Ian Puleston-Davies has joined the cast of Beowulf not long after leaving his role as Owen Armstrong on Coronation Street.
Ian Puleston-Davies as 'Coronation Street's Owen Armstrong
Swapping the cobbles for a major part in the ITV drama, a friend of his told The Sun newspaper's TVBiz column: "Ian thinks it's unbelievable and he is so looking forward to it. It's unusual to land such a job within days of finishing at the Street.
"He knew he'd got the part a while ago but was sworn to secrecy. But if the series takes off, which all the bigwigs at ITV are expecting it to, then he will be a massive star all over again. Playing a Scandinavian warrior is a little different to Owen Armstrong, but he is well up for the challenge."
Ian revealed last year he was bringing his time on Corrie to an end when his contract expired this March, but he would never "rule out" a potential return in the future.
At the time speaking about his exit he explained: "Next year I will have been playing Owen Armstrong for five years and it felt like a good point to move on and take some time to focus on new projects. I have returned to my other passion of writing and in 2015 hope to put on a new play.
"I have had a fantastic time at 'Coronation Street' and made some great friends. I certainly would never rule out returning to the role of Owen at some point in the future if I was asked."