Amazon’s MGM+, a premium linear television channel and streaming service, announced on May 28 in a press release that Rome Flynn, an Emmy award-winning actor known for his roles in With Love, Fantasy Football and How To Get Away With Murder, will join the fourth season of Godfather of Harlem as a recurring guest star.
Flynn will play Frank Lucas, a character from North Carolina who moves to Harlem. At first, Lucas has conflicts with the gangster Bumpy Johnson but later becomes a loyal ally and Bumpy’s right-hand man. The character Frank Lucas was portrayed by Denzel Washington (Fences, Training Day) in the 2007 film American Gangster. However, Godfather of Harlem will explore Lucas’ story starting ten years before the events depicted in the movie.
The series was created by Chris Brancato, who is known for Narcos and Hotel Cocaine. The fourth season will feature returning cast members, including Ilfenesh Hadera (Baywatch, Billions), Lucy Fry (11.23.63, Mr. Church), Antoinette Crowe-Legacy (WeCrashed, Passing) and Erik LaRay Harvey (Luke Cage, Boardwalk Empire). The first three seasons of Godfather of Harlem are currently available to stream on MGM+.
The press release shares Brancato’s delight in working with Flynn: “When I saw Rome’s audition, I immediately knew we’d found our man – equal parts charming and ruthless, savvy and suave. Rome is a wonderful actor who can go toe-to-toe with Forest Whitaker and our other great performers.”
MGM+ also provides a summary of key plot points and character dynamics for Season four, highlighting the show’s ongoing intense and dangerous conflicts. The main character, Bumpy Johnson, is played by Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland, The Butler). Our fierce protagonist is engaged in a violent struggle against the powerful Mafia families in New York in order to maintain his dominance over Harlem. Bumpy faces a new challenge with the arrival of Frank Lucas (played by Flynn), a Black gangster who could potentially become a significant rival. Lucas’s presence introduces a new dynamic and threat to Bumpy’s control over Harlem. Season four deals with the repercussions of the assassination of Malcolm X, a prominent civil rights activist. Jason Alan Carvell (Ruthless, Ancient Skies) portrays Malcolm X, whose death is a pivotal and tragic event impacting the storyline. Bumpy’s daughter, Elise (played by Crowe-Legacy), becomes involved with the Black Panthers, a revolutionary Black political organization. This creates additional personal and political complications for Bumpy as he navigates his daughter’s new affiliations and their potential impact on his own life and struggles.
Flynn shares excitement with MGM+ for his upcoming role in the series by saying: “I’m filled with gratitude! Thrilled to be a part of the Godfather of Harlem universe and breathe new life into the legend of Frank Lucas. I have so much admiration for Forest Whitaker. Working opposite of him, being led by the brilliant creator Chris Brancato, is truly a gift. An actor’s dream.”