Geoffrey Rush to Play Albert Einstein in Nat Geo’s Genius

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shine) has been cast in National Geographic Channel’s upcoming global anthology series Genius.

Rush will star as Albert Einstein in the network’s first-ever scripted series. The story is based on Walter Isaacson’s biography of the celebrated scientist. The first episode will be directed by Imagine Television’s Ron Howard, marking his first time directing a scripted prime-time drama.

Meanwhile, Johnny Flynn (Clouds of Sils Maria, Song One, Lovesick) will play Einstein in the years before he rose to international attention and acclaim.

Production begins next month in Prague, and will air in 2017 on the National Geographic Channel in 171 countries and 45 languages. The series comes from Fox 21 Television Studios (Homeland, The People v. O.J. Simpson), Imagine Television (24, Empire), OddLot Entertainment and EUE/Sokolow.

“The caliber of the Genius cast lives up to the show’s title,” said Carolyn Bernstein, the executive VP and head of global scripted development and production at National Geographic Channel. “The supremely talented Geoffrey Rush is dream casting for the role of Albert Einstein, and Johnny Flynn not only is an incredible talent but also bears more than a passing resemblance to Rush. We couldn’t be more excited to get them to work with Ron and the rest of the team.”

“It’s a testament to Ron, our team of creative partners and this fantastic material that we have put together such a powerhouse cast, led by the great Geoffrey Rush,” commented Bert Salke, the president of Fox 21 Television Studios. “This truly has all the ingredients to be a special series.”

Howard added, “National Geographic’s unwavering commitment to excellence and their support and passion for this project have helped us attract talent such as Geoffrey and Johnny. My excitement for this project grows every day, and I cannot wait to get started.”