Tahmoh Penikett Cast In 'Dollhouse'

Casting news is starting to leak out about the much-awaited series created by Whedon and Eliza Dushku. Penikett will play Paul Smith, an FBI field agent who's been chasing the urban myth of the Dollhouse and becomes a twisted romantic foil for Echo (Eliza Dushku).

Others cast in the show all qualify as candidates for tongue twisters, but if "Dollhouse" doesn't get "FOXed" over the way "Firefly" did, we'll all be saying their names without error or hesitation.

Easiest to pronounce is Fran Kranz, who will play Topher Brink a genius programmer iwho is responsible for imprinting the Dolls and making sure they stay unaware of anything. He has appeared in "Donnie Darko" and "The Village," and most recently has been seen as Josh Flug in the sitcom "Welcome to the Captain."

Also cast is Dichen Lachman as strikingly beautiful Sierra. She is a Doll like Echo, but is not as self-aware as Echo. Lachman, who was born in Nepal to a Tibetan mother and Australian father, is best known by Australian viewers as Katya Kinski in the series "Neighbours."

Finally Enver Gjokaj will play Victor, also in his 20s, handsome and fit. He is also a Doll who is childlike when he's inactive, and everything from Errol Flynn to a young DeNiro when he's active. Gjokaj is a relative newcomer, having appeared in a handful of TV shows since 2006.

In "Dollhouse," Dushku plays Echo, a member of a group of people known as "Actives" or "Dolls" who have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with new personalities for different assignments. They're then hired out for specific jobs, including crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds. In between jobs, their minds are wiped clean of all memories of their activities, and they revert to a child-like state, living in a futuristic secret laboratory nicknamed "The Dollhouse." The story follows Echo, who, in her mind-wiped state, starts to become self-aware.

There are still more roles to be cast on the show, which is reported to begin production in April.

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