Season 5 Cast Bios
Michael Cudlitz
John Cooper
Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Michael Cudlitz graduated from the California Institute of the Arts Theatre program in Valencia, California, and has established himself as a versatile and prolific character actor in both television and film. Although his first love is the stage, Cudlitz found early success working in front of the camera.
Cudlitz has appeared in more than 20 films, including A River Runs Through It, Grosse Point Blank and The Negotiator. In addition to Southland, a few of his notable television credits include roles on Standoff, Lost, Prison Break, Six Feet Under, Nip/Tuck, Over There, 24, all three CSI series and the Emmy®-winning HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. Cudlitz also starred in the TNT Original movie Silent Witness.
This past hiatus, Cudlitz had the pleasure of working with director Diego Luna on Chavez, an independent feature about the life of workers rights activist Cesar Chavez, and with director Wayne Kramer on Pawn Shop Chronicles. Both films are due out this year, as well as The Grief Tourist, a film that Cudlitz not only produced but in which he also starred with Melanie Griffith.
Cudlitz currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and twin boys in the house that they built.
Shawn Hatosy
Sammy Bryant
One of the most versatile actors of his generation, Shawn Hatosy continues to expand upon his already impressive resume by starring in a succession of buzz-worthy projects. In addition to his work on Southland, he has appeared in such films as Public Enemies and The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call – New Orleans, as well as a scintillating arc on the series Dexter.
Hatosy has more than two dozen feature film credits, including John Q, Alpha Dog, Factory Girl, The Faculty, Anywhere But Here, In & Out, The Cooler, Outside Providence and Simpatico. His television work includes starring as John McCain in A&E's Faith of My Fathers. He also starred in Frank Pierson's Golden Globe-nominated Showtime drama Soldier's Girl and the Emmy-nominated Witness Protection for HBO. His many guest appearances include such series as Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-0, ER, Numb3rs, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Streets, My Name is Earl, Felicity, Six Feet Under and Longmire.
Hatosy is equally adept at performing in front of a live audience. In his most recent stage credit, he landed the coveted role opposite Al Pacino in Lyle Kessler's Orphans at the Greenway Court Theatre in Los Angeles. Hatosy also received accolades for his stage debut as the title role in the La Jolla Playhouse production of The Collected Works of Billy the Kid. Off-Broadway, he starred opposite Anna Paquin in the Paul Weitz comedy Roulette.
Originally from Frederick, Maryland, Hatosy currently resides in Los Angeles.
C. Thomas Howell
Officer Dewey Dudek
The son of a professional bull-rider-turned-stuntman, C. Thomas Howell started working in the film industry at the age of 7. In 1981, he was cast as Tyler in Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. Shortly thereafter, he nabbed the lead in Francis Ford Coppola's classic The Outsiders, starring opposite the likes of Diane Lane, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise. It was Howell's gripping performance as the tough yet vulnerable Ponyboy Curtis in The Outsiders that made him a household name virtually overnight.
Earmarked as one of the most promising young actors of the 1980s, Howell's career soon skyrocketed with roles in such films as the Cold War invasion drama Red Dawn, the classic psychological thriller The Hitcher and the hilarious but controversial college farce Soul Man. Since then, Howell has been in consistent demand with filmmakers for the last 25 years, appearing in favorites such as That Night, Hidalgo and TNT's Gettysburg.
In addition to his role as the unpredictable Officer Bill "Dewey" Dudek in Southland and as the serial killer The Reaper on CBS' Criminal Minds, his recent television appearances include The Glades on A&E, as well as Torchwood on Starz. He also filmed a key role in Sony's recent Spider-Man reboot. A budding film director as well, Howell has directed a number of films, including The Big Fall, Pure Danger and Edgar Rice Burroughs' The Land That Time Forgot.
Outside of his acting career, Howell is an accomplished team roper and spends as much time as possible with his wife and their three children.
Regina King
Detective Lydia Adams
Thanks to roles in a number of prominent films, Regina King's distinguished talents have not gone unnoticed by Hollywood. The skilled actress can currently be seen playing Detective Lydia Adams in TNT's acclaimed drama, Southland, from Emmy winners John Wells, Ann Biderman and Chris Chulack. In between filming Southland, King made her feature film directorial debut with the adaptation of the best-selling book Let the Church Say Amen, which is set to premiere on BET this year. She was also tapped to direct an episode of Southland this year during the current season.
Additionally, King has starred as the female lead opposite Forest Whitaker in the comedy Our Family Wedding. Before that, she toplined the Lifetime Network original movie Living Proof, executive produced by Renée Zellweger and starring opposite Harry Connick, Jr. She had previously appeared in a supporting role in Paramount Vantage's comedy Year of the Dog, opposite Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly, and the Screen Gems' holiday-film This Christmas, opposite Mekhi Phifer and Loretta Devine.
King also starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the comedy Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous and voiced Kreela in the animated film Ant Bully. Previously, she appeared in the Oscar-nominated film Ray, opposite Jamie Foxx. In the film, King portrays Margie Hendricks Charles' outrageous mistress. USA Today said of her performance, "…the increasingly versatile Regina King as the tragic Margie Hendricks, who attacks her character's intense ups and downs with equal gusto."
King's other notable film credits include Cinderella Story, opposite Hilary Duff; Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde, opposite Reese Witherspoon; and Daddy Day Care, opposite Eddie Murphy.
Born and raised in Los Angeles, King made her television debut on the hit sitcom 227. After five seasons, King made the leap to the silver screen with a role in John Singleton's powerful directorial debut, Boys N the Hood. She would soon collaborate with Singleton again on Poetic Justice and Higher Learning. King has always been consistent in showing her dynamic range, bouncing effortlessly from dramatic material to comedic performances, like in the hit film Friday, with Ice Cube, and in A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, opposite Martin Lawrence.
