Erykah Badu, Lance Bass, Hunter Parrish, Jon Tenney and Jacob Vargas have been touched by the hand of God.
Those five are set to guest star on Amazon’s upcoming drama “Hand of God,” which comes from Ben Watkins of “Burn Notice” and sees “World War Z” director Marc Forster making his TV debut. All but Bass are listed as recurring guests.
“We are thrilled to be adding such unique and talented performers to the ‘Hand of God’ cast,” said Watkins. “It’s a testament to the work of Marc, Ron and our whole cast and crew. The amazing creative environment that Amazon Studios fosters gives us an opportunity to attract top caliber talent such as Erykah, Lance, Hunter, Jon and Jacob to our mix. Naturally, we’re also stoked to have lead vocals covered for the ‘Hand of God’ touring band.”
“Hand of God” stars Golden Globe winner Ron Perlman (“Sons of Anarchy”) as the honorable justice Pernell Harris. The show centers on Judge Harris, a hard-living, law-bending married man with a high-end call girl on the side, who suffers a mental breakdown and goes on a vigilante quest to find the rapist who tore his family apart. With no real evidence to go on, Pernell begins to rely on “visions” and “messages” he believes are being sent by God through Pernell’s ventilator-bound son.
The Amazon Prime drama also stars Dana Delany (“Body of Proof”) as the Judge’s protective wife Crystal Harris, Garret Dillahunt (“Justified”) as KD, the born-again sociopath whose violent tendencies are exploited by Pernell, Andre Royo (“The Wire”) as the slick, smart, gregarious, and greedy mayor Robert ‘Bobo’ Boston, Alona Tal (“Burn Notice”) as Pernell’s grieving daughter-in-law Jocelyn Harris, Julian Morris (“Pretty Little Liars”) as the questionable preacher Paul Curtis, Elizabeth McLaughlin (“Betrayal”) as the preacher’s sultry girlfriend Alicia, and Emayatzy Corinealdi (“Middle of Nowhere”) as Pernell’s call girl and confidante Tessie.
Watkins, Forster, Perlman, Brian Wilkins (“Lost in America”) and Jeff King (“White Collar”) are executive producers, and Jillian Kugler (“World War Z”) is co-executive producer. “Hand of God” is currently shooting in the Los Angeles area and is set to premiere this fall.
Here are the guest character descriptions, in Amazon’s words:
Erykah Badu as April — A bohemian weed dealer who calls herself the “blend master,” April has been Crystal’s personal dealer for years and becomes a close confidante. Crystal recruits April to join the Hand of God chapel as an informant so she can be Crystal’s eyes and ears in this new religious world with which Pernell has become obsessed. (Recurring)
Lance Bass as Exotic Jerry — An eccentric and irrepressibly enthusiastic face of Jerry’s Exotic Fish Store, Exotic Jerry sings an annoyingly catchy jingle in a low budget commercial. The song gets stuck in Pernell’s head and sparks a temporary fixation on fish.
Hunter Parrish as Josh — PJ’s best friend and former business partner, Josh is solid, trusting, and attractive. Despite his bookish demeanor, Josh’s emotional insightfulness and strength of character are exactly what Jocelyn needs to anchor herself when she starts spinning out of control. (Recurring)
Jon Tenney as Nick Tramble — Magnetic, intense, and charming, Nick is Jocelyn’s high-powered, expensively dressed attorney who represents her in the case to pull the plug on PJ. He takes the case because he truly believes that pulling the plug is what PJ would have wanted and that it will help Jocelyn move on from this tragedy. He’s been in an intense rivalry with Pernell for years, due in no small part to Nick and Crystal’s former romantic connection. Nick knows that the most important court to win in is the court of public opinion, which is why his opening arguments are always in front of news cameras. (Recurring)
Jacob Vargas as Julio — A grifter/graffiti artist who went through the police academy with Shane Caldwell, Julio left the force before making it through probation. Since then, he often finds himself on the wrong side of the law. Along with his best friend Shane, Julio has been doing dirty side jobs to earn cash. He isn’t a bad guy at heart; he’s become hardened and opportunistic over time, and increasingly finds himself in flirting with trouble. Pernell learns Julio was involved with what went down the night of Jocelyn’s rape, and may be the key to finding out who ordered the crime. (Recurring)