While Michael Sheen may have earned plenty of praise for his performance as Aziraphale in Good Omens, co-creator Neil Gaiman originally pictured a very different actor in the angelic role.
Writing on his personal Tumblr account, the acclaimed writer explained that since Sheen was originally meant to play Crowley, he was hoping Hugh Grant might have joined the series. “I remember spending a lot of time pondering who Aziraphale could be back when Crowley was going to be Michael, and I think Hugh Grant was a leading contender in my head, but then somewhere in the middle of writing episode 3 Crowley became David Tennant and Michael Sheen became Aziraphale and once that had been decided it couldn’t have been anyone else,” Gaiman noted. He also briefly touches on how he thinks the demonic protagonist would have been different if Sheen had ultimately played him, suggesting the character would have been a lot more “sinister.”
Good Omens, which recently released its second season on Prime Video, follows Aziraphale and Crowley, an angel and demon that work together to prevent the end of the world after discovering they enjoy living amongst humanity. Based on Gaiman’s novel that he co-wrote with beloved author Terry Pratchett, the series has earned generally positive reviews from fans and critics, many of whom have championed the series’ clever adaptation of the source material and compelling performances from both Sheen and Tennant.
Good Omens’ Future
As for what awaits in the future, Prime Video has yet to confirm whether Good Omens will return for a third season but Gaiman has insisted that if it does happen it will also be the show’s final chapter. The writer has stated that Season 3 is “planned and plotted” but he has yet to begin actually writing it due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that have effectively put Hollywood on hold for the foreseeable future.
As for the actors, Sheen and Tennant have insisted that if fans want to see Season 3 eventually land at Prime Video, all they need to do is support the show. “Well, if you’ve seen where Series 2 ends, there’s certainly the teasing of further tales to come, isn’t there? Whether we will ever find out what those tales are is in the lap of the audience,” Tennant said.
Good Omens Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Prime Video.
Source: Tumblr