It has been announced that Brent Spiner has been cast to appear in the Showtime horror series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.
With only a few notable exceptions, most people who are cast in a Star Trek series end up having to deal with typecasting of one form or another. The cast of the Original Series possibly had it worst of all, with many of them openly saying that finding work one the show was over was next to impossible.
Things have improved somewhat over the years. While typecasting is still an issue for Star Trek actors, the number of places creating original content has skyrocketed thanks to streaming, cable and the internet. The result it that finding work can be a bit easier than it used to be.
The latest Star Trek veteran to land a gig is Brent Spiner, or as we all better know him, Data from Star Trek: the Next Generation. Spiner already had a burgeoning career before Star Trek thanks to a hilariously memorable performance on Night Court back in the 1980s and parlayed that into a few other parts before landing the role of Data.
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Now Deadline is reporting that Spiner has been cast is a recurring role in the new Penny Dreadful series coming to Showtime.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels picks up the story in 1938 Los Angeles and is being written and executive produced by Penny Dreadful creator John Logan. Spiner will be playing Captain Ned Vanderhoff, the precinct captain at the station where the series main character Detective Tiago Vega (played by Daniel Zovatto) works. Deadline describes the character as “a veteran officer under a lot pressure, Vanderhoff struggles to keep a lid on the volatile and changing city.”
The original Penny Dreadful was a huge hit for Showtime and lasted three seasons before coming to an end in June of 2016. A critical hit, the series was nominated and won numerous awards, many for horror and make-up effects.
One can only hope that reception to the second series is as positive as the first. Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is scheduled to arrive sometime late in 2019 or early 2020.