HBO’s Cold War Drama ‘The Missionary’ Casts A ‘Breaking Bad’ Star After All

Earlier this year we heard the exciting news that (soon-to-be former) ‘Breaking Bad‘ star Aaron Paul was considered the frontrunner for the title role in HBO’s upcoming drama ‘The Missionary,’ shooting after the AMC drama’s 2013 end.  That role was recently given to ‘Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter‘ star Benjamin Walker after scheduling difficulties with Paul, but the show has netted yet another ‘Breaking Bad’ star, also one-time ‘Friday Night Lights’ star Jesse Plemons.  Wait til you hear who he plays!

‘Breaking Bad’ may be due for an end in 2013, but its stars shouldn’t have any difficulty finding work.  Case in point, Deadline reports that current ‘Bad’ star Jesse Plemons has already lined up his next gig, taking a role in HBO’s upcoming Cold War drama pilot ‘The Missionary!  Appearing alongside Benjamin Walker’s title character, Plemons would portray Sherwood Elbridge, a young Coca-Cola executive who aids in smuggling defectors out of the Eastern Bloc of Berlin.  That’s a long way from Landry!

Set in Berlin during the late 1960s, ‘The Missionary’ centers on a young American missionary (Walker) who becomes involved with the CIA, helping a young woman escape the city.  The project will be written by Charles Randolph (‘The Interpreter’), directed by Baltasar Kormakur, and produced by Stephen Levinson, author Malcolm Gladwell and frequent Levinson collaborator Mark Wahlberg.

If picked up to series, ‘The Missionary’ would mark the second HBO period dramas alongside ‘Boardwalk Empire,’ as well as the second Cold War drama developed for cable this season along with FX’s Keri Russell KGB spy drama ‘The Americans.’  Tell us if you’ll tune in to check out Jesse Plemons in ‘The Missionary’ in the comments below!

Source: HBO’s Cold War Drama ‘The Missionary’ Casts A ‘Breaking Bad’ Star After All