Starz’s American Gods Casts the Magnificent Ian McShane
The 100’s Ricky Whittle gets his first co-star for the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and it’s a great one. None other than Deadwood’s Ian McShane.
It was just earlier this year we found out Whittle had landed the coveted role and fans have been waiting to see who would be joining him. The Hollyood Reporter says McShane will play Mr. Wednesday:
The drama centers on a war brewing between old and new gods: the traditional gods of biblical and mythological roots from around the world steadily losing believers to an upstart pantheon of gods reflecting society’s modern love of money, technology, media, celebrity and drugs. Its protagonist, Shadow Moon (The 100’s Ricky Whittle), is an ex-con who becomes bodyguard and traveling partner to Mr. Wednesday, a con man but in reality one of the older gods, on a cross-country mission to gather his forces in preparation for a battle with the new deities.
McShane’s Mr. Wednesday is described as powerful and charismatic — a Casanova of sorts — who is a con man and an incarnation of All-Father Odin, who’s traveling America recruiting his fellow forgotten deities to wage an epic battle against the new American gods.
I recently watched HBO’s Deadwood for the first time and was blown away McShane’s his work. I was bummed when I’d heard he’d been cast in Game of Thrones Season 6 since I am no longer watching that show so I’m excited to see him taking a major role in another TV series. Here’s what Gaiman had to say of the casting yesterday, which was a Wednesday:
When you write a beloved character (beloved with, or despite, or because of all his faults) like Mr. Wednesday, you get to watch the Internet trying to cast the role. I’ve seen a hundred names suggested, but few make me grin like Ian McShane does. I’ve already been lucky enough to have him in one film (he was bright blue in it, animated, and probably Polish). Now I count myself even luckier: he’s made the journey from Lovejoy to American Gods. Yesterday was Super Tuesday. Today is Wonderful Wednesday.
McShane will also soon be reprising his role as Winston in John Wick: Chapter Two along with Keanu Reeves. The busy Bryan Fuller is showrunning American Gods (and wrote the script for the pilot) along with Michael Green. 30 Days of Night’s David Slade is set to direct the pilot. Fuller had this to say of the casting:
GODDAMN, WE GOT McSHANE! #WonderfulWednesday @AmericanGodsSTZ @andmichaelgreen @DAVID_A_SLADE @neilhimself pic.twitter.com/dY4Q43s88a
— Bryan Fuller (@BryanFuller) March 2, 2016