After seventeen episodes of hints and build-up, viewers were finally treated to seeing the mysterious Mr. Linderman on the March 5 episode of “Heroes.”
Linderman was played by long-time genre actor Malcolm McDowell. Linderman shared a scene with Adrian Pasdar’s Nathan Petrelli, making a chicken pot pie and hinting that great things were in store for Nathan, should he follow the plan Linderman has for him.
The casting of McDowell was a coup for the show and one that almost didn’t happen, according to an article in Entertainment Weekly. When initially approached about the role, McDowell’s first inclination was to pass on the pivotal part. Before he passed on the role, McDowell asked his son, Charlie for advice.
“He said, ‘Are you kidding?! It’s “Heroes”! You gotta do it!'”
McDowell took the role and will be back for at least three more episodes when the series returns in April. As we reported last week on the Slice of SciFi web site, a scene from episode 19 with McDowell and Pasdar was previewed at the Paley festival. Series creator Tim Kring hopes to sign McDowell to more episodes next season.
Right now, McDowell is enjoying the role, hinting about Linderman’s role in the events unfolding in the hit serial-drama. McDowell said he’s looking forward to the season finale and hopes he gets to share screen time with popular character, Hiro.
“He’s just marvelous, isn’t he?” said McDowell. “I can’t wait to ask him for my sword back. Personally.”
I’m sorry. Am I the only one who was disappointed when we finally got to see the mysterious Linderman and it turned out to be McDowell? It was a let down on a scale of, I guess, finally being show the little guy who was really the Wizard of Oz. I mean, after all the build up to him, and the amazing “Company man” episode that came before him, Linderman didn’t only have to live up the our (my) expectations of him, he had to live up to Jack Coleman’s sinister Bennet (Or HRG) and now Eric Roberts brilliantly malevolent serpentine character, ugh, what’s his name. HE should have been Linderman. McDowell just left me cold. My 2 cents and about all it’s worth. LOL!
Dee – GAAK writer dude
That may just be the appeal of Linderman being McDowell. An grey-haired old man doating around in the kitchen playing like Wolfgang Puck when he really is this powerful magnate of a man able to destroy cities and wipe out countless lives with a single word from his mouth.
Don’t underestimate McDowell, he is one helluva an actor and can pull off any role, the more sinister masked in innocence the better.
“Judge me by my size, do you?” – Yoda 🙂
Dee – GAAK writer dude
They shouldn’t have put his name in the opening credits. It was kind of obvious at that point that he would be Linderman.