Nafessa Williams, Lucas Till, Nathan Darrow & Tom Irwin Join Cast Of FX Pilot ‘The Spook Who Sat By The Door’
Nafessa Williams, who recently wrapped the fourth and final season of the CW’s DC series, Black Lightning, along with Lucas Till (MacGyver), Nathan Darrow (Preacher) and Tom Irwin (The Morning Show) have joined the cast of Lee Daniels’ FX pilot The Spook Who Sat by the Door, reports Deadline.
They join previously announced cast members Y’lan Noel and Christina Jackson in the TV adaptation of Sam Greenlee’s spy novel. Production is underway.
The potential series will tell the fictional story of Dan Freeman (Noel), a patriot and Vietnam vet, who is recruited as the only Black operative in the CIA as part of an affirmative-action program in the late 1960s. After a very competitive selection process he trains in high-level combat and espionage. However, following this arduous training, this model recruit is rewarded with a post in the reprographics (aka photocopying) department, “left by the door” as a token of the CIA’s “racial equality.”
Till is set for the role of CIA agent Graham Renfroe, with Williams playing high-class working girl Etta Henry. Darrow has been cast as CIA Assistant Director Alfred Ames, with Irwin portraying political operative and CIA Director Jack Turner.
As previously announced, Jackson stars as Joy Freeman, Dan’s wife and an up-and-coming attorney committed to making a difference in her community.
Williams recently wrapped the fourth and final season of the CW’s DC series, Black Lightning, which was groundbreaking for both the network and the studio as her character Thunder was the first Black lesbian superhero to appear on television. Williams was recently seen in the Deon Taylor film Black & Blue alongside Naomie Harris, Frank Grillo and Tyrese Gibson for Screen Gems. Before that, she had a season-long arc on the CBS series Code Black and recurred on Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival.
Executive producers on The Spook Who Sat by the Door include Daniels, Marc Velez, Leigh Dana Jackson and Gerard McMurray. Jackson will serve as showrunner. He wrote the pilot, which is being directed by McMurray. The pilot is being produced by 20th Television and was optioned through Lee Daniels’ Inclusion Fund.