Brune-Franklin, O. Yang Join Oscar Isaac Netflix Drama
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- Shalom Brune-Franklin and Jimmy O. Yang landed roles in Netflix's Vegas casino drama "The Roman," with Brune-Franklin playing rising casino host Jessica Christine "JC" Griffin and Yang playing sophisticated rival executive Rich Tzu
- The series was created by Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Billions," "Super Pumped") and centers on Oscar Isaac's Robert "Bobby Red" Redman, president of the hottest hotel casino in town making "long odds moves" to secure his position
- The previously announced cast also includes Betty Gilpin, Alec Baldwin, and David Costabile, rounding out a behind-the-camera team that adds Martin Scorsese (via Sikelia Productions) and JC Chandor, who exec produces and directs the first two episodes
- Brune-Franklin currently stars in HBO's "Dune: Prophecy" heading into its second season, with prior credits in "Baby Reindeer," "The Girlfriend," and "The Assassin," and is repped by Hamilton Hodell, Mosaic, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman
- Yang comes off a sold-out Hong Kong arena taping of his comedy special "Finally Home" and recently led Hulu's "Interior Chinatown," starred in the Sundance-premiering horror film "Rock Springs," and appeared in Derek Cianfrance's "Roofman"
Why it matters: The Scorsese and Chandor creative pedigree attached to "The Roman" — Scorsese exec producing and Chandor directing the first two episodes — positions this as a prestige play for Netflix rather than a standard casino procedural, and casting Yang specifically as Isaac's direct rival signals the show is building real dramatic tension around its lead rather than leaning on Isaac alone.
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