Season two of NBC’s Hannibal was something of a dreary slog at times, depicting the psychological battle between Will Graham and Hannibal Lecter. But a creative boost of energy and character delight came from the introduction of Mason Verger, the meat-packing heir with a predilection for abusing his younger sister and feeding his enemies to a pack of wild boars.
Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) portrayed the character in three episodes, creating a psychotic villain on par with Heath Ledger’s Joker. He seemed just on the edge of insanity, with a creepy fury that could lash out in unexpected turns. Even the previously unmatched Dr. Lecter was at risk when encountering Verger.
Warning: The last 10 seconds of the following video are graphic and gory, most definitely not safe for work.
But in a surprising development, Hannibal is recasting the role of Verger. According to TV Line, the show is replacing Pitt with British actor Joe Anderson (The Grey, Twilight: Breaking Dawn) for season three.
Pitt has also developed a reputation as a difficult actor to work with. He was reportedly fired from Boardwalk Empire, his character killed off, due to problematic behind-the-scenes incidents such as showing up to the set late, forgetting his lines and asking for rewrites on plotlines and dialogue. (The show’s producers insist writing Pitt’s character off was a creative decision.)
However, there’s no indication that Pitt’s behavior was a factor in the decision to recast the Verger role. The report says that the decision was made by the actor, not the producers. Considering that Verger’s face has now been rendered unrecognizable, this would be as good a time as any to recast the role. Between having his face obscured by make-up, his body immobilized by a broken neck and the Verger character possibly having a lesser role in season three’s plotline (with Lecter feeling the country), perhaps Pitt saw this as time to move on.
Anderson showed some of the prosthetics he’ll wear as the horribly disfigured Verger on his Instagram, which is apparently how news of the casting change got out.
From #JoeAnderson‘s Instagram: “How long does it take you to put your face on in the morning? #hannibal” pic.twitter.com/ArtA7lyQ0L
— Mason Verger (@M_Verger) December 19, 2014
Those familiar with the Lecter mythology from Thomas Harris’ novels and Ridley Scott’s 2001 Hannibal (in which he was played by Gary Oldman) know that things don’t go very well for Verger. Offending Lecter’s sensibilities, the cannibal psychologist drugs Verger, compelling him to slice off his face and feed it to dogs (something that was grisily depicted in season two’s the “Tome-Wan” episode). Verger then dedicates his life and vast fortune to hunting down Lecter and exacting the most torturous revenge imaginable.
Personally, I thought Pitt was a great addition to the show. Verger was a great villain, so this is disappointing. But Verger might not be as fun as he was in season two, since his face is one giant scar and his body is paralyzed, giving Pitt less to do with the role. I would have enjoyed seeing what his performance would have been under such circumstances, but recasting probably wasn’t a difficult decision here.
Season three of Hannibal is expected to premiere on NBC in spring 2015.
