Since John Wesley Shipp – star of the original 90s TV series The Flash – joined the cast of The CW’s Arrow spin-off in a super top-secret role, there’s been plenty of speculation as to which character he will be playing. Well, The Flash executive producer Greg Berlanti has revealed all in an interview with TV Line, and he’s not playing Jay Garrick (DC’s original Flash), but rather Barry Allen’s father Henry:
“Given his history with The Flash, [executive producers] Andrew [Kreisberg], Geoff [Johns] and I could only think of one person we wanted to play Barry’s father and that was John Wesley Shipp. He gives a fantastic and emotional performance in the pilot and we are looking forward to his presence in many more episodes. Also, personally, it was just wonderful to work with him again since my days at Dawson’s Creek. He’s a great actor and a great guy.”
The Flash is set to get underway in the Fall and sees Grant Gustin (Glee) leading the cast as Barry Allen alongside the likes of Candice Patton (The Game) as Iris West, Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) as Detective West, Patrick Sabongui (Almost Human) as David Singh, Danielle Panabaker (Friday the 13th) as Caitlin Snow / Killer Frost, Rick Gosnett (The Vampire Diaries) as Eddie Thawne, Broadway star Carlos Valdes as Cisco Ramon / Vibe, Michelle Harrison (Emily Owens, MD) as Nora Allen and Tom Cavanagh (Ed) as Harrison Wells. Watch a five minute trailer for the series here.
Originally published May 28, 2014. Updated December 13, 2019.
