Josh McDermitt Boards Political Thriller ‘Lilly’; James Russo, Robert LaSardo & More Join ‘The MobKing’

Matt Grobar
·3 min read

EXCLUSIVE: Josh McDermitt (The Walking Dead) has joined Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, Tony Award nominee Thomas Sadoski and Josh Lucas in the cast of Lilly, the political thriller co-written and directed by Rachel Feldman, which is currently in production in Georgia.

Based on the life of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama woman for whom President Obama named his first piece of legislation—The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act of 2009—the film explores the psychological cost of putting one’s life on the line for justice. At the heart of the social justice drama is a love story between Lilly (Clarkson) and her husband Charles (Lucas), a man who stood by his wife despite life-threatening challenges and significant family strife.

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McDermitt will play the ambitious and unethical Alabama Congressman Dan McGinty. As previously announced, Sadoski is portraying Jon Goldfarb, the Birmingham civil rights attorney who navigated Ledbetter’s legal battles.

Feldman wrote the script for Lilly with Adam Prince. The independently financed film is being produced by J. Todd Harris (The Trial of the Chicago 7), Kelly Ashton (Red Joan), Simone Pero (The Tale), Christine Schwarzman (Mean Girls on Broadway), and Kerianne Flynn (This Changes Everything), in association with the Georgia-based Thomasville Pictures.

Executive producers on the project include Per Melita, Julie Kaufman, David Michael Rich, Jyoti Sarda, Kate Kelley, Wendy Federman, Jayne Sherman, David Bryant, Patti Hart, Ann Drake, Richard Batchelder, Lisa Kelley and Kim Robson.

McDermitt is best known for his series regular role as Eugene Porter in AMC’s The Walking Dead, which is currently in production on its 11th and final season. The actor has also appeared in TV series including Creepshow, The Loudest Voice and Twin Peaks, along with films such as Robert Sparks’ thriller Odious and Ned Crowley’s Middle Man.

McDermitt is represented by Innovative Artists and Trademark Talent.

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(L-R) James Russo, Robert LaSardo, Stelio Savante and Oksana Lada - Credit: Courtesy of Matthew Murphy; Diana Carter; Rudolf Buitendach; Maria Tornberg
(L-R) James Russo, Robert LaSardo, Stelio Savante and Oksana Lada - Credit: Courtesy of Matthew Murphy; Diana Carter; Rudolf Buitendach; Maria Tornberg

Courtesy of Matthew Murphy; Diana Carter; Rudolf Buitendach; Maria Tornberg

EXCLUSIVE: James Russo (Django Unchained, Donnie Brasco, Open Range), Robert LaSardo (The Mule, Burn Notice, CSI: Miami), Stelio Savante (Infidel, Running for Grace, The Chosen), and Oksana Lada (The Sopranos) have joined Ciro Dapagio (Silent Partners, Brass Knuckles) in The MobKing, a film based on his series of the same name, which has been acquired by Wanda Halcyon Television, Global Television Operations and Un Nouveau Du Jour for worldwide distribution, and is scheduled for release next year.

In the film, Dapagio reprises his role as Mike White, a man coming off a lengthy prison sentence, who navigates his way through the seedy underworld of Miami’s most notorious criminal organizations.

Jorge “Jokes” Yanes (The Roof, Gabriel: Amor Immortal, Eenie Meenie Miney Moe, The MobKing series) is directing the project, which is currently in production in Miami, also starring Artie Pasquale (The Sopranos, The Brooklyn Banker), Paul Borghese (The Irishman, Back In The Day), Antoni Corone (We Own the Night, Bad Boys II), Elisabetta Fantone (Big Eyes, Paper Empire), Bruce Soscia (The Families Fued) and Anthony Caliendo.

Dapagio and Caliendo are exec producing.

Russo is represented by Myman Greenspan Fox; LaSardo by DTLA Entertainment Group; Savante by SMS Talent, Houghton Talent, Opus Entertainment and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman; Lada by Lisa Lax Agency and Arykas Ybots MGT.

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