Television can be a crapshoot for even the most talented actors, and Ioan Gruffudd hasn’t had the greatest luck when it comes to small screen projects. He starred in ABC’s Forever, which was a one-of-a-kind supernatural procedural centering on an immortal man named Henry who chose to use his historical and medical insights to help the NYPD. The show was unfortunately cancelled, but Gruffudd is returning to television, and he’s been cast in an important recurring role in the second season of Lifetime’s UnReal.
UnReal is a dark dramedy about the goings-on behind the scenes of a dating reality TV show called Everlasting. Everlasting producers Rachel Goldberg and Quinn King must work to manipulate to contestants to make sure that maximum melodrama makes it on camera, and creator Chet Wilton uses his eye for what audiences want to see to help create the world of the reality show.
Ioan Gruffudd will play billionaire John Booth, according to Variety. Booth accumulated his fortune thanks to success on the tech front, and he’ll use his combination of rugged good looks and openness to try to woo Quinn. No obstacle will be too insurmountable for Booth, which is an excellent quality for any man looking to work his way into Quinn’s heart without leaving too much damage in his wake. His adventurousness, humor, and optimism may in fact be exactly what Quinn needs after her messy relationship with Chet in Season 1.
UnReal marks Gruffudd’s third significant television role in recent years. In addition to Forever, he appeared in all twenty-two episodes of Sarah Michelle Gellar’s series Ringer on The CW some years back. Hopefully, he’ll have better luck with UnReal as a project that avoids premature cancellation. He’s made guest appearances on major network shows such as Castle and Glee, and he’s lent his voice talents to several animated series and movies.
He’s a much more familiar face when it comes to his big screen credits. He won the part of Mr. Fantastic for the 2005 Fantastic Four film, and reprised the role in 2007 for Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. More recently, he appeared in San Andreas and the coincidentally titled Forever. Gruffudd may not have played a part quite like John Booth before, but he’s clearly a highly adaptable performer who could be a perfect fit for the second season of UnReal.
You’ll be able to catch Ioan Gruffudd as John Booth when Season 2 of UnReal premieres on Lifetime on June 6. Be sure to tune in at 10 p.m. ET to find out whether sparks fly between Booth and Quinn from the very beginning. To see when the rest of your favorite shows will be returning to the airwaves, check out our schedule of summer TV premiere dates.
