Ten Things the Cast of Doom Patrol Shares in Common With Their Roles

Fully embracing the surreal wackiness of its source material, Doom Patrol has already become a substantial hit among critics and general audiences. The cast of the show is a major reason for this success, handling their unusual roles with aplomb. Actors are typically similar to the characters they play—at least a little—but it seems unlikely that the Doom Patrol cast could have anything in common with the world’s strangest superheroes, right? Wrong! Part of the show’s appeal is that it finds the core humanity amongst all the body horror and farting, interdimensional donkeys. Here are ten things that the Doom Patrol cast shares in common with their roles.

Brendan Fraser And Clifford Steele/Robotman Both Had A Comeback

Once a huge film star of the 90’s and early 00’s, the always loveable Brendan Fraser fell off the radar around 2010. He never stopped working, but his days of helming blockbusters like The Mummy appeared to be over. The reasons for this were shrouded in mystery for years. It eventually came to light that a thorny tangle of personal and financial problems had been keeping him down, but no longer! Fraser has returned with a (furry?) vengeance, experiencing a true renaissance on TV and streaming shows. Sure, Clifford Steele’s comeback involved dying in a horrific crash and being revived as a brain in a metal body, but making it in Hollywood can be just as difficult!

Matt Bomer Is Gay, Just Like Larry Trainor/Negative Man

Doom Patrol The Negative Spirit and Larry Trainor

Obviously, Bomer and Trainor are not solely defined by their sexualities, but it’s something that bonds them together. In fact, the decision to make Trainor gay was what initially drew Bomer to the part.

In the original comics, Larry Trainor was largely straight, although at one point he did fuse with a woman named Eleanor Poole to form an intersex being that was able to copulate with itself. It would seem the Doom Patrol franchise has always possessed a forward-thinking perspective.

Diane Guerrero Cares Deeply About Mental Health

Guerrero may not have sixty-four distinct personalities, (beat that, Split guy!) but she can relate with Crazy Jane’s plight on some level. Guerrero is an outspoken activist regarding mental health concerns.

She has opened up about her own struggles with depression and anxiety many times in the past, hoping to raise awareness and let others know they’re not alone. Unfortunately, Crazy Jane’s unique predicament is probably beyond the scope of basic therapy. Oh well, at least she’s been able to make some equally bizarre friends.

April Bowlby And Rita Farr/Elastigirl Are Actresses

April Bowlby as Rita Farr in Doom Patrol

Well, technically Rita Farr is a former actress from the 1960’s. Her career got derailed after being infected by strange gas on the set of a film called Forbidden Congo. The upside is extreme longevity, but the downside is turning into a blob every once in a while. Still, Farr and Bowlby have at least shared the same career. Also, coincidentally enough, Bowlby has a tattoo of the word “Change.” It’s pretty interesting then that she went on to play a character who’s all about changing shape.

Joivan Wade And Victor Stone/Cyborg Have The Same Infectious Enthusiasm

No matter the iteration: animated, comic, or live-action, Cyborg is always ready to kick-butt and have a little fun at the same time. Doom Patrol’s Cyborg has got a lot more on his mind, but he’s still the same half-robotic teen we all know and love.

Wade has approached the part full of energy and reverence for the character’s history. Previously, after Wade had landed a prominent role in The First Purge, he hoped it would give him enough recognition to play a superhero. Turns out he was right!

Timothy Dalton And Niles Caulder/The Chief Are Consummate Father Figures

Niles Caulder, the Chief, in Doom Patrol

Timothy Dalton is a father in real life, and everything about him—from his salt-and-pepper beard to his gruff yet comforting voice—screams paternalistic. It’s part of what made him so effective as the fatherly Sir Malcom Murray in Penny Dreadful, and it’s why he’s the perfect match for Niles Caulder. For better or worse, Caulder is a surrogate dad to the misfits that make up the Doom Patrol. He accepts them in spite of their destructive eccentricities. Think of him as Professor X, but a graduate from the “School of Hard Knocks” instead of Oxford.

Alan Tudyk Loves Wise-Cracking Villains

Tudyk has made a career of playing dastardly fiends with a comedic streak. In fact, he is the current voice of DC’s animated Joker. Who better then to take on the mantle of Eric Morden/Mr. Nobody, the veritable Joker to Doom Patrol’s Batman? However, Tudyk isn’t content to just play them exactly the same.

Eric Morden starts off as a bumbling, ineffectual villain before becoming Mr. Nobody. He’s very aware of his past failings. Tudyk has tapped into Mr. Nobody’s wry, self-conscious attitude, making him a gleefully wicked antagonist without merely aping Joker’s style.

Phil Morris And Silas Stone Are Obsessed With Superheroes

Many actors enter the on-screen world of superheroes having little-to-no experience with the genre. Morris however, came prepared. He has been reading comics since childhood and one of his biggest roles was Smallville’s Martian Manhunter.

In Doom Patrol, Silas Stone’s preoccupation with superheroes is more fanatical than fanboyish. A brilliant scientist and the father of Cyborg, Stone is determined to make his son an exemplary crime-fighter no matter the cost. He also has a tense relationship with The Chief. Stone believes that he should be the one in charge of Doom Patrol, not Caulder.

Mark Sheppard Is No Stranger To The Occult

Sheppard is perhaps most famous for playing the demon Crowley on Supernatural (which was also helmed by Doom Patrol showrunner Jeremy Carver). There’s no doubt that Sheppard’s turn as Crowley—based on the famous real-life occultist, Alistair Crowley—has helped prepare him for the role of paranormal magician-detective Willoughby Kipling.

That description of Kipling may ring a bell because he was originally conceived as Vertigo Comic’s answer to John Constantine.

Julian Richings And Heinrich Von Fuchs Are Fans Of Experimentation

Thankfully though, Richings, another Supernatural alumnus, doesn’t experiment on people like Von Fuchs does. His experimentation is far more ethical. It involves finding interests outside of acting. Richings has been known to belt out a few rock-and-roll tunes on stage and he really enjoys teaching his craft to aspiring thespians. To be honest, Richings and Von Fuchs are probably the least similar on this list. After all, the former is a kindhearted family man, whereas the latter is a demented Nazi scientist who probably doesn’t even like rock-and-roll.

NEXT: Doom Patrol: 9 Biggest Questions After Episode 3, "Puppet Patrol"