EXCLUSIVE: DeWanda Wise (Three Women, Killing Faith), Tian Richards (Tom Swift, Ballard) and Marcus Mitchell (Doctor Odyssey, Chicago Fire) have been set as series regulars in the untitled rodeo drama series from Starz. The one-hour, eight-episode drama is expected to begin production in Atlanta later this month.
The series unfolds in Southeast Texas, where rodeo isn’t just what you do – it’s who you are, per the logline. At the center are three siblings bound by the legacy their mother built and the unfinished business their father left behind. Driven by their own ambitions and drawn into each other’s orbit, alliances shift, relationships tangle, and nothing stays private for long. The network said it is “infused with hip hop swagger and country soul”.
Wise will play Anaya Clarke-Reagan, the Clarke family’s firstborn. Savvy, polished, and highly educated, Anaya is the eldest Clarke sibling and the mayor of Trinity City. A consummate chameleon, she has built a conservative public image alongside her husband, Gregg, a powerful judge — an image that conceals far darker desires. Anaya works tirelessly for her city, but self-preservation and family come first, even when that means protecting them from their own father. She’ll do whatever it takes to secure her public image and political aspirations.
Richards will play Rodney Clarke, the fire-starter. Sebastian and Anaya’s smart-ass, openly gay younger brother. Charming, impulsive, and incapable of leaving a wound alone, Rodney is the sibling most likely to turn a spark into an inferno. He has little interest in the family rodeo, preferring to run Big Rod’s Likka Lounge, where it appears he’s finally put his troubled past behind him. He hasn’t. When his business is violently robbed, and one of his own is killed, Rodney embarks on a reckless quest for revenge that threatens to engulf the entire Clarke family.
Mitchell will play Julius Calhoun, the hometown hero. Disciplined. Proud. Sebastian’s closest friend. Jojo’s protective older brother. Tall. Sexy. He’s also deeply spiritual. Bible verse etched into his riding jacket. Nonconfrontational but not afraid to stand up for himself. Julius is Trinity City’s main draw and most decorated bull rider since Sebastian. For him, being a cowboy is a way of life. Bull riding is a way to a better life. And he’s looking to take his career beyond Trinity City. Julius’ ambitions put his body and friendship with Sebastian to the test. Still, Julius will go great lengths to stay on top.
Kirk A. Moore (Demascus, American Crime) is showrunner and executive producer. Mark Johnson (Breaking Bad, Interview with the Vampire) and Myki Bajaj (Demascus) of Gran Via Productions, and Tony Hernandez, Elise Henderson and Lilly Burns of Counterpart Studios (Dexter: Resurrection, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed) also serve as executive producers. Giovanna Desselle, VP of Original Programming, and Christina Jokanovich, SVP of Original Programming, are the executives overseeing the series for Starz.
Wise is repped by CAA and Range Media Partners. Richards is represented by Innovative Artists, Stride Management, and GGSSC. Mitchell is represented by MGMT. Entertainment and Talent Works.
