Photograph by Quantrell Colbert/NBC
St. Constantine of Kiev died in 1159, and his will stipulated that his corpse be fed to dogs. It can’t be a coincidence that “1159” is the code on production signs for NBC’s drama Constantine, based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer series and filmed entirely in Atlanta.
Evidently NBC hopes demons are the new zombies. Here’s what you need to know about the show, which debuts October 24: Demon hunter John Constantine thought his soul was damned, but a series of supernatural threats offers a chance at redemption and shoves him back to the front lines. The titular role is played by Welsh actor Matt Ryan—not to be confused with the Falcons quarterback. We wondered if the former Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior star was able to use the name to his advantage while here. “He’s got a really busy schedule, so I don’t think he’s had to deal with too many dinner reservations,” says costar Charles Halford (True Detective), who plays Constantine’s best friend, Chas Chandler. “But we always joke about it.”
This article original appeared in the October 2014 issue with the headline “Raising Hell.”
