“Snowfall” actress Taylor Polidore Williams, Miss USA alum Crystle Stewart and “Entourage” actor Bryan Tanaka have joined the cast of Tyler Perry’s new Netflix drama.
The new series, titled “Beauty in Black,” follows two women leading very different lives. Polidore Williams is set to star as Kimmie, who struggles to make a living after her mother kicked her out of their home. Stewart will star opposite Polidore Williams as successful business owner Mallory, who becomes entangled in Kimmie’s life. The show will consist of 16 hourlong episodes.
Tanaka will play Officer Alex, with additional cast members including Amber Reign Smith (“Outlaw Posse,” “Wu-Tang: An American Saga”), who will play Rain; Ricco Ross (“A Husband for Christmas,” “Aliens”), who will play Horace; Debbi Morgan (“Power,” “Power Book II: Ghost”), who will play Olivia; Richard Lawson (“Black Hamptons,” “For Colored Girls”), who will play Norman; and Steven G. Norfleet (“Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire,” “Ruthless”), who will play Charles.
Julian Horton (“National Champions”) also joins the cast alongside Terrell Carter (“Empire”), Shannon Wallace (“Diarra from Detroit”), Joy Rovaris (“Saint Clare”), Xavier Smalls, Charles Malik Whitfield (“The Temptations”), Tamera “Tee” Kissen (“House Party”), Ursula O. Robinson (“Hightown), Ashley Versher (“This is Me… Now”) and George Middlebrook (“The Final Play”).
“Beauty in Black” is written, directed and produced by Perry under a multi-year first-look series deal with the streamer, which was announced in February. The deal extended Perry’s existing creative partnership with Netflix, inked in October 2023, which enlisted Perry to write, direct and produce feature films for the streamer.
In addition to Perry, Angi Bones and Tony Strickland will serve as producers for “Beauty in Black” for Tyler Perry Studios.
Perry’s past collaborations with Netflix have included “A Jazzman’s Blues,” “A Madea Homecoming” (which marked the 12th installment in the “Madea” franchise), thriller “A Fall from Grace” and recently released “Mea Culpa.” Later this year, the streamer will release Perry’s “Six Triple Eight,” starring Kerry Washington, which will spotlight the first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of color to be stationed overseas during World War II.