Natalie Dormer will play Magda, a character Showtime describes as “a supernatural demon who can take the appearance of anyone she chooses and manifests in a number of guises throughout the story. Charismatic, clever and chameleonic, Magda is a dangerous enemy and an invaluable ally.” While Dormer has been featured on numerous high-profile platforms, she’s probably best known for her role as Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones, also as Cressida from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts I & II, and as Anne Boleyn on The Tudors. She recently starred on Amazon’s television series remake, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and appeared opposite Mel Gibson and Sean Penn in the historical dictionary drama, The Professor and the Madman.
Jessica Garza will play Josefina, described as “the youngest of the Vega family [of protagonist Tiago Vega, played by Daniel Zovatto]. She plays the part of the quiet and overlooked younger sister but possesses a powerful spirit waiting to be unleashed.” Garza, and up-and-comer, was recently seen fielding TV runs on USA Network’s The Purge and History’s Six. She’s also banked appearances on shows such as A.P. Bio, Modern Family, Sweet/Vicious and NCIS.
Johnathan Nieves will play Mateo Vega, described as “Tiago’s volatile younger brother. Though essentially goodhearted, he lacks the clear strength and ambition of Tiago and is vulnerable to both his own capricious emotions and influences around him.” The CV of Nieves, a newcomer, only consists of a handful of TV appearances on shows such as New Amsterdam, Better Call Saul, Shameless and Chicago Fire, with a lone film credit in 2017’s Neighborhood Food Drive.
Daniel Zovatto is set as the star of Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, as first reported by Deadline. His character, Tiago Vega, will be treated as the male protagonist of the series, despite its ensemble status. As the Los Angeles Police Department’s first Mexican-American detective, Tiago’s reality in 1938 will be rife with – as the report describes – “racism, childhood trauma and faith issues.” Additionally, the seemingly inexplicable occurrences of the supernatural should also be present on his plate, per the show’s theme. Zovatto, a Costa Rica-born actor, was prominently seen in horror movies Don’t Breathe and It Follows, and the Greta Gerwig-directed comedy, Lady Bird. He’ll be coming off a TV run on HBO’s Here and Now, having fielded runs on the Bret Easton Ellis-developed The Deleted, ABC’s Revenge and is also remembered from a Season 2 run on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead.
Michael Gladis will play Councilman Charlton Townsend, “the ambitious head of the L.A. City Council’s Transportation Committee; a man of killer instincts and ruthless political wiles.” Gladis has fielded several runs on high-profile TV shows, notably Feed the Beast, Extant, Reckless, Eagleheart and Mad Men, and also appeared in 2015 franchise sequel Terminator: Genisys.