Upcoming Apple TV+ Show 'Foundation' Gains New Cast Members - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Upcoming Apple TV+ Show 'Foundation' Gains New Cast Members

by

asimovfoundationApple this week signed on several new cast members for "Foundation," an upcoming Apple TV+ series that's based on Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" novels.

Lee Pace and Jared Harris have already been cast in the key roles of Brother Day (the Emperor of the Galaxy) and Hari Seldon, respectively, but now Apple is filling out the rest of the roles.

According to Variety, Lou Llobell, Leah Harvey, Laura Birn, Terrance Mann, and Cassian Bilton have joined the "Foundation" series as series regulars.

Asimov's "Foundation" series follows a psychohistory expert and mathematician Hari Seldon who is able to predict the future. Seldon creates a group called the Foundation to preserve humanity's collective knowledge ahead of the impending fall of the Galactic Empire. There are multiple novels in the "Foundation" series that span many years and cover the rise and fall of multiple empires.

Llobell will play Gaal, a mathematical genius from a repressed planet, while Harvey will play Salvor, a protective warden of a remote outer planet. Birn will play the roll of Demerzel, an aid to Brother Day, Mann will play Brother Dusk, the eldest member of the ruling family, and Bilton will play Brother Dawn, the youngest member of the ruling family and Brother Day's successor.

Once casting finishes for "Foundation" it will move on to filming, which suggests we can expect the show to premiere sometime in 2020. There's no word yet on a potential release date.

‌Apple TV‌+ is available now for $4.99 per month with TV shows like "The Morning Show," "For All Mankind," "Dickinson," "Servant," and more.

Top Rated Comments

nortofthe13th Avatar
82 months ago

Is it bad that I've heard of exactly none of these actors?

That said, I'm definitely looking forward to the series.
Jared Francis Harris is a notable English actor from the Sherlock Holmes movie and the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (in which he was fantastic). Most of the others are unknown, which can often be a good thing; it’s nice to get new faces and talent in the mix.
I think this has the potential to be a HUGE world building show!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
82 months ago
This sounds interesting and something I would most definitely watch.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
82 months ago
Jared Harris is one of my favorite actors. He is sublime. Most recently I’ve been blown away by his role in Chernobyl.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
82 months ago

Are you subtly trying to put down these actors, or are you demonstrating shame at being ignorant of them? It's hard to tell.

I'm quite familiar with both actors. Jared Harris is particularly notable; from, for example, major roles in Mad Men (Emmy nomination), Chernobyl (Emmy nomination), The Crown, and The Terror; as well as smaller but notable roles in The Expanse, Fringe, and others. If you don't recognize his face, you probably don't watch much quality TV.

Lee Pace is most notable as one of the male leads in Halt and Catch Fire, but he has also had a number of supporting roles in some notable films (The Hobbit series, Guardians of the Galaxy...).

And, may I put in a plug in form IMDB as a great resource when you are not instantly familiar with an actor's name?
He was fantastic in his recurring Fringe role.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gasu E. Avatar
82 months ago

Is it bad that I've heard of exactly none of these actors?

That said, I'm definitely looking forward to the series.
Are you subtly trying to put down these actors, or are you demonstrating shame at being ignorant of them? It's hard to tell.

I'm quite familiar with both actors. Jared Harris is particularly notable; from, for example, major roles in Mad Men (Emmy nomination), Chernobyl (Emmy nomination), The Crown, and The Terror; as well as smaller but notable roles in The Expanse, Fringe, and others. If you don't recognize his face, you probably don't watch much quality TV.

Lee Pace is most notable as one of the male leads in Halt and Catch Fire, but he has also had a number of supporting roles in some notable films (The Hobbit series, Guardians of the Galaxy...).

And, may I put in a plug in form IMDB as a great resource when you are not instantly familiar with an actor's name?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
doelcm82 Avatar
82 months ago

Jared Francis Harris is a notable English actor from the Sherlock Holmes movie and the HBO miniseries Chernobyl (in which he was fantastic). Most of the others are unknown, which can often be a good thing; it’s nice to get new faces and talent in the mix.
I think this has the potential to be a HUGE world building show!
Speaking of world building, Jared Harris also appears in The Expanse.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...