Robert Maillet will appear in the FX pilot “The Strain,” directed by Guillermo del Toro. If you’re unfamiliar with him, he plays a Russian Jaeger pilot in Pacific Rim, that’s him up there on the left looking like a character out of Dodgeball. He joins Sean Astin, Corey Stoll, Mia Maestro and John Hurt in the high-concept thriller.

Per The Wrap he, “has been cast as “The Master,” an ancient vampire. He’s described as an “evil that has nested in secret and darkness, feasting on human suffering until now, emerging from the shadows to force a new world order.”

“The Strain,” which Pacific Rim helmer del Toro co-wrote with Chuck Hogan based on their vampire novel trilogy, “tells the story of Dr. Ephraim Goodweather (Stoll), the head of the Centers for Disease Control Canary Team in New York City. He and his team are called upon to investigate a mysterious viral outbreak with hallmarks of an ancient and evil strain of vampirism.“