Starz adds five actors to untitled Black rodeo drama

Starz has added five actors to its untitled Black rodeo drama.

John Gabriel Rodriguez, SteVonté Hart, Gabrielle Byndloss, Samuel-Taylor and Aaron Smalls will all appear in recurring roles, meaning they will turn up across episodes rather than as part of the central cast, Deadline reported on 15 September. The announcement fills out the supporting world around the three siblings at the heart of the story.

Rodriguez plays Francisco Morales. He is the chief executive of Morales Timber Company. His casting puts a business leader into a story built around the arena and the community around it.

Hart plays Langston. He works two jobs. By day he performs as a rodeo clown, the performer who steps in to protect riders during bull rides. By night he tends bar at a local spot called the Likka Lounge.

Byndloss plays Crystal. She is a radio personality by trade. Inside the rodeo world she also serves as DJ and announcer, the voice that calls the action and keeps the crowd close to what is happening in the ring.

Samuel-Taylor plays Ivan Robinson. He is described as a top bull rider, one of the leading competitors on the circuit. Smalls plays Hakeem, the owner of a business called Boots & Lace.

The series unfolds in Southeast Texas. It centres on three siblings and their wider family and rivals around the Black rodeo circuit. The setting places work, family and competition side by side.

That family core is already cast. DeWanda Wise stars as Anaya Clarke-Reagan, alongside Shannon Wallace as Sebastian Clarke, Tian Richards as Rodney Clarke and Curtiss Cook as Elias Clarke. Those four names form the central household announced earlier.

The wider line-up also includes Lauren E. Banks as Wynter. Marcus Emanuel Mitchell plays Julius Calhoun, Liv Symone plays Jojo Calhoun and Jason Dirden plays Greg Reagan. Together they extend the story beyond the immediate family.

Kirk A. Moore leads the series as showrunner and executive producer, meaning he oversees the writers’ room and day-to-day production while guiding the creative direction of the show.

For fans, this means the town is getting fuller. The central family now sits inside a broader community, from the boardroom to the bar, from the radio booth to the stands.