Four brothers who are reincarnations of Norse gods form the basis of The Almighty Johnsons, a new Zealand fantasy and comedy drama due to start on Syfy channel in the UK on Thursday 2 February 2012. The ten-part series stars Emmett Skilton as Axl, Tim Balme as Mike, Dean O’Gorman as Anders and Jared Turner as Ty.
On his 21st birthday, Axi discovers he is really the reincarnation of Odin, who has to go on a quest to find Odin’s wife Frigg to avoid a disaster befalling his family. But some Norse goddesses have other plans.
Actors in The Almighty Johnsons
Emmett Skilton had his television break in 2005 as Willem Van der Muren in The Seven Periods with Mr Gormsby episode “The Retarded Boy”. He also appeared in an episode of Time Trackers in 2008 and was Tiny in the 2010 film Home by Christmas.
Tim Balme has won three New Zealand Film & TV Awards, for playing Lionel Cosgrove in the film Braindead, Jack Brown in the film Jack Brown Genius and Ken Wilder in the TV series Mercy Peak. Braindead also earned him a Fantafestival best actor award. Other roles have included Greg Feeney in Shortland Street, Yves in Meddigan’s Quest, Quentin in Outrageous Fortune and Jules in Nothing Trvial.
Dean O’Gorman was also in Shortland Street as Nurse Harry Martin but is perhaps best known for playing the young Iolaus in Young Hercules and Hercules: The Legendary Journey. Other roles have included Dr Gilligan in Serial Killers, Luke Morgan in McLeod’s Daughters, Tyrannicus Herry in Animalia and Marco in Go Girls. And he is about to feature as Fili in the two upcoming The Hobbit films.
Jared Turner’s TV career started in 2002 when he played Brett Davis in an episode of All Saints. His first recurring role was as the voice of Whiger in Power Rangers Jungle Fury and he went on from that to play Ben Maddox in Go Girls.
The show also stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Gaia, Roz Turnbull as Mike’s wife Valerie, Ben Barrington as the brothers’ grandfather Olaf (who is really Norse god Baldr), Heyden Frost as Zeb, Shane Cortese as Colin Gundersen (better known as Norse god Loki) and Fern Sutherland as Dawn. The four Norse goddesses are played by Alison Bruce as Agnetha (Feryja), Rachel Nash as Ingrid (Snotra), Michelle Langstone as Michele (Sjöfn) and Eve Gordon as Stacey (Fulla).
Team Behind The Almighty Johnsons
The show was created by James Griffin and Rachel Land and produced by South Pacific Pictures. The first season aired in New Zealand in February 2011. A second season is planned.
Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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