HBO’s True Detective is popular amongst crime drama fans. Each season follows a different cast and a different crime. The newest and third season shows two partners involved in a mystery of two missing children in the Ozarks, Arkansas.

What’s interesting about this season is that the lead will be played by a black man whose role was originally written for a white man. Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Luke Cage) wanted to veer off in a different direction with his career – no longer being just a supporting actor. “I could’ve played that second lead, that supporting career,” Ali said. “But in my mind, I was like, ‘I’ve done this my entire career though. I’ve never done that. At that time, I’m 43 years old. If it don’t happen now, it really may not happen.”

He knew the show could still be successful with a man of color. In order for this to happen, he had to talk to True Detective creator, Nic Pizzolatto. “I think your story would be served. I think the story would improve in this case if this lead character is black,” Ali continued. “We don’t have to beat them over the head with the race element, but let’s write it. I’m encouraging him to think of it from the standpoint of how it’s experienced. Racism is not experienced as the N-word all the time, right? It’s more like, he wouldn’t even look me in the eye. Or like I said, thank you — he just brushed me off. And so I came back to [Nic] and I was like, ‘I want to play that part.’ And he thought about it a couple of days, got back to me, and he was like, ‘Yo, let’s do this. I’m down.’”

Diversity on-screen has become a long-winded debate at this point. Now with more representation in TV shows and movies, viewers will be directly introduced to how minorities have to deal with certain issues with many relating as well.

You can watch the trailer for the new season below.

Season three will premiere on January 13 on HBO.