Deadline is reporting that actor and rock musician Marilyn Manson, aka Brian Warner, has joined the third season of Starz’s American Gods small-screen adaptation.
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Manson, who will also be appearing in CBS All Access’ The Stand limited series, will fittingly play Johan Wengren, the lead singer of the Viking death metal band Blood Death. Wengren and Blood Death will serve as a source of power for Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane) in his war with the new Gods.
“As a long-time admirer of his estimable talent as an author, artist, musician and actor, it is dope indeed to be working with Mr. Manson in Season 3 of American Gods,” showrunner Chic Eglee said, adding: “Bringing his specific energy, wit and boundless enthusiasm for all-things-Neil Gaiman to the role of Johan, a Norse ‘berserker’ in service to Odin, his performance promises to be disturbing, original and uniquely entertaining.”
American Gods stars Ricky Whittle (The 100, Austenland) as Shadow Moon, Ian McShane (Deadwood, Ray Donovan) as Mr. Wednesday, Emily Browning (Sucker Punch, Legend) as Laura Moon, and Pablo Schreiber (Orange is the New Black) as Mad Sweeney. Other cast members include Yetide Badaki (Aquarius, Masters of Sex) as Bilquis, Bruce Langley (Deadly Waters) as Technical Boy, Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) as Mr. World, and Orlando Jones (Madiba, Sleepy Hollow) as Mr. Nancy.
Season 2 of the Starz drama follows the battle moving inexorably towards a crisis point as the destinies of gods and men collide. While Mr. World plots revenge for the attack against him in Season 1, Shadow throws in his lot with Wednesday’s attempt to convince the Old Gods of the case for full-out war, with Laura and Mad Sweeney in tow. A council at the House on the Rock explodes into chaos, sending deities both Old and New on quests across America that will converge on Cairo, Illinois forcing Shadow to carve out a place as a believer in this strange new world of living gods — a dark world where change demands commitment and faith requires terrible sacrifice.
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American Gods is adapted from Neil Gaiman’s award-winning novel. Gaiman serves as an executive producer on the series, which is produced by FremantleMedia. The Walking Dead alum Chic Eglee was brought on board as showrunner for the third season.
(Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty Images)
