Orlando Jones had some words of encouragement for Delroy Lindo as he takes over the role of Mr. Nancy in Anansi Boys.Jones, who played Mr. Nancy for the first two seasons on American Gods, shared his praise for Lindo on Twitter. "Congratulations to the INCREDIBLE LEGENDARY Delroy Lindo," he said. "U will make a wonderful Mr. Nancy! Now, I hope they don't follow the book too closely. Either way, sending much love your way sir!" Jones tweet refers to the fact that in the original novel, Mr. Nancy's sudden death is the impetus for the story and most of his appearances are limited to flashbacks.
Actor Orlando Jones appeared in the role of Mr. Nancy in American Gods and was a producer and uncredited writer during the show's second season. Jones was fired from the show before the third season and later explained that showrunner Chris Eglee "[thought] Mr. Nancy's angry, get shit done [was] the wrong message for Black America." Freemantle, the production company behind American Gods, denied the allegations of racism, saying "Mr. Jones' option was not picked up because Mr. Nancy, among other characters, is not featured in the portion of the book we are focusing on within Season 3."
Author Neil Gaiman announced he would be adapting Anansi Boys to a miniseries. Shortly after, Lindo was announced to play the newest incarnation of the Ashanti trickster god. "Delroy Lindo is a giant of the stage and the screen, and we are so lucky to have him," Gaiman said of the casting. "I cannot wait to see his gravitas and charm being deployed for the benefit of Anansi Boys, as he plays an unreliable father with hidden depths."
Source:Â Twitter