Michael Chiklis is set to star in the first episode of the upcoming Fox crime anthology series “Accused.”
The series is based on the BBC crime anthology of the same name. Each episode opens in a courtroom on the accused, with the audience knowing nothing about their crime or how they ended up on trial.
Chiklis will play Dr. Scott Corbett, a successful brain surgeon with a seemingly perfect family. He faces the limits of unconditional love when he discovers his teenage son may be planning a violent attack at school. In addition to Chiklis’ casting, it was also announced that Michael Cuesta will direct the first episode of the series.
The role marks a return to Fox for Chiklis, who appeared on the Fox-DC series “Gotham” in the role of Nathaniel Barnes. Chiklis is perhaps best known for his starring role on the FX series “The Shield,” for which he won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe. His other TV roles include “American Horror Story,” “The Commish,” and the upcoming HBO period drama “Winning Time: The Rise of The Lakers Dynasty.” On the feature side, Chiklis starred in two of the “Fantastic Four” films as well as “Eagle Eye,” “Don’t Look Up,” and more.
He is repped by Management 360, WME and Neil Meyer.
Cuesta previously worked with “Accused” co-creators Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa on the hit Showtime series “Homeland.” He has also directed episodes of shows like “Dopesick,” “City on a Hill,” and “Dexter.”
“Michael Chiklis and Michael Cuesta, teamed with Howard Gordon, Alex Gansa and David Shore, make a powerful combination for ‘Accused,’” said Michael Thorn, president of entertainment for Fox Entertainment. “They each are synonymous with high-stakes television, engaging drama and compelling performances, striking the perfect tone required for a series of this caliber.”
Gordon, Gansa, and David Shore co-created “Accused.” All three serve as executive producers along with Glenn Geller, Erin Gunn, All3Media America’s Jacob Cohen-Holmes, and Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, Roxy Spencer and Louise Pedersen for All3Media International. Frank Siracusa and John Weber. Sony Pictures Television and Fox Entertainment co-produce. The original series was created by Jimmy McGovern.