'Manhunt: Unabomber' Air Date, Spoilers: Paul Bettany, Sam Worthington Discuss Ted Kaczynski Drama on Discovery [VIDEO]
Discovery's first scripted drama series is getting some buzz. "Manhunt: Unabomber" will premiere on the cable channel in August, and it will delve into the search for Ted Kaczynski, whose bombings took the life of three victims and injured dozens.
Paul Bettany headlines the drama series as the infamous Unabomber who unleashed a series of violence from 1978 to 1995. In preparing for this role, the actor told the press that he needed a quick study on history.
"I started doing the research and I realized my memory of him is just this sort of homeless hermit that you remember from those photographs," Bettany stated, adding, he also learned Kaczynski was involved in controversial experiments as a Harvard student and a professor at Berkley University.
But Bettany said the TV show won't paint the Unabomber in a sympathetic way. It will, however, shed light on who the man was before he was arrested and incarcerated in 1996. It will also explore the contributions of the other people involved in his capture.
Joining Bettany on "Manhunt: Unabomber" are Sam Worthington as the profiler James Fitzgerald; Jane Lynch as U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno; and Chris Noth, as the FBI chief Don Ackerman. Greg Yaitanes serves as the showrunner and director.
Worthington also did his own research via books, interviews and audio tapes to prepare for his character, who would pin down Kaczynski. He also met Fitzgerald in person and hoped the forensic expert will like his portrayal in the series.
Worthington admitted to the Huffington Post that his approach on Fitzgerald was obsessive-like, similar to when Gollum obsessed over the One Ring in the "Lord of the Rings." One episode in the series will show Fitzgerald going mad as his work on Kaczynski has taken a toll on his life and family.
"Manhunt: Unabomber" had a discreet premiere in New York City with the cast in attendance. The series will debut on Tuesday, Aug. 1 at 9 p.m. EDT on the Discovery Channel.
