Good Omens Star Shelley Conn Talks Taking Over Beelzebub Role (Exclusive)

The second season of Good Omens is coming soon, and there have been some interesting shakeups with the cast. David Tennant and Michael Sheen are returning as Crowley and Aziraphale in addition to Jon Hamm as Archangel Gabriel, Doon Mackichan as Archangel Michael, and Gloria Obianyo as Archangel Uriel. There are also some actors coming back to play new characters while one existing character is being played by a new actor. In the first season, the demon Beelzebub was portrayed by Anna Maxwell Martin, and now the part is being taken over by Shelley Conn. In a show about angels and demons, it's easy to address such a change. In fact, Beelzebub casually mentions they changed their face and that's that. ComicBook.com recently spoke with Conn about playing Beelzebub, and why the show's simple explanation made it easier for her to take over. 

"Yeah, absolutely," Conn confirmed when asked if the show's explanation made it easier for her to play Beelzebub. "I mean, I really loved what Anna Maxwell Martin did in Season One. I really loved it. And I think it's just power to the Neil Gaiman confidence of his own creations that he can kind of just write a line that says, 'Oh, this old thing. Yeah, I've had it for ages.' And that solves it."

She continued, "It's kind of like the costume lived on, and as you say, it's kind of like a fan favorite. So, we can't get rid of that. We need to honor what that is. And I just love how there's a messing around with the convention that it's kind of like we didn't have to kill anybody off in a shower or anything like that, having a wake. Do you know what I mean? It was like, 'No, let's just move on...'" 

What Is Good Omens Season 2 About?

The second season of Good Omens is expected to follow Crowley (Tennant) and Aziraphale (Sheen) living amongst the humans in London's Soho. According to Amazon, things begin to get apocalyptic once again "when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery." 

"Good Omens 2 just would not be the same without the astonishing Jon Hamm as Gabriel, everyone's worst boss," Neil Gaiman said in a statement when the second season was announced. "The story that Terry Pratchett and I created all those years ago continues to take us from London's Soho into Heaven and Hell. It's a delight for me to bring back characters we loved (or hated) and bring in new characters, from the shiniest top floors of Heaven to the dankest basements of Hell, to love (or to hate, or to love to hate or hate to love). All of them are part of the strange and unusually beloved family of Good Omens."

Good Omens returns on July 28th. 

Editors note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.