My mom got me hooked on the show Forever on ABC, which I really enjoy despite my general dislike of crime procedurals. Welsch actor and hottie Ioan Gruffudd, 41, plays Dr. Henry Morgan, a medical examiner with an encyclopedic memory and an old fashioned sensibility. It turns out Dr. Morgan has been alive for hundreds of years, thanks to a bizarre condition which prevents him from aging and causes him to return whenever he’s killed. It sounds like a dumb premise for a show, I know, but the characters and storylines keep it interesting. The flashbacks from Morgan’s long life are my favorite and I especially like the relationship between Henry and his son, an antiques dealer played by Judd Hirsch.

Last night was the finale of the first season (which I have not seen yet, I’m waiting for my mom to come over and watch it). The fate of the show is up to question, although it has mediocre ratings and it’s thought that it won’t be renewed. ABC holds its upfronts and will announce it’s upcoming lineup next Tuesday, May 12. In the meantime Gruffudd has some thoughts about the show’s potential cancellation.

“If this is the end, I want everybody who is a fan of the show to know that I will be as devastated as they are,” the actor, who plays the un-killable Henry Morgan, told Us Weekly. “He’s an amazing character. I’ve loved, loved playing him. It’s a real gift of a part for an actor of my age to be striving in a procedural and a costume drama every week. It’s been such a pleasure to play him.”

“It’s pretty extraordinary — people who have seen the show are are huge fans of the show, and [everyone else] has never heard of the show. We’re very much on the bubble because we weren’t a runaway hit, but if you ask anybody that’s seen the show they can’t believe that it’s not a big hit. People are so passionate about it.”

That includes the actors on the show. Put simply, Gruffudd said, “I will be absolutely gutted if we don’t get to go again.”

[From US Magazine]

This is true – I saw the show and became a fan. I’m hoping that some of you are fans too. While we probably can’t influence whether it will be renewed or not, at least we can show some appreciation for an excellent show that kept us entertained. It makes me sad to say goodbye to good television but there’s something comforting about Gruffudd’s dedication to Forever. It’s nice to hear him speak so glowingly about it.

Gruffudd has another interview with US Magazine in which he sort-of reveals the fate of his character. I didn’t excerpt it because there are mild spoilers but you can read it there if you’re interested.

Gruffudd has been married for 15 years to an actress named Alice Evans and that they have two daughters: Ella, five and Elsie, one and a half. Incidentally the actor who plays Dr. Morgan’s assistant on the show, Joel David Moore, has been spotted out with Kate Hudson and is thought to be dating her. (Moore was also on Bones.) Hudson’s rep says of Moore that “they’re definitely just friends.” I only know Moore from Forever and have a hard time imagining him scoring Kate Hudson.

Update: Sadly, Forever has been canceled.

photo credit: WENN.com and ABC