Preacher is an American television series based off the comics of the same name from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint. A pilot was ordered by AMC in fall 2013.[3] The series premiered on May 22, 2016.[4] On June 29, 2016, Preacher was renewed for a 13-episode second season by AMC.[5] On October 26, Preacher was renewed for a 13 episode third season.[6] A third season was renewed on October 26, 2017, which premiered on June 24, 2018. The final season of Preacher will air on August 4, 2019.
Dominic Cooper portrays Jesse Custer in the lead role. Sam Catlin oversees the series.[1]
Premise[]
Preacher is a supernatural, twisted and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who is inhabited by a mysterious entity that causes him to develop a highly unusual power. Jesse, his badass ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy come together and when they do, they are thrust into a crazy world populated by a cast of characters from Heaven, Hell and everywhere in between.[7]
Cast[]
- Dominic Cooper as Jesse Custer: A former criminal originating from Texas. After an unfortunate event, Jesse was torn away from Tulip. Leaving behind his life of crime, Jesse followed his father's footsteps in becoming a preacher. After over a year of becoming a preacher, Jesse merged with a mysterious creature known as Genesis, developing the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Dominic Cooper first got his hands on the script at a friends house during pilot season. Cooper had little knowledge of the comics then. After the enthusiasm of the producers believing he was right for the role, Cooper read all the volumes back-to-back.[8]
- Joseph Gilgun as Cassidy: An Irish vampire on the run from Vampire-hunting religious vigilantes. Cassidy found himself in Annville, where he befriended Jesse Custer, a local preacher. Prior to getting the role, Joseph Gilgun had no knowledge of the comics, not being a comic guy. When he began reading the source material, he understood Cassidy more than anything, but still was making sense of the comic.[9]
- Ruth Negga as Tulip O'Hare: The ex-girlfriend of Jesse Custer. When Jesse returned to Annville, Tulip pushed him to have revenge against the man who ruined their relationship. Ruth was familiar with the Garth's comic, but never read them. Once she got her audition material, Ruth Negga made herself familiar with the material, being impressed by Tulip's unapologetic nature.[10] When Negga first read the script, she thought "please let me play this character, cause it's usually the boys who get to do that — people think girls aren't capable of extreme violence,".[11]
- Lucy Griffiths as Emily Woodrow: The church organist for All Saints' Congregational. Lucy looked at the comics to get a feel of the world the comic was set in. When auditioning for the role, Lucy interpreted Sam Catlin's notes and Emily's character description.[12]
- W. Earl Brown as Hugo Root: The sheriff of Annville. W. Earl Brown read the comics three years prior. Brown was drawn to the role of Hugo Root as characters that make him think "I don't know if I can do this" are the roles he wants to play most.[13]
- Derek Wilson as Donnie Schenck: A civil-war re-enactor and Odin's right hand man. The role of Donnie was originally intended to recur for an episode or two. It eventually grew into something more. Derek Wilson felt free not having to refer back to a character from the comic.[14]
- Ian Colletti as Eugene Root/Arseface: The son of Eugene Root with a speech impediment and disfigured face. Colletti's biggest challenges has been to see Arseface as a "larger than life" character and very human and empathetic person, as well as to ground Arseface as someone the audience can relate to. Another challenge Colletti faces is the prosthetic. On average, it takes up to two hours to put on.[15]
- Tom Brooke as Fiore: An angel on an unsanctioned mission to retrieve Genesis. After sending his audition to Sam Catlin, Brooke bought the comics. Brooke found it challenging as he wanted to be part of the project in a major way, but had to wait and see if they were interested in him. Brooke was explained that they were going to do something different from the comics, as Fiore never appeared much in the comics.[16]
- Anatol Yusef as DeBlanc: Fiore's parnter on an unsanctioned mission to retrieve Genesis. Yusef claimed it was "appealing to play these people who were discovering what it means to be human". Yusef never got into the comic, as Rogen and Goldberg made it clear it wasn't. Additionally, Yusef was aware his character isn't hugely featured in the comic.[17]
- Graham McTavish as the Saint of Killers: A former civil war soldier enlisted to kill Jesse Custer. Being a huge fan of the comic, McTavish wanted to be part of the project, even as a background. When McTavish learned there were interest for him playing the particular role, he was naturally intimidated. McTavish stated "It's my Saint of Killers, and certainly other people playing the role might have interpreted it slightly differently.".[18]
- Pip Torrens as Herr Starr: As leader of the Grail, a powerful, super-secret organization, Starr is a gifted mastermind and is always one step ahead of his prey. When he learns of Jesse Custer and his mysterious power, Herr Starr puts his own master plan into action.[19][20]
- Noah Taylor as Adolf Hitler: A former dictator who had been damned to Hell after his actions in WWII. Prior to the second season, there had been plans for Hitler to be down in Hell with Eugene. [21]
- Julie Ann Emery as Lara Featherstone: One of the Grail’s best operatives, Featherstone reports to Herr Starr. She’s smart, calculating and isn’t afraid to use any means, including her sexuality, to complete her assigned mission. Featherstone has committed her life to the Grail and will stop at nothing to protect their objectives.[19][22]
- Malcolm Barrett as F.J. Hoover[23]
- Betty Buckley as Gran'ma[24]
- Colin Cunningham as TC[24]
Development[]
Since 2007, Seth Rogen had unofficial meetings on producing a Preacher adaption.[25] In November 2013, AMC purchased the rights to adapt Garth Ennis' Preacher from DC Comics Vertigo imprint.[26] Over a year later, a pilot for the series was ordered,[27] which began filming in May 2015.[28] In September 2015, AMC ordered nine additional episodes on top of the pilot which began airing on May 22, 2016.[29]
Distribution[]
In Austria, German, Japan, and the U.K., Preacher is available on Amazon Prime.[30]
Awards and nominations[]
Year | Award | Result | Source |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Saturn Awards: Best Fantasy Television Series |
Nominated | [1] |