Summary
- Good Omens co-writer Neil Gaiman reveals that Michael Sheen was originally considered for the role of David Tennant’s demon, Crowley, with Hugh Grant taking the role of Aziraphale.
- Gaiman believes that Crowley would have been much more sinister if Sheen had played him instead.
- The natural chemistry between David Tennant and Michael Sheen, both on and off-screen, has been a major factor in the success of Good Omens.
Good Omens has been one of those rare triumphs in adapting a much-loved novel into a much-loved TV series thanks in no small part to the casting of David Tennant and Michael Sheen in the lead roles of Crowley and Aziraphale respectively. However, according to Good Omens co-writer Neil Gaiman, there was another actor in his mind for the role that would be played by Sheen in the series, as the original plan was for Sheen to take on the role of Crowley.
Gaiman responded recently to a message from a fan on tumblr, asking whether the author believed that the story would have been much different if Tennant and Sheen had swapped roles. As it turns out, a swap did actually take place early in the casting stages of the series, with Michael Sheen originally being considered for the role of Tennant’s demon, and Hugh Grant bring in the frame to play the angel Aziraphale. Gaiman explained:
“Crowley probably would have been a lot more sinister if Michael had played him. I remember spending a lot of time pondering who Aziraphale could be back when Crowley was going to be Michael, and I think Hugh Grant was a leading contender in my head, but then somewhere in the middle of writing episode 3 Crowley became David Tennant and Michael Sheen became Aziraphale.”
It seems though that some things are just meant to be, and by the time Gaiman had written the script for the third episode, he had already decided exactly who would be playing the roles, and from that point, nothing would have changed his mind.
Related: Exclusive: David Tennant and Michael Sheen Talk Loving Each Other and Good Omens Season 2
Good Omens Plays to Tennant and Sheen’s Chemistry
Prime Video
David Tennant and Michael Sheen are two of the most respected actors working in the industry. Having starred in everything from TV dramas to Hollywood blockbusters, their collaboration on Good Omens has been nothing short of joyful to watch. However, the pair have proven that they are much more than just two actors working on a series together, as their off-screen friendship is one that lends itself perfectly to the comedic relationship between the angel and demon of the series.
During the Covid pandemic, Tennant and Sheen joined forces to film the lockdown series Staged, a show that saw them playing themselves in a fictional story about their preparation to star together in a theatrical production – but having to do so during the Covid lockdown via webcam. The pair’s interactions with each other made many fans wonder whether there was any acting involved at all, as it was almost as if the audience had accidently connected to a real web meeting between Tennant and Sheen.
In Good Omens, you could quite easily take away the fantastical elements and be left with exactly the same kind of relationship that appears to come naturally to the pair when they work together on screen. It is hard to imagine that the inclusion of Hugh Grant could have brought anything better to the production, and maybe it was just written that things would turn out the way they have. With season 2 of Good Omens having been another huge success, there is every possibility that we have not seen the last of Crowley and Aziraphale just yet.
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