Why Percival Pickens From Riverdale Looks So Familiar

"Riverdale" is set to resume its 6th season on March 20, but the town as we know it has been flipped upside down. The mid-season finale ended with the gang dealing with two parallel universes, entering Rivervale after a bomb destroys their hometown. With every season of the teen drama, the events in such a small town continue to be shocking — whether it's serial killers, cult invasions, or supernatural events terrorizing a regular group of high schoolers. 

With a new era of "Riverdale" comes a new villain, but his character looks to be a nod to the original town's historic past. Archie (KJ Apa) and the gang will be tormented by Percival Pickens once the show returns. He's a descendent of Riverdale's founder, General Pickens, and he has sinister intentions. His ominous plans for Riverdale were revealed in the mid-season finale, meaning that he must be taken down before he has a chance to execute them. 

"Riverdale" fans will need to get to know Percival pretty well once new episodes begin to air. He will be portrayed by Chris O'Shea, an English actor with a solid foundation of work under his belt. 

O'Shea's first major recurring role was on the ABC Family sitcom "Baby Daddy" during the show's 3rd season (via IMDb). The actor portrays Philip, a charming British college professor who briefly becomes the boyfriend of Riley (Chelsea Kane). Their relationship ultimately ends because Riley fails to tell Philip that she has romantic history with Ben (Jean-Luc Bilodeau). It also rubs him the wrong way as Ben nearly got Philip fired and deported. It almost happened after Ben poses as Philip and flirts with a student, which is prior to the professor learning of Ben and Riley's on-again, off-again past. 

Philip is often a supporting character who falls victim to the chaos that surrounds Ben and his friends. His relationship with Riley is important for her character development, as it ultimately prepares her to settle down with Danny (Derek Theler). The role also proves O'Shea's ability to play an enigmatic character who can make a memorable mark in just a few episodes. 

As far as film credits go, O'Shea's biggest role was in the 2016 film "Patriots Day," based on the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013. The film stars Mark Wahlberg and showcases not only the horrific act of terror, but the city-wide search to find the culprits. O'Shea portrayed Patrick Downes, a spectator cheering for runners at the finish line of the race. He was joined by his wife Jessica Kensky, who is portrayed by "House of Cards" actor Rachel Brosnahan (via Deadline). 

The couple was seriously injured in the attack, with Downes losing one of his legs, but ultimately, they survived. Their story was inspiring to so many, so Brosnahan and O'Shea had a major responsibility to do their characters justice. It was a major credit to add to O'Shea's resume, as it shows his ability to portray a real-life figure while conveying an impactful story full of emotion. 

If O'Shea looks familiar, it also might be because you're a fan of Netflix's twisted drama "You" starring Penn Badgley. In Season 3 of the popular series, O'Shea starred as Andrew, a resident of Madre Linda. He's a stay-at-home dad who is friends with Sherry (Shalita Grant) and develops a friendship with Joe (Badgley) and Love (Victoria Pedretti) on the show. He appeared in five out of 10 episodes in the most recent season (via IMDb). 

Andrew's character solely exists to juxtapose from Love and Joe's dark lifestyle, as he lives frivolously. When he's not working out or throwing over-the-top kids' birthday parties, he's spreading all of Madre Linda's juiciest gossip. He'll be nice to someone's face, and call them fat behind their back. He's married to Jackson (Bryan Safi) and the couple close out Season 3 by taking over the local bakery, which is an appropriately average ending for their shallow nature.