Nellie Andreeva

Chris EganTom EllisABC’s gothic soap Gothica has cast its first lead characters. Aussie Chris Egan will play Dorian Gray and Brit Tom Ellis will portray Victor Frankenstein in the project, set in the present day, which weaves together a mythology that incorporates the legends of Dracula, Jekyll and Hyde, Frankenstein and Dorian Gray. In this incarnation of the story, written by Matt Lopez, Victor Frankenstein (Ellis) runs a hospital that also does biotech research and believes that he may have a way to bring his recently deceased daughter back to life. Victor was once romantically involved with the show’s lead character, Grace Van Helsing. Dorian Gray (Egan) is a wealthy playboy who invests $20 million in Grace’s newspaper. Gothica is produced by ABC Studios and the Mark Gordon Co. This marks the third consecutive ABC drama pilot for Egan who played the title role in the 2011 Poe and was also a lead in last year’s Beauty And The Beast. Meanwhile, Ellis became the subject of intense speculation over the past week that he may be joining the cast of Downton Abbey as Mary’s new love interest, but the show’s producers have dismissed the rumors.

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