If there has been a definite turning point in King's career, it came in 1997 with her memorable role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s wife Marci in the blockbuster film Jerry Maguire. This led to starring roles in How Stella Got Her Groove Back, with Angela Bassett; the hit action thriller Enemy of the State, opposite Will Smith; the family adventure Mighty Joe Young, with Charlize Theron; and the comedy Down to Earth, opposite Chris Rock.
King also found her way back to the small screen in 2000 with a role in HBO's acclaimed telefilm If These Walls Could Talk 2 and in the 2002 NBC comedy Leap of Faith. In addition to her voice-work on the animated series The Boondocks, she recently appeared as a guest star on The Big Bang Theory.
King currently resides in Los Angeles with her son.
Ben McKenzie
Ben Sherman
Ben McKenzie was born and raised in Texas. Following his graduation from the University of Virginia, where he was a foreign affairs and economics major, he moved to New York to pursue acting.
While in New York, McKenzie appeared off-Broadway in Life is a Dream at the Soho Rep. Additionally, he performed in numerous productions at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, including Street Scene and The Blue Bird, as well as the University of Virginia in Measure for Measure and Zoo Story. He later moved to Los Angeles, where he landed the lead role on The O.C.
In addition to starring in the critically acclaimed independent ensemble drama Junebug, McKenzie has also starred opposite Al Pacino in the thriller 88 Minutes and received praise for his solo turn in the independent film Johnny Got His Gun, based on a novel by Dalton Trumbo. McKenzie recently starred in The Glass Menagerie at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles and just finished shooting Denis Hennelly's independent feature Goodbye World.
The Characters
Detective Lydia Adams
Regina King
Smart and perceptive, Detective Lydia Adams possesses excellent investigative instincts. Working in the homicide division, she is one of the sharpest detectives around. But, perhaps because of her great skill as a detective, Lydia has difficulty in her personal life. Lydia has burned through numerous professional partners over the past few years and is unable to find a healthy romantic relationship. Lydia is extremely guarded and independent to the point of being stubborn. This season, however, as Lydia struggles with the brutality of single motherhood, she begins to realize that she can’t just “do it alone”. As her partner Ruben Robinson (guest star Dorian Missick) matures in the job, he challenges her both personally and professionally, forcing Lydia to evolve into something more than just a great detective.
Officer Sammy Bryant
Shawn Hatosy
Sammy Bryant is a former gang detective who returned to patrol after the brutal murder of his partner, in the hopes of teaching rookie cops how to survive on the streets. He rides with Officer Ben Sherman, though it is becoming increasingly clear that while they wear the same uniform, it is cut from a different cloth. Sammy is a genuinely altruistic and honest man sometimes to his own detriment. Sammy is entangled in an ugly and expensive custody battle with his unstable ex-wife Tammi (guest star Emily Bergel) over their 2-year-old son Nate, who is the most important thing in the world to Sammy.
Officer John Cooper
Michael Cudlitz
Officer John Cooper is a seasoned patrol cop, blue to the bone, and Ben Sherman’s former Training Officer. Back pain from various work-related injuries caused John to become addicted to painkillers, eventually forcing Ben to check him into rehab. Surgery on his back put him on the road to recovery, but his emotional wounds and chronic loneliness have not been so quick to heal. John spent last season riding with Officer Jessica Tang (special guest star Lucy Liu), who was monitoring his fitness for duty. This season, we find him once again training “boots” - but his current charge, Gary Steele (guest star Derek Ray), an ex-marine, challenges John, causing him to examine his identity and ask the question: what happens after you hang up the uniform?
Officer Ben Sherman
Ben McKenzie
Officer Ben Sherman is a patrol officer whose handsome face and Beverly Hills upbringing make him a target of ridicule among his fellow officers, but Ben is out to prove than he is much more than just a “poster boy” - though he does enjoy the attention. Having completed his training rotation with Officer John Cooper, Ben is currently partnered with Officer Sammy Bryant. While he has moved on to the next phase of his police training, Ben’s short fuse still lands him in trouble and shows his naïveté. This season more than ever, we begin to see how the streets of Los Angeles will define the man Ben Sherman will become.
Dewey Dudek
C. Thomas Howell
A veteran cop, as seasoned as the asphalt of the streets he patrols, Dewey Dudek is outspoken to say the least and his smart-aleck attitude often makes him the source of conflict with both civilians and fellow officers. Dewey is a recovering alcoholic, but beneath his coarse exterior and extensive resume of screw-ups is a great cop with a good heart. Dewey is married with two daughters and is one of Officer John Cooper’s only friends.
Officer Henry “Hank” Lucero
Guest Star Anthony Ruivivar
Henry “Hank” Lucero is an experienced patrol cop and Officer John Cooper’s new partner. Born and raised in East L.A., Lucero speaks the language of the streets and believes that “99% of the job is comedy.” Lucero is a Chicano but he insists that he is “blue not brown” and refuses to speak Spanish to Hispanic suspects, or grant them any special treatment. In Lucero, Cooper has finally found an equal and maybe, even a friend.
Detective Ruben Robinson
Guest Star Dorian Missick
Ruben Robinson is Detective Lydia Adams’ partner. Having started as a trainee under Lydia, Ruben has now found his footing as a detective. While he and Lydia are great friends, he is no longer afraid to challenge her on the job. A native Angelino, ex-Marine and family man with a wife and three kids, Ruben doesn't define courage as facing danger and overcoming it – but getting up the next day and doing it all over again. His strong core beliefs in family, honor and loyalty define his actions and sometimes create conflict with Lydia.
# # #
Check out my blog home page for the latest information at I Like To Watch TV
No comments:
Post a Comment