Last February, The CW announced that John Wesley Shipp had joined “The Flash” pilot in an undisclosed role. Now that “The Flash” is officially going to series, The CW has finally decided to reveal who Shipp will be playing.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Shipp will play Harry Allen, the father of Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) aka The Flash. In the 1990 CBS adaptation of “The Flash,” Shipp played Barry Allen for a single season. Shipp will reportedly recur on “The Flash.” As part of the backstory created by Geoff Johns, Barry Allen’s mother was murdered by a supervillain and Harry Allen was arrested for the crime. Presumably Shipp’s character will be in prison while The Flash attempts to clear his father’s name.
In addition to his previous starring role as “The Flash,” Shipp is best known for playing Mitch Leery, the father of Dawson Leery from “Dawson’s Creek.” Shipp has also appeared in “Guiding Light,” “As The World Turns,”“All My Children” and “Teen Wolf.”
“The Flash” will premiere on The CW this fall.
