J.K. Simmons Boards ‘Veronica Mars’ Miniseries
Hulu’s upcoming Veronica Mars revival just got a lot more buzz-worthy! TVLine has confirmed that Academy Award winner and Counterpart star J.K. Simmons will be stepping on board, joining an impressive roster of both returning and new cast members.
Simmons will be playing Clyde Prickett, “an ex-con who served 10 years for racketeering, and was smart enough to be the first guy in Chino to offer protection to Neptune’s richest real estate developer, Big Dick Casablancas (David Starzyk), on Big Dick’s first day in prison. Now a free man, Clyde works as Big Dick’s fixer. He’s the smarter and more dangerous of the pair, and he has a network of fellow ex-cons he can count on to keep his own hands clean.”
Yesterday, series creator Rob Thomas shared a photo of the series’ first table read, which featured Kristen Bell, who is reprising her role as the titular PI, Jason Dohring (Logan Echolls), Percy Daggs III (Wallace Fennel), Daran Norris (Cliff McCormack), Enrico Colantoni (Keith Mars), and David Starzyk (Richard Casablancas). Newcomers Dawnn Lewis and Patton Oswald are also featured in addition to Kirby Howell-Baptiste who will be playing a Neptune nightclub owner, Clifton Collins Jr. who will be a mid-level cartel hitman, and Izabela Vidovic who is playing a young girl suffering a tragic loss.
From the #VeronicaMars table read. This is some indication of who is in episode 1. It doesn’t mean your fave doesn’t come in later. @IMKristenBell @PD3Official @golfstoomuch @jason_dohring @dawnn_lewis @pattonoswalt @ricocolantoni @IzabelaVidovic @ccollinsjr @dstarzyk pic.twitter.com/3dlrVlykqK
— Rob Thomas (@RobThomas) November 14, 2018
Previously announced actors returning to the series who were not featured in the photo include Ryan Hansen(Dick Casablancas), Francis Capra (Weevil), and Max Greenfield (Leo D’Amato). The eight-episode series will pick up five years after the 2014 film and follows Veronica as she attempts to solve the serial murders of spring breakers in Neptune.
Simmons won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2015 for his turn in Whiplash. Since his win, he has appeared in films such as Patriots Day, Justice League, Father Figures, The Snowman, and Hugh Jackman’s upcoming film The Front Runner. He also appears in Starz’s original series Counterpart. He is set to star alongside Black Panther’s Chadwich Boseman in 17 Bridges as well.
Production for Veronica Mars is currently underway in Los Angeles with the series set to debut on Hulu sometime in 2019.
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.