If you’ve been enjoying Netflix’s exploration of Greek mythology in Kaos, the chances are Jeff Goldblum was a big part of why.
The Oscar nominee receives top billing in Charlie Covell’s new show, in which he stars as the king of the gods himself, Zeus.
Jeff’s unique spin on the classic Zeus, which depicts him as paranoid, cynical and entering something of an extreme midlife crisis, has been singled out by critics as one of the show’s strongest suits.
So, it might come as a surprise to hear that Jeff wasn’t the first actor cast in the role of Zeus.
In fact, none other than Hugh Grant was originally intended to play Zeus, as revealed in a post on X (then still known as Twitter) by Netflix two years ago:
As more people have been seeing what all the fuss is about when it comes to Kaos, the discovery that Hugh was originally supposed to play Zeus has sparked a range of reactions.
Some can’t imagine anyone but Jeff in the lead role, while others are curious about what Hugh might have done with the character…
It’s thought Hugh was unable to go ahead with Kaos due to filming commitments on the fourth Bridget Jones film, which hits cinemas next year. He’ll next be seen in action in the A24 horror film Heretic, for which he has already received rave reviews after the film’s premiere on Sunday night.
Kaos creator Charlie Covell recently told Cosmopolitan: “Now that Jeff is Zeus, I can’t imagine anyone else. And to me, he’s perfect casting.
“Pre Jeff, we were just looking for someone who could be terrifying and vulnerable, and was a fantastic actor. And I think Hugh Grant’s a very fine actor. But I think we ended up with the perfect actor.”
Kaos is available to stream in full on Netflix now.