Ever since it was announced that John Wesley Shipp had been cast for The CW Network's Arrow Spin-off The Flash fans have been speculating like crazy on what that unnamed role would be. Well after months of speculation with the most popular theory having been that he would play the role of Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash. The network has confirmed that the mysterious role will that of Henry Allen, the father of lead character Barry Allen who is played by Grant Gustin.
"Given his history with The Flash, Andrew [Kreisberg], Geoff [Johns] and I could only think of one person we wanted to play Barry's father and that was John Wesley Shipp. He gives a fantastic and emotional performance in the pilot and we are looking forward to his presence in many more episodes. Also, personally, it was just wonderful to work with him again since my days at Dawson's Creek. He's a great actor and a great guy."
- Greg Berlanti, Flash Executive Producer
This is the first official announcement from the network on the role but viewers with a keen eye might have caught a glimpse of Shipp in the Allen Family picture from the extended trailer released by The CW during the Network's Up Front trailers a few weeks ago. When Shipp's casting was first announced we covered it on Comic Frontline LIVE and I thought this would be the role he was playing.
Shipp played the title role of Barry Allen/The Flash in the 1990-1991 CBS The Flash series, while the role of Henry Allen was then played by veteran character actor M. Emmet Walsh. The casting of Shipp in this role is an obvious nod to Flash fans. Shipp's role as Henry could be pretty significant since one of the main plot points of the series deals with the mystery surrounding the death of Barry's mother for which his father has been falsely convicted of even though Barry knows he is innocent. The CW's full official description of the show follows:
THE FLASH
Barry Allen was just 11 years old when his mother was killed in a bizarre and terrifying incident and his father was falsely convicted of the murder. With his life changed forever by the tragedy, Barry was taken in and raised by Detective Joe West, the father of Barry’s best friend, Iris. Now, Barry has become a brilliant, driven and endearingly geeky CSI investigator, whose determination to uncover the truth about his mother’s strange death leads him to follow up on every unexplained urban legend and scientific advancement that comes along. Barry’s latest obsession is a cutting edge particle accelerator, created by visionary physicist Harrison Wells and his S.T.A.R. Labs team, who claim that this invention will bring about unimaginable advancements in power and medicine. However, something goes horribly wrong during the public unveiling, and when the devastating explosion causes a freak storm, many lives are lost and Barry is struck by lightning. After nine months in a coma, Barry awakens to find his life has changed once again – the accident has given him the power of super speed, granting him the ability to move through Central City like an unseen guardian angel. Though initially excited by his newfound powers, Barry is shocked to discover he is not the only “meta-human” who was created in the wake of the accelerator explosion – and not everyone is using their new powers for good. In the months since the accident, the city has seen a sharp increase in missing people, unexplained deaths and other strange phenomena. Barry now has a renewed purpose – using his gift of speed to protect the innocent, while never giving up on his quest to solve his mother’s murder and clear his father’s name. For now, only a few close friends and associates know that Barry is literally the fastest man alive, but it won’t be long before the world learns what Barry Allen has become…The Flash.
The series stars Grant Gustin (“Glee,” “Arrow”) as Barry Allen/The Flash, Candice Patton (“The Game”) as Iris West, Rick Cosnett (“The Vampire Diaries”) as Eddie Thawne, Danielle Panabaker (“Necessary Roughness,” “Justified”) as Caitlin Snow, Carlos Valdes (“Once” on Broadway ) as Cisco Ramon, with Tom Cavanagh (“Ed,” “Eli Stone”) as Harrison Wells and Jesse L. Martin (“Law & Order”) as Detective West. THE FLASH is produced by Bonanza Productions Inc. in association with Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television, with executive producers Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Tomorrow People,” “Green Lantern”), Andrew Kreisberg (“Arrow,” “Eli Stone”), David Nutter (“Arrow,” “Game of Thrones”) and Sarah Schechter. The pilot was directed by David Nutter. This series is based upon characters published by DC Entertainment.
Related Links:
First Look at Grant Gustin as The Flash
Grant Gustin On Set In The Flash Costume
The Flash Series Promo
The CW Races Two Promos & An Extended Trailer To The Internet
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