FIRST CAST MEMBERS OF THE NEW HBO ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES WATCHMEN ANNOUNCED

THE first cast members of the new HBO Original Drama Series, Watchmen, was announced earlier today.

Set in an alternate history where 'superheroes' are treated as outlaws, Watchmen embraces the nostalgia of the original ground-breaking graphic novel while attempting to break new ground of its own.   

Cast members announced includes Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr. , Adelaide Clemens and Andrew Howard . 

  

Watchmen is produced for HBO by White Rabbit in association with Warner Bros. Television.

Cast: Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, Louis Gossett Jr., Adelaide Clemens, Andrew Howard

Cast Background Information:

Regina King:

Thanks to roles in a number of prominent films, Regina King’s distinguished talents have not gone unnoticed by Hollywood. She has been seen in recurring roles on CBS’s hit show The Big Bang Theory, Showtime’s critically acclaimed series Shameless and FX’s thrillerThe Strain from Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. 

The skilled actress wrapped the fifth and final season of TNT’s drama Southlandin 2013, which she starred as ‘Detective Lydia Adams’ in the show from Emmy Award winners John Wells, Ann Biderman and Chris Chulack. In addition to directing episodic television for ABC’s Scandal and BET’s Being Mary Jane, King helmed the BET Network teleplay adaptation of the best-selling book, Let the Church Say Amen and has continued her role behind the camera for Shondaland’sThe Catch, OWN’s Greenleaf, TNT’s Animal Kingdom, Fox’s PITCH, Showtime’s Shameless and NBC’s critical darling THIS IS US.  

In 2015, King joined season two of HBO’s critically-hailed television drama, The Leftovers, as a series regular earning her a Critic’s Choice Award nomination. She most recently starred in the acclaimed John Ridley ABC anthology American Crime, which garnered her two Emmy Award wins and three nominations for ‘Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie’ as well as her first Golden Globe Award nomination.  

Netflix’s racial crime drama Seven Seconds, from Fox 21 and The Killing creator Veena Sud, is King’s latest television series, and she has wrapped production on the Barry Jenkins directed feature adapted from the James Baldwin novel If Beale Street Could Talk.  

Additionally, she is currently developing an untitled Holmes Sisters television project for ABC Studios ordered to pilot by ABC via her Royal Ties production company along with executive producer Pam Veasey and Robin Roberts’ Rock’N’Robin Productions; King has been tapped to direct the pilot.

King starred as the title character’s mother in Lifetime’s original movie The Gabby Douglas Story. She was also the female lead opposite Forest Whitaker in the comedy, Our Family Wedding.  Before that she top-lined the Lifetime Network original movie, Living Proof, executive-produced by Renée Zellweger and starring opposite Harry Connick, Jr.  

She had additional roles in Year of the Dog opposite Molly Shannon, Laura Dern, Peter Sarsgaard and John C. Reilly for director Mike White and the Screen Gems’ holiday-film, This Christmas opposite Mekhi Phifer and Loretta Devine which opened Thanksgiving 2007 exceeding box office expectations.               

King also starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the comedy Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as well as voiced ‘Kreela’ in the animated film, Ant Bully.  Prior 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, “…and 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 in 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.  

But if there was a definite turning point in her 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 and additionally known for her voice-work on the animated series, The Boondocks.

King currently resides in Los Angeles with her son.

Don Johnson:

Don Johnson, the award-winning actor probably best known as Det. Sonny Crockett on the hugely successful iconic TV series, Miami Vice  is one of the stars who really defined the 1980’s.  The series was executive produced by the four time Oscar nominated director Michael Mann. 

He earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series in 1985 and won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series in 1986 was nominated in the same category the following year.

Born in Flat Creek, Missouri he began acting in the early 70’s.  He studied at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco where he made his professional debut in Your Own Thing” a rock musical modeled after William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night” Later he made five pilots for NBC which were all rejected.  

Few know that he got his big break by starring in the controversial off-Broadway play Fortune and Men’s Eyes which was directed by and starred Sal Mineo.

