Your guide to the who’s who in ‘American Gods’
EVERYONE’S talking about American Gods.
However, not everyone is aware of the genesis of the series – even though a quick Google search would reveal all.
So the story is penned by award-winning English author Neil Gaiman.
He’s ingeniously woven fantasy and Americana into his storytelling. And he blends in a wonderful mix of tension by juxtapositioning ancient and modern mythology. And he uses a taciturn Shadow Moon as his centrepiece. How does the series play out? Well the New Gods magnify all the trappings of pop culture; celebrity obsession, technology, drugs and so on. Meanwhile, the Old Gods are battling this wave of modernism to hold their waning place in the world. Everyone has a role to fulfil. Here’s a quick reference to the characters and their role. Wednesday’s motives and is reluctant to lend his aid.
Mr. Jacquel (Chris Obi):
of the dead, Anubis.
Mr. Nancy (Orlando Jones):
trickster god Anansi.
Easter (Kristin Chenoweth):
goddess of the dawn. The Egyptian god The African Germanic
Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle):
An ex-convict who becomes the bodyguard/ errand boy of Mr. Wednesday.
Laura Moon (Emily Browning):
She is the late wife of Shadow Moon. She died in a car accident. She is now a revenant. Bruce Langley as the New God of Technology in “one half of a pair of star-crossed lovers”.
Mr. Ibis (Demore Barnes):
The keeper of stories past and present, Thoth.
Robbie (Dane Cook): Zorya Utrennyaya “the Morning Star” (Martha Kelly):
the Zorya. Shadow’s best friend. The middle silent sister of
Zorya Polunochnaya “the Midnight Star” (Erika Kaar):
The youngest of the Zorya sisters who sleeps during the day and only appears late at night. She guides Shadow and sets him on his path.
One of the many portrayals of Jesus (Ernesto Reyes):
His appearance saves Mexicans from crossing the Rio Grande border into the United States. Sadly, he ends up murdered alongside them by vigilantes patrolling the border.
Vulcan (Corbin Bernsen):
A new character created by Michael Green and Bryan Fuller. He is inspired by an initial concept of Gaiman’s. In the series, he is described as having “bound himself to guns”.