Riddle me this, PopWatchers: Who should play The Beast? Now don’t all answer "Paris Hilton!" at once, because I’m not speaking about Beelzebub, the role the socialite/"singer" was born to play, but rather, an entirely different beast — the titular protagonist of Fox’s upcoming comedy pilot about an animal-hating, womanizing veterinarian (based on a British series of the same name). It’s a promising premise, if you ask me, but only with the right actor in the role. I’d vote for handsome Aussie Simon Baker, who made sociopathy seem roguishly charming on CBS’ ill-fated Smith, and who has the talent and magnetism to carry a show on his own. (Here he is, second from left, with Smith accomplices Jonny Lee Miller, Franky G, and Ray Liotta.) Option B: How about Alias veteran David Anders? Admit it: Even when his Sark was involved in globe-endangering shenanigans, his lightly flirtatious vibe with Jennifer Garner’s Sydney was kinda irresistible. Or would you prefer someone else as The Beast? Quick! Before Fox casts Eric Balfour!
Fox needs your help in finding 'The Beast'
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Comments (1-29) of 29 Add your comment
How about no one? This show looks more frightening than Ms. Hilton herself.
Bring back Smith.
HAHA ERIC BALFOUR!
Dear GOD yes yes yes …. oh I mean my vote goes for Simon Baker. Will watch him in anything and even on FOX!
David Anders!!! I loved Alias and all its fab cast members, but Sark was the most delicious and fun character on a show that could get too serious at times.
Loved Simon Baker when he was in the CBS show “The Guardian”. I too, will watch him in anything.
Durmot Mulroney. I think he could actually pull it off. Or James McAvoy – oh yea, definitely.
i’m all in for David Anders.
Hell to the Y-E-S on Simon Baker. He’s yummy and then some.
Why did Simon look so weird in The Devil Wears Prada? I have always thought he was gorgeous, but he looks like his face was melting in that movie!
Mmm… Simon Baker. Look, I don’t care what he’s in as long as he’s beaming back into my house on the regular next fall. Shirtless.
Although, I’m thinking about this premise and wondering if it’s House: Pet Doc. Come on, misanthropic doctor who doesn’t like his patients? Maybe Hugh Laurie can do double duty.
Hmm…this an upcoming Fox COMEDY pilot…Simon Baker’s very charming, but I don’t know how funny he is…
So I’ll go with Will Arnett…I think he could do womanizing, animal-hating vet (how ridonk is that, by the way?!) Plus, we know how well Fox would treat a show starring Arnett.
Simon. Yummy.
David Anders would be great.
Or, how about Greg Kinnear? He’s probably too busy with movies, but I would love to see him on series television. Plus, he can do comedy and drama equally well. I still miss his snarky sarcasm on Talk Soup!
david anders would be great i always wanted him to hook up with syd. my other suggestion would be the dude who played giles on buffy can’t rmbr his name right now though.
I adore Simon Baker but I’m not sure aobut his leading comedic skills. Bradley Cooper, the preppie would be fiance from hell in wedding crashers, is fabulously evil and funny and hot. He gets my vote.
just got home from les deux. saw and talked to david anders. told him i had read that someone suggested he be cast in something (although i didn’t remember at the time it was ew.com and the beast). he said something like “from your mouth to god’s ear- i can’t get arrested in hollywood” it made me sad
I love the premise of “Womanizing, devilish veterinarian”, but ANIMAL-HATING?
How in hell does a person who hates animals decide to make a living saving their lives?
Sounds like an ill-conceived, gimmicky TV scenario, that bears no relation to reality…
Plus, I fear what kind of stupid scenes we’ll get that might suggest it’s cool to abuse animals…
I hope the “womanizer” stays, but the “animal-hating” part gets excised from the final scripts…
I love Eric Balfour!
David Anders, Will Arnett, Simon Baker….can we triple cast a show?
I thought I was the only person in love with Simon Baker. Every time I watch Eric Dane on Grey’s Anatomy, I keep thinking Simon would have done this so much better.
I demand a recast.
Studio 60 … Aaron Sorkin really needs to take his personal problems out of it. If he has leftover issues from his relationship with Kristin Chenoweth, he should get therapy. And he’s basically advocating stalking with the Danny-Jordan relationship. I am a Sorkin fan and was all set to love Studio 60, but it’s been really disappointing. Please, Aaron, get your act together. Fast.
Oh PLEASE, not Eric Balfour! Although that would get him off 24, which would be a good thing, and any show starring him would be canceled after two episodes, soooo okay! Eric Balfour it is!
Another vote for David Anders… and THANK YOU for giving him some recognition. I’ve always wondered why no one’s cast him in anything since Alias ended.
What rex lee said in the comments? Makes me want to weep….
I loved Alias (at least the first two years – I suffered through the last 3 for whatever bright moments came through) – but I hate David Anders. LOVE Bradley Cooper – he gets my vote.
Simon Baker all the way. He is so good to be true.
Pleeeeeeeeeease sign-up Simon Baker. He has all the charm and acting ability to do the part justice.
I’d like to see Simon baker a lot more often…so I’d prefer having him in the new show
I think that Simon Baker would be the perfect actor to be cast as ” The Beast”, in fox’s new comedy (He is charming and has good vibes for the part).