It’s fitting that, with The Sons of Anarchy spin-off The Mayans debuting on FX next week that probably the most beloved star of Sons of Anarchy is also landing a new gig on cable’s highest-rated show, The Walking Dead.
Ryan Hurst, who played Opie on Sons, has been cast in as Beta, a pivotal role in the upcoming Whisperers War arc on The Walking Dead. Beta plays the right-hand man to the major villain, Alpha (who will be played by Oscar nominee Samantha Morton), while Alpha’s daughter, Lydia, was cast over the weekend. The Whisperers are a community comprised of people who wear the skins of zombies in order to roam among the undead.
New showrunner Angela Kang is pulling out all the stops in the casting department next season, with the departures of Andrew Lincoln and Lauren Cohan. In addition to Morton and Hurst, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star Dan Fogler is also joining the cast along with Tony nominee Lauren Ridloff. Nadia Hilker, Angel Theory, and Eleanor Matsuura have also joined the cast.
Hurst is known for his role on Remember the Titans and, more recently, for a recurring role on Bates Motel, although he’ll probably always be best known for playing the lovable SAMCRO member on Sons of Anarchy. In fact, Kurt Sutter’s show was never the same after the departure of Hurst, who was the heart of that series.
The Walking Dead will return on October 12th. Hurst, meanwhile, has completed production on Million Little Pieces, the movie based on the controversial James Frey memoir. In that movie, he co-stars with his Sons castmate Charlie Hunnam, as well as Aaron Taylor-Johnson, whose wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson, directed the film.
(Via The Wrap)
