As the self-proclaimed "World's Biggest Kings Fan" I was both shocked and impressed to hear that ABC had cast Christopher Egan to play the title role in their upcoming pilot Poe.
Egan looks absolutely nothing like the infamously mysterious poet...but perhaps that's what ABC is going for. The show re-imagines Poe as a detective in nineteenth century Boston. Poe was many things -- a writer, a critic, a borderline nutcase -- but he was not a crime fighter. On the surface the casting decision might seem odd, but I'm staying cautiously optimistic. Egan is a fantastic actor as anyone who watched the short lived NBC series Kings should know. He has the raw talent and the versatility to portray a believable Poe. And heck, with the help of a lavish costume and some makeup, maybe he'll look the part too.
The pilot is written by Chris Hollier (Alias) and directed by Alex Graves (Fringe). Hollier will executive produce along with Dan Lin (The Departed) and Brad Kern (Human Target). Given the successful creative team behind the show and this interesting casting decision, color me intrigued.
Great article, I owe something to my friend who recommended.