While we still don’t have a confirmed Jesse Custer to lead AMC’s Preacher, the show has secured another supporting character to back up the troubled man of the cloth. Ian Colletti, who recently took to the small screen in Fox’s drama Rake, has now stepped up to play the unfortunately-named Arseface.
Presumably, Colletti will commit to lengthy stints in the makeup chair to fulfil his duties. As another struggling soul plucked from the pages of Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s comic, Arseface is saddled with the nickname after a botched suicide attempt. The son of Sheriff Hugo Root, he self-administers a shotgun to the face upon hearing of his idol Kurt Cobain’s death. Unfortunately, he fails and is left with a face that resembles what once character refers to as an arse.
In the comics, Arseface (real name Eugene Root) pledges vengeance for his father’s death, after his law enforcin’ pops kills himself following a nasty run-in with Custer and his crew.
Here’s how Deadline describes the poor lad:
Even with his horribly disfigured face and severe speech impediment, Eugene’s still the nicest kid you’ll ever meet and really looks up to Jesse. Stomach-churningly difficult to look at, Eugene’s the town’s reviled Frankenstein’s monster, but that won’t change his earnest, sweet and pure outlook on life. However, he is troubled by something terrible he’s done in the past — something he fears might have turned God himself against him.
The bleakness of the material indicates that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the two folks ushering the adaptation to the small screen, aren’t pulling any punches when it comes to source material loyalty.
Colletti is now the second official cast member after Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Ruth Negga boarded the show yesterday as Custer’s ex-girlfriend Tulip. She forms part of his brigade of god hunters that at some later point Arseface is expected to join.
Stay tuned for more news, as we’ll keep our eye out for any further announcements on Preacher. Who knows, maybe AMC will close out the week by revealing its main man?
Preacher is about Jesse Custer, a conflicted Preacher in a small Texas town who merges with a creature that has escaped from heaven and develops the ability to make anyone do anything he says. Along with his ex-girlfriend, Tulip, and an Irish vampire named Cassidy, the three embark on a journey to literally find God.