Anthrax’s Scott Ian Makes Cameo in CBS Show Evil as Butcher
Scott Ian may be the only remaining original member of Anthrax, but he still finds plenty of time to pursue his burgeoning acting career. That career has seen the Anthrax guitarist pop up in all sorts of unfamiliar places, from The Walking Dead to Game of Thrones. Ian’s most recent cameo came in an episode of the CBS show Evil, with his appearance as Butcher a real treat for any Anthrax fans who tuned in on October 17.
That is of course if they could recognize Ian underneath his grotesque makeup. The guitarist posted a picture on Instagram showing his full Butcher garb, thanking the Evil team for making him “so damn pretty.” Ian is a renowned fan of sci-fi, with the musician taking a keen interest in Battlestar Galactica and Doctor Who. However, his acting career has seen him head into more gruesome genres.
As the name suggests, Evil takes on some dark topics. The series explores supernatural themes in the style of a psychological horror, although Ian’s Butcher character is less psychologically scary and more physically spooky. It is not the first time that Ian has donned heavy make-up and prosthetics to scare television audiences.
The Walking Dead
Loudwire provide the details for Ian’s arduous journey to make it onto The Walking Dead. Ian’s first transformation into a zombie was only aired in a 2011 webisode, but four years later the guitarist made it on to the AMC show for real. Appearing in “Remember,” the 12th episode of Season 5, Ian played a walker who looked to get his hands (and then teeth) on the Grimes family.
Ian’s walker did manage the first part, grabbing Rick Grimes’ leg. However, Carl Grimes responded by spearing a metal pole through Ian’s head. It might not have been the longest cameo, but but it was fairly memorable end considering he was portraying a disposable zombie character.
Game of Thrones
It’s not the only time that Ian has played an undead character, nor is it the only time that he has appeared in one of the most popular TV shows of the last decade. The Guardian recently produced a list of the best shows of the 21st century, with the recently-concluded Game of Thrones coming in at seventh position. Ian’s involvement in The Walking Dead inspired him to create Bloodworks, a podcast that explores the production of special effects in horror scenes.
His role with Bloodworks took him behind the scenes at HBO hit Game of Thrones, and Ian was turned into a White Walker for the show’s sixth season. In an interview with Metal Hammer, Ian spoke about these fantasy shows share themes with many metal bands’ lyrics, while also declaring his desire to appear as a monster in the Star Wars universe. The most recent Star Wars movies have produced a slew of celebrity cameos, but Game of Thrones has been similarly productive.
Global appeal
Game of Thrones attracts huge and diverse audiences, so naturally that includes many people from other entertainment industries. The show has also gone way beyond life as a simple television series, instead turning into a franchise with as much contemporary appeal as Star Wars. Even though Season 8 concluded the original storyline, Digital Spy reported that there are multiple spin-offs in production.
The series has also expanded into other media, taking it further away from George R.R. Martin’s original novels. Betway Casino includes a slot inspired by the TV series, which uses the famous feuding families to shape its reel-based gameplay. There have also been multiple video games that pay tribute to the show, with GameCrate bringing the best of those together in a list.
With that mass appeal that covers several genres of gaming, it is no surprise that musicians of different genres have been integrated into the world of Westeros.
- Ed Sheeran appeared as a Lannister soldier in a four-minute scene
- Country star Chris Stapleton played a wildling who was killed at the Battle of Winterfell
- Coldplay drummer Will Champion was part of the band at the Red Wedding
- Ian isn’t the only metal legend to live – and die – in Westeros, with three of the members from Mastodon (Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor) playing wildlings in the iconic “Hardhome” episode
Cameos work well in fantasy shows, where familiar faces can be hidden under prosthetics or disposed of quickly in the heat of battle. That made Sheeran’s casual four-minute appearance all the more galling for Game of Thrones fans, as it risked shattering the fourth wall. The subtle and scary cameos of Ian have been much more effective. Who would bet against the guitarist getting his wish and appearing in a galaxy far, far away one day?
