John Gabriel Rodriquez is heading to the rodeo…
The Latino actor has been cast in Starz’s upcoming Black rodeo drama series.
Rodriguez is among a roster of new recurring cast members that includes SteVonté Hart, Gabrielle Byndloss, Samuel-Taylor and Aaron Smalls.
The as-yet-untitled series is infused with hip-hop swagger and country soul. The story unfolds in Southeast Texas, where rodeo isn’t just what you do – it’s who you are. At the center are three siblings bound by the legacy their mother built and the unfinished business their father left behind. Driven by their own ambitions and drawn into each other’s orbit, alliances shift, relationships tangle, and nothing stays private for long.
Rodriquez will play Francisco Morales. Seductively confident and effortlessly polished, Francisco is the CEO of Morales Timber Company, a respected family business with shady ties. Educated, strategic, and always several moves ahead, Francisco is slow to anger, but dangerous when pushed too far.
The previously announced cast includes DeWanda Wise as Anaya Clarke-Reagan, Shannon Wallace as Sebastian Clarke, Tian Richards as Rodney Clarke, Curtiss Cook as Elias Clarke, Lauren E. Banks as Wynter, Marcus Emanuel Mitchell as Julius Calhoun, Liv Symone as Jojo Calhoun and Jason Dirden as Greg Reagan.
Kirk A. Moore is showrunner and executive producer. Mark Johnson and Myki Bajaj of Gran Via Productions, and Tony Hernandez, Elise Henderson and Lilly Burns of Counterpart Studios also serve as executive producers. Giovanna Desselle, VP of Original Programming, and Christina Jokanovich, SVP of Original Programming, are the executives overseeing the series for Starz.
Rodriguez’s previous credits include Fantasy Island, The Divergent Series: Allegiant, The Vampire Diaries and The Courier.

