Jon Bernthal, Josh Charles, and Jamie Hector are set for three of the lead roles in the HBO limited series “We Own This City” from the team behind “The Wire.”
In addition to the castings, Reinaldo Marcus Green has joined the series as director and executive producer. Variety reported that the series was set up at the premium cabler back in March.
Based on the book of the same name by Baltimore Sun reporter Justin Fenton, “We Own This City” is a six-hour limited series chronicling the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force — and the corruption and moral collapse that befell an American city in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work.
Bernthal will star as Sgt. Wayne Jenkins of the Baltimore Police Department, perhaps the central figure in the sprawling federal corruption case that centered on the agency’s Gun Trace Task Force. The plainclothes unit went completely rogue and began hunting and robbing citizens and drug dealers alike as decades of a relentless drug war and mass incarceration in Baltimore spun wildly out of control.
Bernthal is known for his roles on shows like “The Punisher” and “The Walking Dead” as well as features like “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Baby Driver,” and “Shot Caller.” He previously starred in the HBO limited series “Show Me a Hero” alongside Oscar Isaac and will next be seen in the “Sopranos” prequel film “The Many Saints of Newark.” “We Own This City” will mark his third collaboration with Green, along with the WB feature “King Richard” and the Amazon series “The Bottoms,” which Bernthal created.
He is repped by WME, manager Daniele Bernfeld, Sloane Offer, and Narrative.
Hector will play Sean M. Suiter, a Baltimore City Homicide detective who was caught up in the GTTF case and called to testify before a federal grand jury. Tragically, Suiter finds he can’t outrun his past.
Hector is best known for his role in the later seasons of “The Wire,” in which he played Baltimore drug kingpin Marlo Stanfield. More recently, he has starred in shows like “Bosch,” “Queen of the South,” and “Wu-Tang: An American Saga.” His feature credits include “All Eyez on Me,” “Canal Street,” and “16 Bars.”
He is repped by Paradigm and Roberson’s Artist Management.
Charles will play Daniel Hersl, a cocky, swaggering cop known amongst Baltimore residents for his casual brutality who was the subject of multiple citizen complaints. Hersl was effectively banned from the Eastern District before his move to the GTTF.
Charles previously earned two Emmy nominations for best supporting actor for his work on the CBS series “The Good Wife.” His other TV roles include “Sports Night,” “In Treatment,” “Masters of Sex,” and “Away.” He has also starred in features like “SWAT,” “Dead Poets Society,” and “Four Brothers.”
He is repped by UTA.
Simon and Pelecanos are writers and executive producers on “We Own This City” along with Ed Burns. All three worked together on “The Wire,” which was created by Simon. Bill Zorzi is writer and co-executive producer, with Dwight Watkins also writing. Nina K. Noble will executive produce along with Kary Antholis and Green.