'Galavant's King Should Be Familiar, Nerds

ABC's Galavant, which premieres on January 4, is certainly a niche show. First off, it's a musical, and musical-comedy audiences are a pretty insular crowd. (Glee and Smash fans know what I'm talking about.) Even then, it's a musical set in an old-timey, fairytale-ish world. Not every actor can pull off the medieval beard, have singing chops, and look regal and evil doing both like the villainous King Richard from Galavant. It's no wonder actor Timothy Omundson took up the task.

Omundson is no stranger to genre television. The Seattle native has been doing these kinds of niche-audience TV shows forever. I mean it; he was on SeaQuest 2032 back in the '90s (you know, the show where Jonathan Brandis talked to dolphins).

To add to that, he's also a theater vet. He got his start at the Seattle Children's Theater when he was only 12, then went on get an undergrad degree in theater from USC, according to his official website. (He also won the college's Jack Nicholson award.)

So, he's got the singing and acting parts covered; he certainly has the facial hair; and he has the ability to win over an insular audience. Need more proof that he's in the right place? Here are some more nerdy shows where Omundson earned his genre chops:

Supernatural

In the episode "First Born," Omundson plays Cain (yes, of Cain-and-Abel fame). So if you're wondering if he can play an old-timey dude like King Richard, he's actually gone back and played characters much older than that.

Psych

Omundson had a much bigger role in the USA show, as the sadly not-hirsute detective Carlton Lassiter. "For me, that was really fun to play," Omundson said in an interview with the Niagra-Wheatfield Tribune. "It's always fun when you get to play something so different, and that was just a ball." If he likes playing someone different, then a singing, dancing Medieval king is certainly going to be up his alley.

Jericho

Talk about your fan-beloved cult shows. On Jericho, Omundson played Phil Constantino, the sheriff and town manager of New Bern. Like King Richard, he wasn't necessarily the most heroic of characters. But it's way more fun to play the villain, right? Plus, he gets some practice here rockin' the bearded look.

Star Wars Video Games

He's done a whole fleet of voices, including one stint as Obi-Wan Kenobi, in various Star Wars video games. That's not so culty, but it shows he has been hired solely on the strength of his voice in the past.

So, yeah, Omundson has it all: good voice, a list of cult-followed fan-favorite credits, experience playing villains, and a whole host of fun facial hair. He'll certainly make a good King Richard in Galavant.

Image: Nick Ray/ABC; giphy