Who is joining Laura Donnelly in HBO series The Nevers?

Laura Donnelly was the first cast in The Nevers. Now the HBO series helmed by Joss Whedon has landed 12 more cast members. Here are the new recruits.

While Outlander fans new that Laura Donnelly joining HBO’s The Nevers likely meant she wouldn’t be back to our series, at least for quite a while, we couldn’t help but be excited and happy for her. Now she’s no alone on Joss Whedon’s upcoming series. The cast has grown by 12 more people.

There are some faces that Sassenachs will certainly know from other similar shows. Fans of Poldark, The White Queen, Once Upon a Time, and Vikings will be happy to hear about the new additions. There are many coming off other STARZ shows, according to the casting list from TVLine.

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We’ll start with Poldark, one of the most highly suggested TV shows for Outlander fans during Droughtlander. Eleanor Tomlinson will be one of the most recognizable faces. She plays Demelza in the series and also played Isabel Neville in The White Queen. She’ll take on the role of Mary Brighton, a “gentle but surprising resilient” character who has a dream of being a stage singer. Her spirit is diminished with a failed career and a broken engagement.

Pip Torrens is another Poldark actor, who will play Lord Massen, the merciless former general and now Peer. He can see the type of havoc the strange people could cause on the status quo and he’s willing to protect it as much as possible.

As for the STARZ Originals, Counterpart and Da Vinci’s Demons are represented with Olivia Williams and Tom Riley. They play siblings, Lavinia and Augustus “Augie” Bidlow. Lavinia is a wealthy spinster who funds the Orphanage, which is where Amalia and others of the “Touched” live. She’s a champion of them, but also old-fashioned and stern.

Meanwhile, Augie is sweet and a nerd. He likes that his sister takes control of the family fortune and is drawn into the Touched, despite being unnerved by them. He tends to scheme with his best friend, Hugo.

Hugo is played by the brilliant James Norton, who is described as a “pansexual posh boy.” He runs a secret club and also trades through blackmail. Highly fascinated by the Touched, he makes sure everyone’s worst impressions of him are completely fulfilled.

If you’re caught up with the most recent season of Vikings to get through Droughtlander, you’ll recognize Ann Skelly. She’ll play Penance Adair in The Nevers, Amalia’s dearest friend. In fact, Penance is one of the first women to join Amalia’s cause, loves her power, and is a genius when it comes to inventions.

And those who watch Once Upon a Time (she played Merida) and The White Princess (another STARZ Original) will recognize Amy Manson. She’ll play Maladie, who has been committed by her husband and is generally unstable thanks to the power that she can’t understand. Of course, while committed, doctors have done everything they can to find the source of her power, going as far as torturing her. She now runs a gang underground and is on a murder spree.

The other five actors joining Laura Donnell in The Nevers are:

• Ben Chaplin from Cinderella, who plays Detective Frank Mundi. He’s deeply moral and trust nobody with a reputation for excessive drinking and sudden violence.
• Zackary Momoh from the upcoming Harriet. He’ll play one of the only successful West Indian doctors in London, Dr. Horatio Cousens. After meeting Amalia, his fortunes take a dark turn and he realizes his own abilities.
• Nick Frost (yes, from Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz) will play The Beggar King, also known as Declan Orrun. He’s charismatic but brutal, running a gang that is involved mostly in low-level criminal activity. He helps Amalia and her cause, but he will also sell them out if it’s to his advantage.
• Rochelle Neil from Episodes will play Annie Carbey, also known as Bonfire. She’s a career criminal and is for hire because she can control fire. She doesn’t mean to be cruel but she will look out for herself and only trusts herself and fire.
• Denis O’Hare from American Horror Story and True Blood will play Dr. Edmund Hague, an American surgeon. He’s not ashamed to use his skills in some of the most brutal and coldest ways.

What are you excited to learn about The Nevers? Does this cast draw your attention to the series? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

The Nevers is currently in pre-production. We’ll bring more updates as we get them.