Pop quiz! What do the following shows have in common — Breaking Bad, Hannibal, True Detective — other than the fact that they're a few of the most critically acclaimed TV dramas of our modern age? OK, I'll give you the answer: actors from each one of those beloved shows all star on Hulu's upcoming original series The Path , making it hands-down one of the most exciting new programs of the year to date. The series, from executive producer Jason Katims of Parenthood and Friday Night Lights fame, debuts on the streaming service this Wednesday — releasing only one episode per week, unlike its competitor Netflix. Before you tune in to the premiere, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the embarrassment of riches that is the cast of The Path .
But first, a brief introduction to the show itself, per its official summary:
The Path explores the unknown and mysterious world of the cult-like Meyerist Movement in upstate New York. At the center of the movement lies Eddie, a conflicted husband; Sarah, his devoted wife; and Cal, an ambitious leader. We follow each as they contend with deep issues involving relationships, faith, and power. The series takes an in-depth look at the gravitational pull of belief and what it means to choose between the life we live and the life we want.
Now, here are the faces you'll be following down The Path… if, of course, you choose to embark on this dangerous journey.
Hugh Dancy
It's bittersweet to see Dancy leading this terrific cast. On the one hand, his presence here just reminds us all about the tragic loss of NBC's Hannibal we all suffered through last year. On the other hand, at least the-man-formerly-known-as-Will-Graham has found steady work in another compelling-looking show. If that bloody cannibalistic drama wasn't your cup of tea, you may also know Dancy from his work on series like The Big C and Elizabeth I, or in films like Martha Marcy May Marlene and — yes — Ella Enchanted.
On The Path, Dancy will play Cal Roberts, the ambitious and charismatic leader of the cultish Meyerist Movement.
Aaron Paul
For his first regular television role since Jesse Pinkman drove frantically off into the night in the Breaking Bad series finale, Paul will play the role of Eddie Lane, a member of the Meyerist Movement who has a crisis of faith.
Since his BB days, Paul has tackled a couple of starring roles on the silver screen: a race car driver in Need For Speed and Hebrew slave Joshua in Ridley Scott's Exodus: Gods And Kings. He can currently be seen in theaters in both the Helen Mirren drone drama Eye In The Sky as well as Triple 9, a crime thriller also featuring the likes of Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Norman Reedus, and Kate Winslet. Next he'll make an appearance in the Dwayne Johnson/Kevin Hart comedy Central Intelligence, out in June.
Michelle Monaghan
TV watchers will know Monaghan from her role as Woody Harrelson's long-suffering wife in the first season of HBO's True Detective. But The Path will be only her second regular gig on the small screen, her only previous recurring credit having been a handful of Boston Public episodes back in the early '00s. It's more likely that you're familiar with Monaghan through her work in features, which has included parts in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Mission: Impossible III, Gone Baby Gone, Eagle Eye, and Source Code, among many others.
Here she'll be portraying Eddie's wife Sarah Lane, a high-ranking member of the Meyerist Movement who was born into the cult.
Kyle Allen
Eddie and Sarah also have a son called Hawk, which is so obviously not a cult name (/sarcasm). Said son is also "at a crossroads" which just about sums up every teenage on television these days.
Hawk will be played by newcomer Kyle Allen, whose only other credits are shorts or projects still in production, including XX , which is apparently "an anthology of female-driven horror-movie segments" and definitely just jumped to the top of my 2016 must-see list.
Amy Forsyth
Although Forsyth is just starting out in the biz, you may still recognize her if you happened to watch Syfy's Defiance, on which she recurred as Castithan handmaiden Andina — or that one Season 13 episode of Degrassi: The Next Generation that she guest starred on.
The Path will see Forsyth's character Amy drawn to Hawk — and ergo the Meyerist Movement — when she undergoes a personal crisis of her own.
Sarah Jones
Of course, every drama about a cult has to have someone working to bring them down. Jones fills that role here as Alison Kemp, a former Meyerist who defected from the group after the "mysterious" death of her husband. Dun dun DUNN!
Jones has been working steadily on the small screen for just over a decade now. Her resumé includes everything from guest stints (Ugly Betty, House, Justified) to recurring parts (Huff, Big Love, Sons Of Anarchy) and even starring roles (The Wedding Bells, Alcatraz, Vegas). You know the funny thing about those three shows that Jones starred in? None of them lasted past one season. Hopefully The Path will be the one that sticks.
Emma Greenwell
Judging from that picture, it doesn't seem as though Greenwell will have to change her look very much for this show from her True Blood days; she formerly played fairy nightclub dancer Claudia Crane on the fifth season of that HBO series. She will however have to change pretty drastically from her role on Showtime's Shameless as the black-haired Mandy Milkovich, Ian Gallagher's friend and "beard."
If every drama about a cult has to have a defector, then they also have to have a hardcore believer. Greenwell will fit that bill as Mary Cox, a recovering addict who devoted her life to the Meyerist Movement after Cal saved her.
Rockmond Dunbar
Last but not least on our roster of main cast members, Dunbar will portray Abe Gaines, the tenacious FBI agent who is (of course) growing ever more suspicious of the goings-on at Chez Meyerism.
This is definitely not Dunbar's first time at the TV rodeo, having previously starred as a series regular on the likes of Showtime's Soul Food, FOX's Prison Break (for which he'll be also be joining the upcoming revival), FX's Terriers, and CBS' The Mentalist — not to mention his recurring roles on shows like The Game and Sons Of Anarchy.
And these eight talented main cast members are far from the only familiar faces viewers will see when they watch Hulu's newest program. Even the show's recurring characters will be played by recognizable actors, including Minka Kelly (who previously worked with Jason Katims on both FNL and Parenthood) and legendary Oscar/Tony-nominated actress Kathleen Turner as Cal's estranged mother.
Tune in to the series premiere of The Path this Wednesday to see all your old favorites in action, all in one place.
Images: Hulu (9)
