Rupert Friend Cast in CBS All Access Series Strange Angel
Carissa Pavlica
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There is good news afoot for the fanatical fans of Rupert Friend.
He's coming back to the small screen in what sounds like an incredibly interesting role.
CBS All Access announced today that the Emmy Award nominee Friend has joined the cast of its upcoming original drama series, Strange Angel.
Friend will play Ernest Donovan, the enigmatic neighbor of Jack Parsons (portrayed by Jack Reynor) who becomes the young scientist’s tour guide into the illicit underbelly of 1930s Los Angeles.
A lost soul and drifter, Donovan pulls Parsons out of his humdrum existence and into a strange new religion that encourages its followers to pursue their deepest and darkest desires as a means of bending the world to their will.
Earlier this month, it was announced that Jack Reynor will star in the series as Jack Parsons, a brilliant and ambitious blue-collar worker of 1930s Los Angeles who started as a janitor at a chemical factory but had fantastical dreams that led him to birth the unknown discipline of American rocketry.
Along the way, he fell into a mysterious world that included sex magick rituals at night, and he became a disciple of occultist Aleister Crowley.
Parsons used Crowley’s teachings of self-actualization to support his unimaginable and unprecedented endeavor to the stars.
Friend is best known for his role as Peter Quinn on Showtime’s Homeland for five seasons, a role for which he received an Emmy nomination.
When his character was first maimed and then killed off of the series, fans went wild. This news will be most welcome.
Strange Angel, a drama series created by Mark Heymanand based on George Pendle’s book of the same name, explores the dramatic intersection between genius and madness, science and science fiction, and is inspired by the real-life story of Jack Parsons.
Strange Angle will be produced by CBS Television Studios in association with Scott Free Productions.
Mark Heyman, David DiGilio, Ridley Scott and David W. Zucker will serve as executive producers; Clayton Krueger will be co-executive producer, and David Lowery will direct and executive produce.
CBS All Access’ growing slate of original series currently includes its first comedy series, No Activity, streaming now; The Good Fight, returning with season two on Sunday, March 4; and Star Trek: Discovery, with new episodes of season one streaming Sundays after 8:30 PM, ET.
CBS All Access’ original series library will continue to expand with the previously announced $1, The Twilight Zone, Tell Me a Story and additional programming to be announced.
Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.