Jay R. Ferguson, Edi Gathegi and Brian Geraghty have been cast as male leads opposite Rosario Dawson in USA Network’s hourlong pilot Briarpatch, from Universal Cable Productions, Paramount Television, Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail’s Esmail Corp and Anonymous Content.
Written by Andy Greenwald based on the Ross Thomas novel, Briarpatch centers on Allegra “Pick” Dill (Dawson), a tenacious and highly-skilled investigator working in Washington, DC for a young, ambitious Senator. When her ten-years-younger sister, Felicity, a homicide detective, is killed by a car bomb, Allegra returns to her corrupt Texas hometown. What begins as a search for the murderer becomes a fraught and dangerous excavation of the past Allegra has long sought to bury.
Ferguson will play Jake Spivey, Allegra’s childhood best friend and former running buddy. Once the poorest kid in town, he’s returned from years of shadowy business abroad and reinvented himself as the region’s richest swell. Now, it’s said, he dabbles: In real estate, in society, in women. Whispers abound that he might just be dabbling in drugs, guns, and politics too — only most locals can’t decide which of those would be worse.
Gathegi plays A.D. Singe, an estate attorney, an iconoclast, and — rarest of all in these parts — an optimist. He was Felicity Dill’s friend and is ready to be Allegra Dill’s friend too, if only she’ll let him.
Geraghty plays Captain Gene Colder, a model cop and citizen. A former boy scout, a current assistant deacon, and an inveterate professional climber, he was Felicity Dill’s boss ever since she was promoted to homicide. Now he’s ready and eager to do anything he can to wrap-up the investigation into her murder.
Dawson alsos serve as producer on the project, described as celebrating the book’s blend of crime, thriller, mystery, and pulp fiction while updating Thomas’ sense of fun, danger and place for a new generation.
Briarpatch is executive produced by Greenwald, Esmail through Esmail Corp and Anonymous Content’s Chad Hamilton.
Gathegi stars on the Crackle series StartUp, whose third season premieres November 1. Gathegi, who just wrapped Dee Rees’ film The Last Thing He Wanted for Netflix, is repped by ICM Partners and Framework.
Geraghty, who recurred on Ray Donovan, is repped by UTA and Management 360.
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