Niecy Nash, Aunjanue Ellis, Kylie Bunbury, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Storm Reid have all joined Netflix’s “Central Park Five” limited series from Ava DuVernay, the streamer announced Friday.
Nash, who currently stars on the TNT drama “Claws,” will play Delores Wise, mother of Korey Wise. “Quantico” alum Ellis will play Sharone Salaam, mother of Yusef Salaam.
Bunbury (“Pitch”) will play Angie Richardson, sister of Kevin Richardson; Blake (“Crown Heights”) will play Linda McCray, mother of Antron McCray; and “A Wrinkle in Time” star and DuVernay go-to Reid will play Lisa, a friend of Korey Wise.
The five actresses join a cast that includes Michael K. Williams, Vera Farmiga, John Leguizamo, Felicity Huffman, Jharrel Jerome and Jovan Adepo.
Written and directed by DuVernay, the four-episode series will adapt the true story of the five teenagers of color from Harlem — Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise — who were convicted of a rape they did not commit.
The series will span from the spring of 1989, when each were first questioned about the incident, to 2014 when they were exonerated and a settlement was reached with the city of New York.
Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King from Participant Media, Oprah Winfrey/Harpo Films, Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh from Tribeca Productions and DuVernay will executive produce.