As Heroes readies itself for its next season, NBC has been adding cast members slowly, generally one at a time. Dania Ramirez, of The Sopranos fame, was added to the cast on June 1, and Nicholas D'Agosto landed the coveted role of Claire Bennet's (Hayden Panettiere) boyfriend earlier this week.
Today, the floodgates opened as six new actors were confirmed to have joined the hit NBC superhero drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Leading the way is David Anders, who is best known for playing Julian Sark on Alias. Anders will take the role of Takezo Kensei, the samurai warrior who was a boyhood idol of Hiro Nakamura's and once owned the sword that Hiro hunted down for much of season one.
In addition, Eriko Tamura, a Japanese pop star and actress, will play the role of a Japanese princess, veteran actor Barry Shabaka Henley (Detective Strummer in Close to Home) will suit up as a New York cop, Holt McCallany (Detective John Hagen in CSI: Miami) will play the leader of an Irish gang, and Lyndsy Fonseca ("Daughter" in How I Met Your Mother) and Dianna Agron (Jenny Budosh in Veronica Mars) will portray a pair of Californian cheerleaders who befriend Claire.
It is currently unclear which actors will be regulars and which will just be involved in multi-episode arcs. It is also assumed that the actors will play roles in Heroes rather than the six-episode spin-off Heroes: Origins, though NBC was unable to confirm that.
For more information on Heroes, read TV.com's previous coverage.
Comments (45)
let's see what's gonna happen with those new characters. I hope that the story will correctly link them with the heroes from the first season.
Well, you are all assuming that he's going to play a JAPANESE samurai... Maybe it'll be like that Tom Cruise movie where he's a westerner who becomes a samurai and is given a Japanese name by the other samurai? Just a thought....
it's great to know they have a lot of new characters. but as what they said, a western guy is playing Hiro's idol?! that's weird! it's an ancient dude! but i'm sure they can pull something off....
I don't see how DA is gonna play an Japanese samurai, but I seriously hope they pull that off because Heroes is really brilliant and I luv DA (kinda the reason I stuck around watch Alias for so long) so I'm glad he's joing this one. Heee.He's a brilliant, brilliant actor and it's so great he got this role. lol.But yeah why the heck add all these char's. Hmm. Can't wait to see how all this turns out. :)
thats good BUT.... a western guy playing a JAPANESE SAMURAI??? come on... how are they gunna pull that off?
I liked David Anders a lot on Alias, wonder how they're gonna turn him into a Samurai Warrior though, guess we'll have to wait and see.
sounds interesting where there going with all these new characters.Cant wait to watch season 2 ...
I doubt that the new actors stand any chance to become more popular than any other previously seen character on the show. Why did they even have to add so many characters? There are already so much interesting characters. It'll also be intresting to see how Claire's popularity drops down as she is seen hanging on the lips of that guy. I know I won't find her as attractive as before with a boyfriend. Seeing her kiss a guy in the future episode already made we wanted to turn the tv off..
can not wait
Yay! I love David Anders! Glad the rumors have been confirmed. This should be a fun season!
Anders as Kensei... I think that's incredibly interesting. I can't wait to check the second season out.
I've never seen Heroes, but what i've heard at the watercooler it's the best thing since sliced <i>The Office</i>. I don't know any of those people (or care) except for Eriko Tamura because I wonder what a Japenese actress/pop star is like.
As absolutely thrilled as I am to see Sark in any fashion, I wonder how they're going to make him look Japanese. Or are they? But I'm sure he'll get the accent right, after he played Sark with a british accent. Not bad for someone born in Oregon.
after a perfect season, I think I'm gonna miss it...
I'm not sure i'm gonna love season 2 as much as I loved season 1. I'm only gonna be watching for Hayden
I'm so sick of that "sword" thing they tried to add to the story. IMHO, it's the worst and useless part of first season. :(
How can Anders turn Japanese?
And I don't remember that girl from Veronica Mars...
I am so looking forward to season 2. I hope it’s as good as the first one if not better! David Anders is cool but I think they could have gotten actors who are better know, but still all these actors are good.
gonna need a program to keep track of all the characters lol
David Anders! Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -dies- Could Heroes possibly get any better??? Now they just have to hire Ben Browder and Claudia Black HAHA! Or not.
I love David Anders and it will be great to see him.But, like many of you, I'm wondering why he is playing an ancient japanese samurai..
Sounds like <i>Highlander</i> to me. David Anders was great in <i>Alias</i> as Julian Sark, I think he will be great as Kensei.
Can someone please explain to me how an English W.A.S.P is supposed to play a frickin' ancient Japanese Warlord?
I mean, I'm no genius, but that makes no frickin' sense to me. Why not use Ken Watanabe from Last Samurai and Batman Begins. He would be bad-ass.
all the new additions look great!!!!
i love david anders, i think he's hot...i hope he gets to use the same british accent as he did in alias...its so sexy on him!
All great news new faces are always good but I kinda wish that Jayma Mays would come back. But she is dead. I really liked the small town-waitress character of hers.
Great to have Anders back in a series, after portraying Sark in ALIAs, really missed him. Though it's a more than a little weird that he'll be playing a japanese samurai, he's not how do we put it, very oriental.
And also great to have McCallny back, after Det. Hagen blew his brains out in the CSI Miami lab I kind of missed him, though he did make a great guest starring in Criminal Minds.
I just guess Heroes is getting better and better.
David Anders is supposed to be a 1,000 year old villain also, right? I think I read that somewhere. Unfortunately, I've never heard of any of these actors before, but hopefully they'll be a good fit.
w00t. Holt McCallany.I liked him Freedom, too bad that last for a few episodes only.
please add some more characters -_-
New season - new characters....Perfect!
get in again, i love sark- he rules, not sure how he can get away with playing a samurai though!!!
There are going to be so many character...for sure some of the first season heroes will die...
yay for sark ;)
david anders-- a reason to watch heroes, finally.
aww sark. he was annoying on alias, but i'm hoping for something better here.
i've heard that AISHWARYA RAI of my country will be playing the role of shanti :D
i dont want too many characters; it confuses the storylines,then our favourites will get less and less screentime
David anders, Always loved the guy in Alias. Will be nice to see him on my fav show. :D
my god, how big is the cast going to be?
I honestly can't wait to see David Anders again! Unfortunately, this seems like a temporary part. When is someone going to make him a regular! GRRRRRR
Yes! I love David Anders!
good news !!!!!
David Anders :D
More Cheerleaders. Yes. Best Show Ever.I only wish I could have been cast as Claire's love buddy.
Ok thumbs up for Holt McCallny, i miss seeing him on weekly tv. The David Anders as Kensei the samurai is just plain weird, though. Could that mean he's another trime traveling freak, or you know, just a traveler? Anyway, hopefully the new aditions won't over shadow the old characters and everyone gets a fair shake in terms of story (like OZ).