Eight years after playing a role in Kevin Smith's tale of religion-gone-wrong RED STATE, Kerry Bishé has joined the cast of the upcoming Showtime series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels to play another character who'll be mixing religion into a horror story.
Bishé's Penny Dreadful: City of Angels character is Sister Molly, "a charismatic radio evangelist. A beautiful singer and gifted orator, Molly captivates her many faithful followers even as she grapples with the complex demands of her life."
A "spiritual descendant" of the original Showtime series Penny Dreadful, which was set in Victorian era London, City of Angels is set in
1938 Los Angeles, a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega is embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city's first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Before long, Tiago and his family are grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels explores an exciting mix of the supernatural and the combustible reality of the period, creating new occult myths and moral dilemmas within a genuine historical backdrop. This chapter is a bold new vision that will employ all new characters and storylines.
Bishé's co-stars will include Daniel Zovatto as Detective Tiago Vega; Johnathan Nieves as Tiago's volatile younger brother Mateo; Jessica Garza as their sister Josefina, who "plays the part of the quiet and overlooked younger sister but possesses a powerful spirit waiting to be unleashed"; Adriana Barraza as Maria Vega, the powerful matriarch of the Vega family who will go to any lengths to protect her children from the supernatural forces invading their lives; Nathan Lane as veteran LAPD officer Lewis Michener; Rory Kinnear as German pediatrician Dr. Peter Craft; and Natalie Dormer as the demon Magda, "who can take the appearance of anyone she chooses and manifests in a number of guises throughout the story. Charismatic, clever and chameleonic, Magda is a dangerous enemy and an invaluable ally."
Since working on RED STATE, Bishé has also been in ARGO, RUPTURE, Narcos, and Halt and Catch Fire (pictured above), among other projects. Of those I've only seen ARGO, but I liked her performance in RED STATE a lot, so I look forward to seeing her on this new Penny Dreadful show.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels is being executive produced by Penny Dreadful creator John Logan, Michael Aguilar, Sam Mendes, and Pippa Harris. James Bagley is co-executive producer. The show is being produced by Logan's Desert Wolf Productions.
Filming is set to begin later this year, with Paco Cabezas directing multiple episodes.