It was disappointing to hear that Judy Davis had to drop out of 24: Live Another Day, but it looks as though they've found a replacement, and a great one at that, as Game of Thrones star Michelle Fairley has been tapped to replace her in the villainous role. Fans of the HBO series will recognize Fairly as the fierce Catelyn Stark. In 24, the Irish actor may be at odds with Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer.
Back in December, Judy Davis was brought on board the 24 followup to play the part of Margot, a British national and the widow of a notorious terrorist. At one point, I think she was originally a German arms dealer, but that description changed a bit since then. And then, much more recently, we heard that Davis had to exit the role due to personal issues that were preventing her from traveling from Australia to London where the event series is being filmed. That left us to wonder which strong and talented female actress might be brought in to fill Davis' shoes and the role of Margot. As it happens, Michelle Fairley will be that woman.
Deadline reported the news, noting that it's a major recurring role for the series, which we know is set to premiere May 5. In addition to playing the role of Catelyn Stark in HBO's Game of Thrones, Fairley's TV credits include a recurring role in USA's Suits. On the feature side, she's appeared in Philomena and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, in which she played Hermione's mother and presumed dentist, Mrs. Granger. But I'm thinking many of us know her best from Game of Thrones, given how prominent her role is on the show and just how memorable it was last season in particular. I thought she was great as Catelyn, but I'm especially excited to see how she handles this role, as it sounds like it's a villainous one.
Fairley joins Kiefer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub among the cast of 24: Live Another Day, as well as Kim Raver, William Devane and Yvonne Strahovski. The event series is set a few years after the events of the original Fox series, which wrapped up in 2010. Live Another Day will be comprised of 12 episodes covering 24 hours of time and retaining the traditional real-time format of the original series. Fox aired an exciting new teaser for the series during the Super Bowl, which gave us a look at Jack and Chloe looking beat up as London burns in chaos behind them...
