Jessica Frances Dukes has been added as a series regular to MGM+'s 'The Westies'.
Jessica Frances Dukes (Ozark, The Gilded Age) has been confirmed as a series regular in the forthcoming MGM+ period criminal drama series The Westies, which is co-created, executive produced, and show-run by Chris Brancato as was reported by Deadline.
The Westies, a television series that was co-created by Brancato and Michael Panes, is set in the early 1980s. The Irish-American organized crime organization is on the brink of a financial windfall as the Jacob Javitz Convention Center is constructed in their hometown of Hell's Kitchen. The Westies' legendary brutality and cunning have provided them with the leverage necessary to share the profits through a fragile détente, despite being outnumbered 50-to-1 by the Five Families of the Italian mafia. However, the internal conflict between the old-school leadership and the brash younger generation poses a threat to ignite this explosive keg, which will entangle the Westies in the FBI's ongoing investigation into the Italian mafia.
Dukes will portray Birdie Polk, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Gambino Task Force, who is resolute in his mission to eradicate Irish and Italian organized crime.
She will be joining the previously announced cast of Titus Welliver and J.K. Simmons.
In July, Toronto will commence production on the eight-episode series The Westies, with casting conducted by Seth Yanklewitz, CSA, and Ben Pollack.
Dukes has recently appeared in the MGM+ series Earth Abides and will have a recurring role in season 3 of HBO's The Gilded Age. She received critical acclaim for her series regular role in Netflix's Ozark. She also appeared in the series and feature Gray Matter, Project Greenlight on HBO Max, and played a supporting role in the Paramount film Organ Trail. Additional television credits include guest appearances on The Regime, The Good Wife, New Amsterdam, and NCIS: New Orleans for CBS, as well as recurring roles on Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix).
In Trouble in Mind, she made her Broadway debut at the Roundabout. She has since starred in regional and off-Broadway productions across the country, most recently in The Refuge Plays at the Roundabout and the New York Theatre Workshop. For her portrayal of the title character in Lynn Nottage's By The Way, Meet Vera Stark at Signature Theatre, she was nominated for a Drama League Award and received an Audelco Award. Additionally, she was awarded an Obie for her performance in Robert O'Hara's Bootycandy at Playwrights Horizons. Innovative Artists Entertainment and Schachter Entertainment represent her.