Familiar faces grace the cast of A&E’s ‘Bates Motel’

A&E’s newest horror series Bates Motel is another reboot of the classic psychological horror, Psycho starring a then unknown and now iconic Anthony Perkins. The film was previously remade in 1998 with Vince Vaughn playing the lead role. Now the show is hoping to capitalize on the name recognition that it already has with writer Carlton Cuse, creator of the ABC mega-hit, Lost helming the writing and producing duties. Cuse has assembled a cast full of familiar faces that are no stranger to the silver and small screens just in case the Bates Motel name isn’t identifiable enough to this new generation of teens and young adults who may not have seen the original.

Vera Farmiga – Norma Bates. You might remember her as the business woman with moxie and George Clooney’s frequent bedmate in Up in the Air. That’s where Farmiga became a household name. Now she stars as Norman Bates’ mother, Norma. Wait a minute? Isn’t her character supposed to be dead? Yes, but this show is a prequel to the original film so we get see Norma Bates alive and her son Norman Bates sane. It’s a nice twist to an old story.

Freddie Highmore – Norman Bates. If Freddie Highmore’s name sounds familiar to you, it should be. He was the little boy who appeared almost all of Johnny Depp’s 2000 era films, most notably as Charlie in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Now before you go on feeling old because somehow this little boy is now a 21-year old grown man…forget it. There’s no comfort here. You are old. Highmore plays the pure, teenage Norman Bates who is reluctantly moving to a new town with his mother where together they will turn the Seafairer Motel into the Bates Motel. What could go wrong?

Nestor Carbonell – Sheriff Royce Romero. Losties rejoice. One of your own is joining the Bates Motel cast. You may remember Carbonell as Richard Alpert or as fans lovingly called him, Guyliner because of those incredible, naturally dark eyelids of his. In his new role he plays the strong arm of the law, Sheriff Royce Romero. He can be on the Bates good or bad side depending on the situation. Given the Bates track record, he’ll probably be on their bad side.

Keegan Connor Tracy – Miss Watson. You may not know her name but you know her face if your fan of Once Upon A Time. As many fans know, Once Upon A Time is also a Lost offshoot with Lost writer, Adam Horowitz on board. So it makes since that Horowitz would let The Blue Fairy fly off and explore another land. In the land of Norman Bates, Tracy plays Bates’ Language Arts teacher who is drawn to him but also senses that something darker might be at work inside of him. Leave it to The Blue Fairy to sense darkness when it’s near. Let’s hope that she does well in both of her roles and has no plans to say goodbye to either any time soon.

Bates Motel premieres tonight at 10 p.m. EST on A&E.

For more articles from Niema Hulin, hit ‘subscribe’ at the top of the page to get instant updates when she publishes. Catch up with her in between articles by following her on Twitter and liking her on Facebook.