Character bios for Eva Green, Josh Hartnett and more from Penny Dreadful

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Showtime's new series that brings together some of literature's most frightening and iconic characters comes to life on Sunday, May 11th, and we've got just the thing to get you acquainted with the show's key players. Below you'll find character bios for Eva Green's Vanessa Ives, Josh Hartnett's Ethan Chandler and many more!

Next week the show's website, Penny-Dreadful.com, will be switching over to an all-new immersive and interactive experience that will take fans deeper into the world of "Penny Dreadful", giving them an idea of what the show has to offer. Sounds like it's going to be pretty cool!

The series draws from famous works of literature, posing that some of the most terrifying protagonists — Dr. Frankenstein and his creature, Dorian Gray, Dracula’s Van Helsing and more — come together in Victorian London.

Vanessa Ives (Eva Green)

Poised, mysterious and utterly composed, Vanessa is a seductive and formidable beauty full of secrets and danger. She is keenly observant — clairvoyant even — as well as an expert medium. Her supernatural gifts are powerful and useful to those around her, particularly Sir Malcolm, but they are also a heavy burden. Her inner demons are very real to her and everyone around her, and they threaten to destroy her relationships, her sanity, and her very life.

Sir Malcolm Murray (Timothy Dalton)

A hardened African explorer on a deeply personal quest, Sir Malcolm has nonetheless paid a heavy price for his exciting career. Although his stately home is filled with marvelous souvenirs of his travels, it is devoid of family and loved ones. With Vanessa's help, he is determined to right the wrongs of his past, but his toughest journey lies ahead.

Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett)

A charming American who finds himself trapped in the darkest corners of Victorian London, Ethan's charm and brash ways are catnip to the ladies. When Sir Malcolm enlists him to help in a personal quest, Ethan meets Brona Croft, a beautiful local with a mysterious past. But behind Ethan's bright eyes lurk dark secrets. He is running from something, and his troubling past threatens to overtake him at every turn.

Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney)

Dorian Gray is a fabulously wealthy young gentleman who is almost unnerving in his beauty. His skin seems to radiate a golden glow of intoxicating youth and promise. A recklessly abandoned aesthete, he has a devil-may-care attitude that borders on dangerous. Nothing seems to faze him, nor are any risks too great. In fact, he is unnaturally drawn to them.

Brona Croft (Billie Piper)

Brona is a poor Irish immigrant to Victorian London trying to escape a dark and sordid past. The Gaelic meaning of her name is "sadness," yet she remains lovely, spirited, and erotically alive. She forms a bond with Ethan Chandler, who will do anything for her.

Sembene (Danny Sapani)

Sembene is an African man with ritual face scarring who serves as Sir Malcolm's sentry and confidant. He has an air of mystery about him and his heroic efforts will prove invaluable to Sir Malcolm in his personal quest.

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway)

More Romantic poet than surgeon, Dr. Frankenstein is a tender, gentle soul who is fascinated by the mysteries of life and death. He has dedicated himself to researching what makes something live, and has sacrificed everything for his scientific pursuit. But he is playing with fire, and his research pays off in shocking ways with devastating consequences.