AMC's Preacher Casts Joseph Gilgun As Cassidy The Irish Vampire

AMC's Preacher, which is being run by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, has cast British actor Joseph Gilgun to be the Irish vampire named Cassidy.

Gilgun is known across the pond for roles in Emmerdale and This Is England, but for people in the States you would have to look to his 'Hydell' role in 2011's Lockout in order to recognize who he is.

Jesse's sidekick Cassidy is described as the most wild-ass, bestest "bro" you'd ever want to meet. He may be 100 years dead but no one's more boisterously alive than Proinsias Cassidy. An incorrigible mischief-maker, Cassidy's up for anything — joyriding, bungee-jumping, bank robbing, peyote dropping. He's also a relentless conversationalist with opinions on everything from religion to politics to pop culture to theories on why people are better able to tolerate the odor of their own flatulence.

Also of note, Deadline confirms that Marvel actor Dominic Cooper ("Agent Carter") is being eyed for the lead role of Jesse Custer.

The show is based on Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon's Preacher comic books, which have been published under DC Comics' Vertigo line. AMC's Preacher is being developed by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Sam Catlin. Goldberg will direct the pilot, which is based on a script by Catlin.

Preacher follows Reverend Jesse Custer, a tough Texas preacher who has lost his faith, and has learned that God has left Heaven and abandoned his responsibilities. He finds himself the only person capable of tracking God down, demanding answers, and making him answer for his dereliction of duty. Accompanying Jesse on his journey is his former girlfriend and a friendly vampire who seems to prefer a pint in the pub to the blood of the innocent. On his tail is one of the most iconic bad guys in print – an immortal, unstoppable killing machine named the Saint of Killers —a western lone gunman archetype whose sole purpose is to hunt and kill Jesse.

The pilot will be produced in the summer of 2015 for series consideration in 2016.