You might think that being cast as Laura Moon in the highly anticipated Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman‘s novel American Gods would be enough for any actress, but why settle for only coming back from the dead when you can also play a second beloved character from the book? Emily Browning will do just that when she also plays Essie Tregowan on the show.

Series creators Bryan Fuller and Michael Green were joined by stars Browning, Ian McShane, and Ricky Whittle at a South by Southwest panel on Sunday night, hosted by Variety’s Elizabeth Wagmeister. It was there that they revealed that, in addition to the less-than-deceased wife of Shadow Moon, Browing will also fill the role of fan favorite Essie Tregowan, whose life story is one of the many vignettes in the book explaining how certain gods came to America. In Essie’s case, it was she who brought Mad Sweeney across the Atlantic.

Emily Browning will play both Laura Moon and Essie Tregowan in @AmericanGodsSTZ https://t.co/mZYRikXhK7 #LionsgateLounge @STARZ pic.twitter.com/EZyhZihhE8

— Variety (@Variety) March 12, 2017

Getting the role right was important to Fuller, who said, “Essie was one of Michael and I’s favorite stories in the book,” adding, “And we were talking about casting that role, and as we were in that conversation, Michael said, ‘Oh, we should just cast Emily in this role.’” Apparently, Browning beat them to the punch, suggesting she take on the role before they could even ask.

For those of you that have not read the book and would like to avoid any and all specifics, skip the following section and join back with us below.

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If you don’t recall, Essie Tregowan is a con artist and prostitute who used to leave out saucers of milk for piskies (better known as pixies), and who only avoided being hanged for her crimes because she was pregnant. She was sent to America for her crimes, where she married the man who bought her indentured servitude, started a family, became a widow, and raised her children and stepchildren–while telling them about the legends of her home country–on a farm, until she died peacefully after being taken away one day by Cousin Jack from the old world.

Considering Essie’s hand in bringing the leprechaun Mad Sweeney to America, and his role in bringing Laura Moon back from the dead, there’s a long connection between the two women, so there is a certain poetry to having Browning play each part. Although there was nothing reported from the panel that indicated that was intentional, only that they believed the right woman for both jobs was Browning.

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Welcome back, non book readers! The rest of us strongly encourage you to read the novel before the series premieres on Sunday, April 30th. There’s a reason American Gods is one of the shows we are most looking forward to.

And that was before we even knew Essie Tregowan’s tale would be included.

What do you make of this bit of double-casting news? Tell us in the scared spot of our comments section below.

Images: Starz