Preacher TV series...but still no sign of Jesse Custer. Joseph Gilgun will play Cassidy, the hard partying vampire who hooks up with Jesse and Tulip on their cross-country odyssey.
Cassidy is described as "the most wild-ass, bestest “bro” you’d ever want to meet. He may be 100 years dead but no one’s more boisterously alive than Proinsias Cassidy. An incorrigible mischief-maker, Cassidy’s up for anything — joyriding, bungee-jumping, bank robbing, peyote dropping. He’s also a relentless conversationalist with opinions on everything from religion to politics to pop culture to theories on why people are better able to tolerate the odor of their own flatulence."
Arseface is going to show up in the first episode of Preacher. He will be played by Ian Colletti.
Who is Arseface? He's a guy who has a face like an arse, of course. But more than that, he's Eugene Root, the troubled son of a dickhead sheriff who botched a suicide attempt with a shotgun leaving him with the aforementioned face like an arse. Here's the official casting breakdown (via Deadline):
"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."
Folks, if you were wondering whether or not the PreacherTV series would be willing to push the envelope the way the comic did, I'd just like to state one more time for the record: Arseface is in the first episode.
Elizabeth Perkins (Weeds) has an interesting role. She'll be playing Vyla Quincannon, "a genteel but formidable businesswoman who owns the local slaughterhouse in Annville. Ambitious, strong-willed and terrifying, Vyla shares a past with Jesse’s father which gives her a singular hold over Jesse."
It's not clear if this is a gender-swapped version of the rather nasty Odin Quincannon character from the comics, or if he'll figure in some other way. Either way, in the comics, we didn't meet the Quincannons until much later in the run, so expect some liberties to be taken with the structure of the story here.
Lucy Griffiths (True Blood) will play a character created for the show. Emily Woodrow is "a no-nonsense single mother of three. Emily's a waitress, the church organist, a bookkeeper and Jesse's loyal right hand. Stoic and strong, wise beyond her years, she can’t help but have a little thing for Preacher Jesse." (via The Hollywood Reporter)
Ummmm...if she's a member of Jesse's parish, that can't be good.
We'll keep updating this as new castmembers are announced!