Also in the 70’s he co-wrote songs with Dickey Betts from the Allman Brothers Band several of which are on their album.

While shooting The Harrad Experiment he met a very young Melanie Griffith, with whom he has a daughter, actress Dakota Johnson. 

During the run of “Miami Vice,” Johnson starred in the critically acclaimed TV film “The Long Hot Summer” in 1985 as well as starring opposite Susan Sarandon in the feature film Sweet Hearts Dance in 1988.  

When Vice ended Johnson focused on his film career with Dead Band, The Hot Spot and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man.  His film work has given Johnson the opportunity to work with legendary filmmakers like John Frankenheimer, Sidney Lumet and Dennis Hopper.

In 1995 Johnson co-wrote a two hour movie with his neighbor, Hunter S. Thompson.  While the movie was not picked up, CBS bought the story and he returned to television in 1996 with the cop show “Nash Bridges” as creator and producer.

The multi-hyphenate continues to work in all mediums.  Additional film credits include “Cold In July” with the late Sam Shepard and Michael C. Hall, “The Other Woman” opposite Cameron Diaz.  In 2017 he co-starred opposite Vince Vaughn in the S. Craig Zahler film “Brawl in Cell Block 99.” Also that year Johnson was seen in the Netflix show “A Series of Unfortunate Events” alongside Neil Patrick Harris and Joan Cusack as well as the Sky Atlantic comedy Sick Note.

Currently he co-stars opposite Jane Fonda in the Paramount film “Book Club.”  Yet to be released films include “Dragged Across Concrete,” opposite Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn reteaming Johnson with director S. Craig Zahler and “The Vault.”

Johnson is married to Kelley Phleger since 1999 and they have three children in addition to son Jesse Johnson and daughter Dakota.

Tim Blake Nelson:

Tim Blake Nelson is an actor, writer, director, and producer with a distinctive voice in an array of dramatic and comic work on both screen and stage.

As an actor, Nelson has appeared in well over sixty feature films, including Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Ang Lee’s Billy Lynne’s Long Halftime Walk, Louis Letterier’s The Incredible Hulk, Jay Roach’s Meet the Fockers, Steven Gaghan’s Syriana, Miguel Arteta’s The Good Girl, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, Terrence Malick’s The Thin Red Line, the Coen Brother’s O Brother Where Art Thou?, 

and the Emmy-winning HBO movie Warm Springs, directed by Joe Sergeant.  Nelson has also acted in an array of independent films, including eight roles with his friend and collaborator James Franco.  Most recently,   Nelson appeared opposite Anne Hathway and Jason Sudeikis in Colossal which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Nelson will next appear in the upcoming independent Monster, directed by Anthony Mandler. The film, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, also stars Jennifer Ehle, Jeffrey Wright and Jennifer Hudson. Later this year, Netflix will release The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, in which Nelson stars in the title role. The musical was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. 

Nelson has acted extensively in New York theatre, appearing off-Broadway in The Beard of Avon, Mad Forest, An Imaginary Life, Oedipus, and Troilus and Cressida, Richard III, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at The New York Shakespeare Festival.  His off-Broadway playwriting credits include The Grey Zone, Eye of God, and Anadarko.

In 1997, Nelson wrote and directed the film, Eye of God, which appeared in competition at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, and won the Tokyo Bronze Prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival before being released theatrically in 1998.  

Since then, Nelson directedO, released in 2001 by Lionsgate, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello, for which he won the award for Best Director at the 2001 Seattle Film Festival. 

He also wrote and directed The Grey Zone, based on his award winning play, which was released by Lionsgate in 2003, and Leaves of Grass, a dark comedy starring Edward Norton, Keri Russell, Susan Sarandon, Richard Dreyfus, and Nelson himself, released by Millenium in 2009.  

In 2016, Nelson wrote, directed, and produced the IFC-released Anesthesia, a drama based in New York City with Sam Waterston, Glenn Close, Kristen Stewart, Gretchen Mol and himself. That same year, Nelson also directed the pilot episode for the Amazon Series Z, starring Christina Ricci about the life of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, which streamed on Amazon in Fall of 2016.

