John Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John Slattery

John Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John Slattery

As a movie connoisseur with over two decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that the casting of John Slattery as the lead antagonist in USA Network’s upcoming series The Rainmaker has me thoroughly intrigued. With his Emmy-nominated career and knack for playing complex characters, Slattery is sure to bring a depth and nuance to Leo F. Drummond that will make him a formidable foe for the yet-to-be-cast Rudy Baylor.


In a recent announcement, actor John Slattery, renowned for his performances in the Marvel films and the critically acclaimed series Mad Men, is set to join the cast of the upcoming USA Network show The Rainmaker. This series is adapted from the 1995 novel by John Grisham, which follows an idealistic young lawyer named Rudy Baylor as he challenges a powerful law firm in an insurance case. Interestingly, this announcement was made on Slattery’s 62nd birthday, and Deadline was the first to break the news about his casting.

In the role of the primary adversary for the series, we find Slattery stepping into the shoes of Leo F. Drummond, a renowned courtroom titan and senior partner at Tinley Britt – an influential law firm that Rudy Baylor will face off against. At present, the character of Rudy Baylor, our lead role, has yet to be cast. USA Network acquired this series in June, and for more details about the legal drama, you can find the synopsis provided below:

Recently graduated from law school, Rudy Baylor finds himself squaring off against seasoned attorney Leo Drummond, as well as his former law school classmate, in a courtroom battle. Along with his mentor and an unkempt paralegal, Rudy and his team start to unearth two interconnected conspiracies surrounding the enigmatic demise of their client’s son.

Michael Seitzman takes on the role of both writer and executive producer for the upcoming series. He previously held these positions for the show Quantico. Notably, he has created multiple television series including Empire State, Intelligence, and Code Black, as well as wrote the 2005 film North Country, which garnered Charlize Theron a Best Actress Academy Award nomination. This new series is part of Seitzman’s endeavor to establish a “Grisham Universe” of television shows, inspired by the author’s books. The initiative started in 2018 with Hulu but the development on this specific series experienced delays. It remains unclear if USA Network plans to develop any further shows within the “Grisham Universe”.

1. The production companies Lionsgate and Blumhouse will be behind the series, while Jason Richman, John Grisham, David Gernert, and Jason Blum will take on executive producer roles. Previously, “The Rainmaker” was turned into a film in 1997 by Francis Ford Coppola. In that adaptation, Matt Damon portrayed Rudy Baylor, with Jon Voight playing Leo Drummond. The supporting cast included Claire Danes, Mickey Rourke, Danny DeVito, Roy Scheider, Virginia Madsen and Danny Glover.

John Slattery’s Emmy-Nominated Career

John Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John SlatteryJohn Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John SlatteryJohn Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John SlatteryJohn Grisham Series The Rainmaker Casts Marvel & Mad Men Star John Slattery

John Slattery made his acting debut in 1988 on the TV series “The Dirty Dozen”. However, it was his role as ad executive Roger Sterling in AMC’s popular show “Mad Men”, which he landed in 2007, that catapulted him to stardom. This role earned him four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series from 2008-2011. Additionally, he received two Critics’ Choice Award nominations for the same role. His latest appearance was in the Netflix film “Unfrosted”, where he played a cameo role that satirized his character from “Mad Men”.

As a die-hard fan, I’d like to share that I’ve been fortunate enough to witness the brilliant portrayal of Howard Stark, father to Tony Stark played by Robert Downey Jr., in several Marvel Cinematic Universe films such as Iron Man 2, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Endgame. Interestingly, I also caught him voicing the character in a 2023 episode of What If…? His acting prowess is further showcased in movies like the Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight, Flags of Our Fathers, Traffic, Charlie Wilson’s War, and The Station Agent. On the small screen, he’s graced series such as Veep, 30 Rock, The Good Fight, Mrs. America, Arrested Development, Sex and the City, and Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.

A premiere date for
The Rainmaker
has not yet been announced.

Read More

2024-08-14 18:02