AMC
AMC’s new dramedy Dispatches From Elsewhere follows four ordinary people who feel like there is something missing in their lives. They are brought together by a city-wide scavenger hunt/puzzle game put on by the mysterious Jejune Institute. As they begin to accept the mysterious challenges presented by the game, the mystery widens and their eyes are opened to the possibility of magic.
The show is based on a real-life game put on in 2008 by Oakland, California, artist Jeff Hull and chronicled in the 2013 documentary The Institute. Here’s what you need to know about the cast.
Jason Segel as Peter
This How I Met Your Mother and Freaks & Geeks alum stars as Peter, the viewers’ entry into the world of the Jejune Institute. The premiere episode, titled “Peter,” introduces Segel’s corporate cog character who finds himself wrapped up in this mysterious game because he desperately needs magic and whimsy in his life.
Eve Lindley as Simone
Lindley is a relative newcomer among the cast, having previously appeared in a small roll on Mr. Robot and on the short-lived WGN America original drama Outsiders. Her character of Simone is on a journey of self-discovery and also Peter’s romantic interest on the show. Her big lesson is that she makes some huge life changes only to discover that there is still work to do on the other side of those changes.
Sally Field as Janice
Veteran actress Field, who has two Oscar wins on her resume, plays Janice, an older woman whose marriage has taken a sad turn as of late and who desperately wants to make human connection outside of her home. She has also had to figure out what her life is as she ages and is no longer the 24-7 wife and mother she once was. Segel says in a preview video that Janice is based on his mom. He wanted to write something to honor her.
Andre Benjamin as Fredwynn
This well-known musician, better known as Andre 3000, has only recently gotten heavily into acting, first appearing on the second season of American Crime and now with Dispatches From Elsewhere. He plays Fredwynn, a very smart, neurotic conspiracy theorist who is driven to figure out what the game is hiding. He and Janice become reluctant friends, which is one of funniest parts of the show.
Richard E. Grant as Octavio
Veteran actor Grant is someone who has starred in everything from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Hudson Hawk to Downton Abbey and Doctor Who. He plays Octavio, the mysterious leader of the Jejune Institute who definitely has more going on with him than meets the eye.
Cecilia Bagalot as Clara
There is a mysterious figure at the center of the game called Clara that viewers will come to know more about as the season progresses. For now, all we can say is that she is important to the story and she is played by another relative newcomer — Cecilia Bagalot, who before now has basically only appeared on Girl Meets World and Desperate Housewives.
Dispatches From Elsewhere airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on AMC.
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