Gotham fans have had the chance to fall in love with Alfred Pennyworth all over again, as Sean Pertwee has brought the character to life in such a unique way, often being celebrated as one of the best parts of the show. While Pertwee has now become synonymous with Batman’s beloved butler/caregiver, the character could have looked a lot different.
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Michael Cerveris, who just debuted on Gotham as the terrifying Professor Pyg, was in the running to portray Alfred when the initial pilot was being filmed.
Following his first Gotham episode this past Thursday, Cerveris took some time to speak with ComicBook.com about his current role. When we asked about the audition process for the character, the Tony-winning actor revealed that he’s been up for several roles on Gotham over the years, including the iconic butler.
“I actually have auditioned for Gotham a number of times over the years,” Cerveris told us. “The very fist time being, I auditioned on for the pilot of Gotham for the role of Alfred which, you know, thank god they had the sense to cast [Sean Pertwee] because he’s brilliant in the part and there couldn’t have been anybody else to do it.”
Let’s be honest, there likely aren’t any Gotham fans out there arguing with that point.
Cerveris went on to say that his friendship with Gotham executive producer and director Danny Cannon has led to multiple auditions. Most recently, he went out for the role of the Arkham Asylum Warden, which ultimately went to Damian Young.
Despite the fact that getting passed on for roles is disappointing, Cerveris said that he couldn’t have been happier with his eventual part as Professor Pyg.
“With Professor Pyg, I really feel like this is the only role I should ever have played on Gotham and did the stars align the way they were supposed to,” the actor said.
It’s safe to say that all Gotham fans are now happy with the way everything turned out. Pertwee was perfect for Alfred, and Cerveris is stealing the show with his eerily fantastic take on Professor Pyg.
Professor Pyg continues his dark reign of terror on Gotham in this week’s episode, “A Dark Knight: A Day in the Narrows,” which will air on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
