The MGM+ original drama series “Godfather of Harlem” has cast “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “How to Get Away with Murder” actor Rome Flynn as a recurring guest star during the show’s upcoming fourth season.
Flynn will portray Frank Lucas, a country boy from North Carolina who ventures to Harlem and, after initial friction with gangster Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker), eventually rises to become Bumpy’s fiercest defender and right-hand man.
Academy Award winner Denzel Washington first portrayed Frank Lucas in the 2007 film “American Gangster,” which is loosely based on the criminal background of the real-life gangster who operated a drug empire in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s. In the TV series, the character’s story will begin ten years earlier than in the film.
“When I saw Rome’s audition, I immediately knew we’d found our man – equal parts charming and ruthless, savvy and suave. Rome is a wonderful actor who can go toe-to-toe with Forest Whitaker and our other great performers,” said executive producer Chris Brancato of casting Flynn in the role.
“I’m filled with gratitude! Thrilled to be a part of the Godfather of Harlem universe and breathe new life into the legend of Frank Lucas,” said Flynn. “I have so much admiration for Forest Whitaker. Working opposite of him, being led by the brilliant creator Chris Brancato, is truly a gift. An actor’s dream.”
In Season 4, Bumpy Johnson (Whitaker) continues his bloody war for control of Harlem against New York’s Mafia families while contending with the emergence of a potential rival in newly arrived Black gangster Frank Lucas (Flynn). After Malcolm X’s (Jason Alan Carvell) tragic death, Bumpy must also grapple with his daughter Elise’s (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) involvement with the Black Panthers.
Recently completing a six-episode arc on “Chicago Fire,” Flynn’s credits also include roles in such shows as “Grey’s Anatomy,” “With Love” and “Raising Dion,” among others. In 2018, Flynn won a Daytime Emmy Award for his portrayal of Zende Forrester on “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
In addition to Flynn, “Godfather of Haarlem” will see the returns of actors Ilfenesh Hadera, Lucy Fry, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy and Erik LaRay Harvey, among others. The first three seasons are available to stream on MGM+.
ABC Signature produces the series, which is executive produced by Chris Brancato, Paul Eckstein, Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, Markuann Smith and Ray Quinlan. Michael Panes and Stephen Schiff serve as writing executive producers, and Swizz Beatz serves as executive music producer.
Flynn is represented by Greene Talent, Weiner Management, imPRint, and Meyer & Downs.