The Best of Us has started production in New York City, with Jeremy Strong leading the six-episode Paramount+ limited series. The drama is inspired by the long legal battle that won nearly $1 billion for first responders who became seriously ill after the September 11 attacks.
Strong stars and serves as an executive producer. He is joined by previously announced cast members Andrea Riseborough, Barry Pepper, Neal Huff, Gaby Hoffmann and Sky Yang.
Seven more actors join the case
The new guest cast includes LaChanze, Richard Schiff, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Joe Morton, Jen Tullock, William Baldwin and Keith W. Richards.
The group brings together actors known for The West Wing, Scandal, Severance, Orange Is the New Black and other major television dramas. Paramount has not revealed their character names, so their exact roles in the legal case remain under wraps.
LaChanze is the first name in the new lineup and one of the actors featured in Paramount’s official cast announcement. The Tony-winning performer has worked across Broadway, film and television, including a recent role on The Blacklist.
Schiff is best known to many viewers as Toby Ziegler on The West Wing. Morton played Rowan Pope on Scandal, while Tullock appeared as Devon in Severance. Rodriguez’s credits include Orange Is the New Black. Baldwin and Richards complete the newly announced group.
The real fight behind the series
The Best of Us dramatizes a case that lasted almost a decade. First responders who worked in the aftermath of 9/11 later developed severe illnesses, then faced another fight to hold the responsible parties accountable and receive compensation.
The legal battle eventually secured almost $1 billion. The series is built around the people who refused to let those workers be forgotten. That gives Strong a role shaped by arguments, strategy and the human cost of waiting for justice.
The title does not refer to a survival game or a post-apocalyptic story. It points to ordinary people who stepped forward during a national emergency and then needed others to step forward for them.
Who is making The Best of Us
Tobias Lindholm writes, directs and executive produces the limited series. His previous work includes The Investigation and the Oscar-nominated film A War. Frank Pugliese, whose credits include House of Cards, also writes and executive produces.
Strong serves as an executive producer alongside Tony Hernandez. Paramount Television Studios and SISTER are producing the series.
Paramount+ has not announced a premiere date. With filming now underway in New York, the next updates are likely to reveal the actors’ roles and when the six episodes will arrive.
