Dorian Gray’s portrait was suitably horrifying when it was finally revealed on Penny Dreadful. The Picture Of Dorian Gray is a novel written by Oscar Wilde and revolves around the hedonistic title character. Gray strikes a deal whereby his portrait will age while he stays forever young and beautiful. While he indulges in a somewhat amoral lifestyle, his painting gradually withers away. The book was controversial upon publication but has since been recognized as a gothic classic.
The story has been adapted many times, including 1945’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray and 2009’s Dorian Gray starring Ben Barnes (The Punisher). Gray was also a member of the title team in The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he was played by Stuart Townsend. While Universal’s attempts to team their classic monsters for the Dark Universe faltered after The Mummy, TV series Penny Dreadful did a much better job. This Eva Green/Josh Harnett series combined famous literary creatures like Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, and Dr. Jekyll into one very satisfying horror package.
Penny Dreadful earned a sizable cult over the course of its three seasons. Dorian Gray was played by Reeve Carney (The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again) on the show. Like his book counterpart, Gray is prone to debauchery, indulging in orgies and other pursuits to keep himself entertained. Being immortal does get boring but while he’s undeniably a villain, he does display hints of a soul too. Of course, it was also a matter of time before his famous portrait was displayed.
Penny Dreadful creator John Logan debated whether it was a good idea for viewers to actually see the painting since it might be more powerful to leave it to their imagination. The picture was ultimately seen towards the end of season 2 episode “Memento Mori” when Angelique discovers it hidden in Gray’s mansion. He hands her a poisoned drink to keep his portrait a secret before its eventually shown, with the picture displaying a chained, withered and haunted looking Gray. In a Ghostbusters II-style jolt, the image even moves briefly.
It’s an unsettling picture and lived up the show’s slow reveal. Sadly, Dorian Gray was one of Penny Dreadful’s more underused characters, and if the show had lasted beyond three seasons, it could have further explored his backstory and ties to Eva Green’s Vanessa Ives. While he could presumably return for upcoming spinoff Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels, it’s unknown how closely it will connect to the original series.
Next: Penny Dreadful’s John Clare Is The Most Underrated Frankenstein’s Monster
