Where You've Seen The Cast Of Black Bird Before

"Black Bird," Dennis Lehane's limited series crime drama on Apple TV+, isn't for the faint of heart. Based on James Keene and Hillel Levin's autobiographical novel "In With the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption," the show digs into the mind of a cold and calculated murderer.

The protagonist is James "Jimmy" Keene (Taron Egerton), a cocky drug dealer who gets busted and sentenced to 10 years in jail. The FBI approach him with a deal for a commuted sentence. In exchange, he must transfer to a Springfield maximum security prison, take on a different identity, and befriend convicted murderer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser). The agents feel that Jimmy's natural charm and bewitching personality will get him close enough to get Larry to reveal where he has more bodies buried.

While the most disturbing moments in "Black Bird" occur later in the series, each episode is packed with haunting tension, and that's largely due to the excellent performances. Here's where you may have seen the cast of "Black Bird" before.

Paul Walter Hauser gives a spine-chilling performance as serial killer Larry Hall in "Black Bird."  Despite the grotesque nature of the character, Hauser made sure to play the role truthfully. "Monsters don't always believe they're monsters," the actor told E! Insider. "You don't try to play him like a monster. You try to play him like a person and you let the monster reveal itself."

Hall isn't the first real-life person Hauser has portrayed onscreen. In "I, Tonya", the actor plays Tonya Harding's bodyguard, Shawn Eckhardt, who confessed to planning the Nancy Kerrigan attack. He can also be seen in "Richard Jewell" as the titular character suspected of bombing the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. The actor, who appears in films like "BlacKkKlansman" and "Da 5 Bloods," is also well known for his more comedic roles, such as in "Reno 911," "Cruella," and "Queen Pins." His "Cobra Kai" character, Stingray, quickly became a fan favorite, and he's appeared in other shows like "Kingdom" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt." Hauser can also be found rapping under the name Signet Ringer.

Legendary actor Ray Liotta embodied so many iconic characters over the course of his career that it's difficult to pick a favorite. Some might say that Shoeless Joe in "Field of Dreams" was his breakout performance, but he's undoubtedly known best for his role as Henry Hill in "Goodfellas." "There's not a day that goes by that I don't hear somebody mention 'GoodFellas,'" the actor told GQ in 2010. "Unless I stay home all night." 

Liotta is known for his many film roles, which include "Unlawful Entry," "Narc," "Copland," "Identity," "The Place Beyond the Pines," and "The Many Saints of Newark." He also brought his talents to lighter fare like "Corrina, Corrina" and "Heartbreakers." Never letting bravado or fame get in the way of having fun with his roles, Liotta even voiced an animated version of himself in "Bee Movie."

On May 26, 2022, Liotta's devastating death took the world by surprise. His role as Jimmy Keane's father, Big Jim Keene, in "Black Bird" marks one of his last posthumous performances. 

Larry Hall has a fraternal twin brother, Gary, who's played by Jake McLaughlin in "Black Bird." Gary is the more athletic and well-adjusted of the twins and tries all of his life to do right by Larry. It's unclear whether it's because of guilt or just brotherly love, but Gary refuses to see Larry for who he truly is. He knows that his brother isn't normal, but he still wants to believe he didn't commit the murders that he confessed to. 

McLaughlin has had many supporting and guest roles throughout the years, appearing on shows like "Criminal Minds," "Grey's Anatomy," and "The Mentalist." The actor has shared a screen with Denzel Washington in "Safe House" and Tom Hardy in "Warrior." His major acting breakthrough came in 2015 when he began starrign as Ryan Booth in the ABC drama "Quantico." The show follows FBI recruits training at the titular Quantico base who have to figure out which one of them is a sleeper cell terrorist (via IMDB).  After 3 seasons, "Quantico" was canceled in 2018. Since then, Mclaughlin has continued to bring his talents to the TV screen.

In "Black Bird", Robert Wisdom plays Edmund Beaumont, the prosecutor who sandbags Jimmy Keene into taking a plea deal instead of going to trial. In the scene where Beaumont and Special Agent Lauren McCauley first present the opportunity to Jimmy, he has a few choice words for Beaumont. But Beaumont keeps his smug cool the entire time — something the talented actor has done in many of his roles over the years.

Wisdom's filmography is impressive, to say the least. The "Burn Notice" actor has starred in his fair share of successful TV shows, including "Nashville," "Ballers," and "Chicago P.D." In the Hulu original series "Helstrom," he plays Caretaker, a guardian of knowledge, and in the HBO series "Barry" he plays the role of Jim Ross. Wisdom also has credits as Cyrus Montrose in "The Alienist," Seymour in "Watchmen," Buck Neal in "The Fix," Uriel in "Supernatural," and Norman St. John in "Prison Break."

Wisdom's commanding on-screen presence can be witnessed in numerous films as well, such as "Ray," "Motherless Brooklyn," and "A Journal for Jordan." Though he has a ton of acting credits to his name by this point, the actor is probably still best known for playing Howard "Bunny" Colvin as part of the cast of "The Wire" on HBO.

In "Black Bird", Christopher B. Duncan plays prison therapist Dr. Aaron Zicherman, one of the few people at Springfield prison who know Jimmy Keene's true identity. Duncan has made a strong career playing supporting roles on major TV shows, including "Coach," "Black Lightning," and "Veronica Mars." The actor has also had many guest appearances on police procedurals like "CSI," "Criminal Minds," and "Bones." 

Despite having proven that his acting has range, Duncan finds it "bittersweet" that most people still mostly see him as Braxton from the late 1990s sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show." "If you see me in a different role, you see me doing the work," Duncan expressed in an interview with Comedy Hype. "If it's a drama, if it's a romantic comedy, whatever it is, all I ask is for some openness to receive it." Duncan may find it complicated that he'll forever be remembered for playing the straight man to Jamie Foxx's Jamie King character, but he's clearly also grateful for all the love given to him throughout the years by his fans.

Dr. Amelia Hackett, played by Melanie Nicholls-King, is the prison therapist who works with Larry Hall in "Black Bird." She seems to genuinely want what's best for Larry, and she does a good job of connecting with him. In a red carpet interview with FabTV, Nicholls-King described her character as "very protective, especially of Paul's character (Larry)." It's that same protective nature that the actor has brought to roles such as Hazel Lacroix in "Anne With an E" and Anne Marie Bowen in "Falling Water."

The "Little Fires Everywhere" actor began her career on stage with Sugar'n'spice, a theater company that she and two other women created. Her skills as a theater-trained performer can be seen in projects like "Veep," "The Sinner," and "Rookie Blue." Nicholls-King shares a connection with "Black Bird" co-star Robert Wisdom, as they were both regulars on HBO's "The Wire." The Canadian actor played detective Shakima Greggs's live-in girlfriend Cheryl on the show. Today, roles on both the big and small screens keep Nicholls-King busy and creative.