The man who played President David Palmer in 24 is upping his game and preparing to play God in the new season of Lucifer.
After all, once you’ve played the president, God is the natural next step up!
Actor Dennis Haysbert is joining the cast for Season 5 of the hit Netflix show.
“We did like the big crazy list of possible actors for the part, and he was my top choice,” Lucifer co-showrunner Joe Henderson told EW. “We were lucky. It was our first and only offer.”
It will be a reunion of sorts for Haysbert and D.B. Woodside, who plays God’s favorite son Amendiel.
The two played brothers David and Wayne Palmer on Fox’s 24.
In fact, Woodside played a small part in helping Lucifer land Haysbert for this heavenly role.
“D.B. had actually come up to us and said, ‘Have you thought about Dennis?’ We were like, ‘Do you think he’d actually do it?’ And he’s like, ‘Well, I’ve already talked to him and sort of brought it up.’ And so we just went straight on at him,” says Henderson.
Henderson tweeted the news to the world, saying he is “SO EXCITED” about it:
You guys!!!! SO EXCITED about this!! 😈😈 https://t.co/fdlxIhU3Z3
— Joe Henderson (@Henderson_Joe) January 6, 2020
Woodside tweeted that keeping the news “a secret for the past two months has been fucking killing me.”
Keeping this a secret for the past two months has been fucking killing me. 🥺
Dennis Haysbert is playing GOD. 😈 👼🏾 https://t.co/6PrHAuQMh0
— DB Woodside (@dbwofficial) January 6, 2020
Rachel Harris, who plays Lucifer’s therapist Linda, responded that it was “Huge news kids!”
And it is HUGE news.
Now we know for sure the rebellious Lucifer (Tom Ellis) and his brother Amenadiel will be spending some quality time with with their father in the farewell season.
You may remember Neil Gaiman, whose Sandman comics inspired the series, voiced the character of God in one of season 3’s bonus episodes.
Getting to work with Woodside again was one of the reasons Haysbert said yes to the part.
“Every time I see D.B., there’s always this fondness and this connection…We worked on a show that was arguably one of the best shows ever produced in television, so you’re going to have a kind of camaraderie,” says Haysbert, before adding with a laugh, “I don’t know how I went from brothers to father. We’re celestial. We can do that.”
Lucifer‘s fourth season ended with Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) finally telling Lucifer she loved him right before he returned to Hell.
When the new season picks up, Lucifer is still down under; however, as Amenadiel will visit him on a matter of grave importance.
Lucifer returns for its bifurcated fifth and final season later this year.
Excellent!