Nelson was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He is a graduate of Brown University, where he was Senior Orator for his class of 1986, and the recipient of the John Rowe Workman Award for Excellence in Classical Studies.  After Brown he attended and the Julliard Theater Center’s four year actor training program.  He resides in New York City with his wife and three sons. 

Louis Gossett Jr.:

Louis Gossett Jr. is one of the most respected and beloved actors on stage, screen and television and is also an accomplished writer, producer and director. Off-screen he is a social activist, educator and author dedicated to enriching the lives of others.

Currently Gossett is working on several projects, including a documentary on Muhammad Ali’s comeback after a hiatus; “On Smoother Dirt,” a film about baseball legend Ernie Banks; and feature film “The Cuban.”

Gossett was the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his unforgettable performance as drill Sergeant Emil Foley in “An Officer and a Gentleman.” 

Among his other awards are an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor for his portrayal of Fiddler in the groundbreaking ABC series “Roots,” a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for “The Josephine Baker Story” and a Golden Globe for “An Officer and a Gentleman.”

He has been nominated for seven Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, one Academy Award, five Images Awards, two Daytime Emmy Awards and in 1992 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gossett has also received numerous other honors throughout his illustrious career.

His film debut was in the 1961 classic movie A Raisin in the Sun” with Sidney Poitier. Other film credits include The Deep, Blue Chips, Daddy’s Little Girls, Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too?, 'Firewalker,' Jaws-3D, Enemy Mine and Iron Eagle 1-4, among many others. 

Television credits include Extant, Madam Secretary, Boardwalk Empire, Family Guy' and 'ER'” among dozens of others.

Gossett is the author of the bestselling autobiography “An Actor and a Gentleman,” in which he chronicles the challenges and triumphs of his 50+ year career.

Gossett is recognized as much for his humanitarian efforts as he is for his accomplishments as an actor. In 2006, Gossett founded The Eracism Foundation which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating racism. 

The foundation provides young adults with tools to live a racially diverse and culturally inclusive life. Programs focus on fostering cultural diversity, historical enrichment, education and anti-violence initiatives.

Gossett was born in Brooklyn and made his stage debut when he was 17 in Take a Giant Step, which was selected as one of the 10 best Broadway shows of 1953 by The New York Times. He has two adult sons and currently resides in Malibu, California.

Adelaide Clemens:

Adelaide Clemens is an Australian actress who began her career over a decade ago on the acclaimed Australian television show Love My Way.  She can recently be seen in the AMC series Rectify, and the HBO miniseries Parade’s End, written by Sir Tom Stoppard.

Her film credits include Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, The Automatic Hate for director Justin Lerner, and several other independent films.

In 2016, Adelaide starred opposite Timothy Olyphant for the Atlantic Theatre Company’s production of Hold On To Me Darling for director Kenny Lonergan. This winter, Adelaide is set to perform the leading role of “Hilary” in The Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Tom Stoppard’s The Hard Problem.

Andrew Howard:

Andrew Howard recently wrapped his role on the new sci-fi CW series outhouse . He was recently seen in his recurring role in Sony/Crackle’s The Oath as well as The Brave for NBC.

One of his most memorable roles was that of Bad Frank Philips in the AMC Emmy award-winning series Hatfileds opposite Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton. Other TV credits include the ABC series Marver Agent Of Shield. 

As saya well as the AMC series Hell On Wheels, The A&E series Bates Motel, NBS'S Artedmotel NBC’s The Blacklist, showtime's Banshee and HBO's Board Empire  and Band Of Brothers to name a few.

On the feature side, he can be seen in the new Netflix Feature True Memoirs Of On International Assasin  Assassin for Jeff Wadlow opposite Kevin James. He was recently seen in the Blumhouse thriller Truth Or Dare. 

Another of Andrew's other iconic roles was that of the villain 'Gennady' in the Neil Burger feature Limitess opposite Bradley Cooper and Robert De Niro. Other feature creditsinclude Taken 3, Transformal Revenge Of The Fallen and Rovolver..

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