Why Johan Wengren From American Gods Season 3 Looks So Familiar
Whether you enjoy watching the fantasy series American Gods on Starz because you're a fan of Neil Gaiman's original source material or you love the mysterious characters and storyline that pits gods of old mythology against the new gods of the modern world, you may have at some point wondered why the character Johan Wengren in season 3 looks so familiar. It's because the actor playing the lead singer of the death metal band who's more than he seems is really a world-famous musician.
The actor is a goth-rock artist who sports a signature look marked by wild outfits, a full face of makeup, and long, jet black hair known as Marilyn Manson, whose real name is Brian Hugh Warner, according to Biography. While Manson may be best known for his work as a musician, there are still plenty of times he's appeared on television or in film before, even without his signature look and makeup, so it wouldn't be unrealistic to think you've seen him somewhere before.
You might have seen Marilyn Manson on TV in his music videos
Way before his appearances as Johan Wengren in two episodes of American Gods season 3, "A Winter's Tale" and "The Unseen," Marilyn Manson made his first significant appearances on TV performing in music videos as the front man for his band.
Manson has built his reputation on shock-rock performances and outlandish looks, and he has appeared in more than 40 music videos that deliver on these points to date, per IMVDb. For instance, while his music video for "Get Your Gunn" was his first music video in 1994, the first one to earn him lots of attention was the video for his 1995 cover of the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)." Others that have been very popular over the years include 1998's "The Dope Show" and 1996's "The Beautiful People," according to a report from uDiscoverMusic.
Marilyn Manson has appeared in several movies over the years
While Marilyn Manson gained fame quickly as an eccentric musician and performer whose music millions of fans connected with, he has also taken roles on television and in films. In fact, Biography notes that Manson even studied theater when he attended a community college in Florida.
His earliest stints as an actor were in David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway, in which Manson has a cameo as an adult film star. He was in the 1999 comedy Jawbreaker, which starred his then-girlfriend Rose McGowan, and in 2004's The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things. However, the most memorable role is perhaps when he appeared as Christina Superstar in 2003's Party Monster, in which his captivating performance pays homage to his real-life "club kid" days in 1990s New York City. Manson has also appeared in several short films, including a short horror film he made in collaboration with Shia LaBeouf, Born Villain.
American Gods isn't Marilyn Manson's first time on TV
However, his work as a musician and the few bit parts he's had on the big screen aren't the only reasons why Johan Wengren from American Gods season 3 might look familiar.
As IMDb notes, Marilyn Manson has appeared in several television shows, with smaller roles being "The Dark Man" in a 2010 episode of the Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, appearing in The Soup, and as a roller rink server in a 2013 episode of the comedy series Eastbound & Down. Manson even appeared as himself in a 2013 episode of Californication.
Manson's most famous TV roles are no doubt his recurring roles on FX's Sons of Anarchy and WGN's Salem. On Sons of Anarchy, Manson played Ron Tully, a leader of the Aryan Brotherhood, in the final 2014 season. On Salem, he appeared as Thomas Dinley, a surgeon, barber, and mortician, in 2016 and 2017.