Meet the cast of Legion. FX has announced that Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, and Jean Smart have been cast in their Marvel series pilot.
Legion chronicles the schizophrenic son of X-Men‘s Professor Charles Xavier, David Charles Haller (aka Legion).
Dan Stevens, formerly of Downton Abbey, will play Haller alongside Plaza as his best friend, Lenny. Jean Smart will play Melanie, “a nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.” And Rachel Keller will star as the street smart Syd.
The series pilot comes from Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley and X-Men film veterans Bryan Singer and Lauren Shuler Donner.
Read the full announcement below:
Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart Cast In FX Networks’ Pilot “Legion”
Stevens, Plaza and Smart Join Already Announced Rachel Keller in Pilot With Production Set to Begin in March on Co-Production Between Marvel Television and FX Productions
Noah Hawley Wrote the Pilot and Will Serve as an Executive Producer, Along with Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb, Jim Chory and John Cameron
LOS ANGELES, February 4, 2016 – Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and Jean Smart have joined the cast of the FX Networks’ pilot Legion. Stevens (The Guest), Plaza (Parks and Recreation) and Smart (Fargo) join Rachel Keller (Fargo) in a previously announced role in the pilot, which will begin production in March.
· DAVID (Dan Stevens) – Diagnosed as schizophrenic at a young age, David is a haunted man, trying to find his way back to sanity, but he’s getting tired and is about to give up when he meets the girl of his dreams.
· LENNY (Aubrey Plaza) – David’s friend, who despite a life of drugs and alcohol abuse, knows that any day now her life is gonna turn around, which gives Lenny the likeable energy of the impossible optimist despite her rough demeanor.
· MELANIE (Jean Smart) – A nurturing, demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods.
· SYD (Rachel Keller) – Self-sufficient and street smart, Syd uses her sharp and prickly demeanor to protect her soft core, because even though it makes her a sucker and puts her at risk, she still believes in happily ever after.
Noah Hawley (Fargo) wrote the pilot and will serve as an Executive Producer along with Lauren Shuler Donner (X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Wolverine), Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Superman Returns), Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Martian), Jeph Loeb (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones), Jim Chory (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Marvel’s Daredevil, Marvel’s Jessica Jones) and John Cameron (Fargo, The Big Lebowski). Legion is the latest project from Hawley and Cameron, two of the Executive Producers of the Emmy(R) and Golden Globe(R) -winning FX limited series Fargo. The pilot Legion will be produced by FX Productions and Marvel Television, with FXP handling the physical production.
Dan Stevens will next be seen as the “Beast” in the Disney live action Beauty and the Beast opposite Emma Watson, and is currently filming Permission with Rebecca Hall. Previously, Stevens starred in the cult hit The Guest. Stevens is represented by WME, Julian Belfrage Associates and Peikoff/Mahan.
Aubrey Plaza will next be seen in Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates. Her other film credits include the critically acclaimed feature Safety Not Guaranteed, Ned Rifle, The To Do List, A Driftless Area, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, and Funny People, among many others. On television, Plaza starred as “April Ludgate” in the Emmy nominated comedy series Parks and Recreation. Plaza is represented by CAA, MGMT Entertainment and Ira Schreck.
Jean Smart most recently starred as “Floyd Gerhardt” in the second installment of the award-winning and acclaimed FX limited series Fargo, for which she won a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series. She will next star alongside Ben Affleck in director Gavin O’Connor’s The Accountant, which will be released in 2016. She has won three Emmy Awards and received four additional nominations for her work on Harry’s Law, Frasier, The District, 24 and Samantha Who. She has also garnered an Independent Spirit Award nomination for her critically acclaimed performance in the feature film Guinevere, and was nominated for a Tony Award(R) for her starring role on Broadway opposite Nathan Lane in The Man Who Came to Dinner. Smart is represented by WME and Untitled Entertainment.
Rachel Keller just had a breakout role playing “Simone” on Fargo for FX. During her final year at Carnegie Mellon University, Keller starred in the Zachary Quinto produced Hollidaysburg as part of Starz “The Chair” series. She is represented by WME and Suskin Management.”
What do you think? Are you a fan of the Legion comics? Do you think Dan Stevens is good casting? Will you watch the series?
