or


[07/16/12 - 03:24 PM]
National Geographic Channel Signs Billy Campbell As Abraham Lincoln And Jesse Johnson As John Wilkes Booth In The Scott Free Production Of "Killing Lincoln"
Plus: Geraldine Hughes is set as Mary Todd Lincoln; Graham Beckel as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton; and Shawn Pyfrom as Private John W. Nichols.

[via press release from National Geographic Channel]

National Geographic Channel Signs Billy Campbell As Abraham Lincoln And Jesse Johnson As John Wilkes Booth In The Scott Free Production Of "Killing Lincoln"

Also Confirmed: Geraldine Hughes as Mary Todd Lincoln; Graham Beckel as Secretary of War Edwin Stanton; Shawn Pyfrom as Private John W. Nichols

Production Starts Today, Monday, July 16, in Richmond, Va., Area; Film to Premiere Globally on National Geographic Channel in Early 2013

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2012 -- National Geographic Channel (NGC) today announced that actor Billy Campbell has been cast as Abraham Lincoln and actor Jesse Johnson will play John Wilkes Booth in the two-hour upcoming television film Killing Lincoln by Ridley and Tony Scott's Scott Free Productions.

Adrian Moat, of the critically hailed and award-winning "Gettysburg," is directing the script by Emmy(R)-award winner writer Erik Jendresen ("Band of Brothers"), which is based on Bill O'Reilly's New York Times best-selling book Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever with co-author Martin Dugard. The film is set to air globally on NGC in early 2013. Production begins today in Richmond, Va., and surrounding areas and will continue through early August.

National Geographic Channel also announced today that industry veteran Teri Ellen Weinberg ("The Office," "The Tudors," "Ugly Betty") is joining the production as an executive producer for the network, working closely with Scott Free Productions and Herzog & Co. ("Gettysburg").

Billy Campbell, who was born in Charlottesville, Va., most recently portrayed Darren Richmond in AMC's "The Killing," but he is perhaps best known for his role as Rick Sammler on "Once and Again," for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won a People's Choice Award. Additional television roles have included Det. Joey Indelli on "Crime Story," Jordan Collier on "The 4400," and Dr. Jon Fielding on the "Tales of the City" miniseries. His most notable films include "The Rocketeer," "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and "Enough." Said Campbell, "It's maybe the most defining crime in America's history, certainly in its history to that point. I'm thrilled to be part of this, and immensely grateful to National Geographic Channel, and to the Scott brothers, for the honor and the challenge of playing such a cherished yet controversial figure as Lincoln."

Jesse Johnson, the son of actor Don Johnson, most recently completed work as a series regular on the hit Spanish television comedy "Con El Culo Al Aire." He starred in the indie film "Chapman," the NBC pilot "A Mann's World," and the Myspace.com film "Circle of Eight." Other film and TV credits include "The Back-Up Bride," "Dreamtime's Over," "My Life: Untitled," "Redline," "Nash Bridges," "Law & Order" and "Word of Honor." "John Wilkes Booth has been dismissed as a scoundrel and a madman," he says. "Yet I was drawn to the part because he is a fascinating character that is fanatical, yet complicated and passionate."

Additional casting announcements include Geraldine Hughes as Mary Todd Lincoln, Graham Beckel as Edwin Stanton, who served as secretary of war under the Lincoln administration, and Shawn Pyfrom as Private John W. Nichols. Hughes' extensive TV credits include "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," "Nurse Jackie" and "The Good Wife," among others, but she may be best known for her portrayal of "Little Marie" in "Rocky Balboa" and Clint Eastwood's daughter-in-law in "Gran Torino."

Beckel has made a rich career playing tough character roles, such as L. D. Newsome in "Brokeback Mountain" and Detective Sgt. Dick Stensland in the award-winning "L.A. Confidential." Other film credits include "Pearl Harbor," "Bulworth," "True Crime" and "Leaving Las Vegas." Recent TV credits include guest roles on "Scandal," "CSI: New York," "Castle," "CSI: Miami," "Heroes" and "Grey's Anatomy."

Shawn Pyfrom has appeared in several television series and movies, and is best known for his portrayal of Andrew Van de Kamp on ABC's "Desperate Housewives." Pyfrom's character Private John W. Nichols is the young member of Company K, 150th Massachusetts Volunteers (also known as the "the bucktails"), who bore witness to a possible assassination attempt in August 1864 - 8 months before Lincoln was killed.

The two-hour special Killing Lincoln will capture the riveting narrative style and intimate detail used by O'Reilly in the book, which reinvigorated the story of Lincoln, engrossing readers around the world. Production on the historical thriller will combine rare historical archives, emotionally engaging storytelling and feature-film quality re-enactments with CGI in the signature style of the Scott brothers.

On filming in Virginia, director Adrian Moat explained, "when we started to consider locations for where we would film Killing Lincoln, we felt it was important to look first in the very places where a good portion of our story took place, and that was Virginia. Once we scouted the rich historical locations of Richmond and Petersburg, that was it-we never considered anywhere else. I have fallen in love with this area and its people. I hope that when the audience watches the film, they will be thrilled and enlightened by the story behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but I also hope they will be intrigued about the locations and the history that we have found, and motivated to visit Virginia to experience these places for themselves."

Killing Lincoln is being produced by Scott Free Productions and Herzog & Co. for National Geographic Channel. Executive producers are Ridley Scott and Tony Scott, along with Bill O'Reilly, David Zucker, Mary Lisio, Mark Herzog and Erik Jendresen (also credited as writer). Producer is Christopher Cowen, Herzog & Co., and director is Adrian Moat. For NGC, president is Howard T. Owens, executive producers are Teri Ellen Weinberg and Richard Wells, vice president of production and development is Charlie Parsons, and executive vice president of programming is Michael Cascio.





  [july 2012]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S


· KILLING LINCOLN (NGC)





[11/22/24 - 01:31 PM]
Video: "Suits LA" Arrives February 2025 - NBC
The all-new spinoff of the beloved legal drama, starring Stephen Amell, Lex Scott Davis, Josh McDermitt, and Bryan Greenberg, lands on the West Coast.

[11/22/24 - 12:11 PM]
Video: Peacock Releases First Look at the Third Season of Emmy Award-Winning Reality Competition Series "The Traitors" Returning January 9 with Alan Cumming as Host
Last season, "The Traitors" became the #1 unscripted series in the U.S. across all streaming platforms during launch week, according to Nielsen.

[11/22/24 - 10:15 AM]
Apple's Drama "Your Friends & Neighbors" Lands Early Season Two Renewal
Starring and executive produced by Emmy Award winner Jon Hamm, "Your Friends & Neighbors" will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday, April 11 with two episodes, followed by one new episode weekly through Friday, May 30.

[11/22/24 - 09:01 AM]
Apple Original Films' "Fly Me to the Moon" to Premiere December 6, 2024
Since its debut in theaters worldwide, the film has received the Verified Hot certification on Rotten Tomatoes by fans.

[11/22/24 - 08:03 AM]
Peacock Exclusively Streams Blumhouse's "Speak No Evil" Beginning December 6
The psychological horror thriller stars James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, Aisling Franciosi, Alix West Lefler, Dan Hough, Scoot McNairy, and more!

[11/22/24 - 07:35 AM]
2024 "Emirates NBA Cup" Championship Game Exclusively on ABC and ESPN+ December 17
In addition, ESPN platforms will exclusively present a semifinal game and a quarterfinal game as part of its 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Round coverage.

[11/22/24 - 07:12 AM]
Peacock and Sky's Original Hit Drama Series "The Day of the Jackal" Scores Second Season Renewal
In the US it ranked #1 on Peacock's Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend (according to preliminary Nielsen data).

[11/22/24 - 06:31 AM]
Video: "Chef's Table" Volume 7 - Official Teaser - Netflix
Meet five world-class chefs who redefine culinary boundaries with delicious, innovative dishes honoring their diverse cultures and personal philosophies.

[11/22/24 - 05:41 AM]
"They Call It Late Night with Jason Kelce" Set for January 2025 on ESPN
Airing on Friday nights/early Saturday mornings, the new personality-driven, one-hour program will take its inspiration from traditional late-night television, emphasizing a comedic approach throughout all five scheduled episodes which run in conjunction with the finale of the NFL regular season and playoffs.

[11/22/24 - 03:01 AM]
Video: "Ad Vitam" - Official Trailer - Netflix
After escaping an attempted murder, Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) must find his wife Léo, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious group of armed men.

[11/21/24 - 04:01 PM]
"Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die" Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
In the shadows of Korea's rugby world, seven teams engage in a fierce battle of strength, strategy, and teamwork - all vying to be crowned champion.

[11/21/24 - 04:00 PM]
ABC Presents a Two-Night Special Event To Commemorate the Diamond Anniversary of "Mary Poppins"
First, "The Untold Story of Mary Poppins: A Special Edition of 20/20," a two-hour special from ABC News Studios chock full of rarely seen footage, photos and stories from the film's living legends, airs Wednesday, November 27 on ABC and streams next day on Hulu and Disney+.

[11/21/24 - 01:32 PM]
2024 International Emmy Nominees on Hulu
Check out these Emmy-worthy international series streaming on Hulu.

[11/21/24 - 01:12 PM]
"Dancing with the Stars" Semifinals Is Top Program of the Night in Adults 18-49 and All Key Women Demographics
The spectacular season 33 penultimate episode grew over the previous week's 500th episode celebration in both Total Viewers (5.19 million vs. 5.13 million) and Adults 18-49 (0.75 rating vs. 0.71 rating), hitting a season high in Total Viewers.

[11/21/24 - 01:05 PM]
NBC Orders Five Additional Episodes of Its Friday Night Comedy Hit "Happy's Place"
The "Happy's Place" premiere has hit 14 million viewers across all platforms.