‘The Adversaries’: ABC Casts Veteran Actors Terry O'Quinn and Christine Lahti in Pilot Family Legal Drama
Veteran actors Terry Quinn, 62, and Christine Lahti, 64, have been cast to star on the ABC drama pilot The Adversaries. Created by David Zabel of ER fame, The Adversaries will follow the story of a New York legal dynasty patriarch who finds himself pitted against his estranged federal prosecutor daughter when he ends up on the defense in his own trial. Stephen Cragg will be serving as the pilot's director.
O'Quinn will be playing the role of Charlie, the head of the fictional law firm Fisher, Fisher, and Herrero. Charlie is now facing his own trial and his estranged daughter, Jess [still to be cast], who is also a federal prosecutor, agrees to be the lead attorney his defense team. Jess harbors ill feelings for her father because she believes "he has some culpability in his son Kyle's downward struggle and eventual death," according to the studio. Also, she will learn that Charlie has had an extra-marital affair, and has financial woes resulting from an embezzlement.
Lahti will be portraying Katherine, described as "the sexy, strong, sensitive, witty and tough estranged wife" of Charlie. Devastated by the loss of her son Kyle, she refuses to talk about him, even though he is constantly on everyone's mind. A former litigator herself, she also holds a grudge against Charlie for his affairs over the years. Yet, according to the studio's plot outline, it will be she who will bring his estranged daughter, Jess, back into the fold of Fisher, Fisher and Herrero to lead the team to prove Charlie's innocence.
O'Quinn is best known for his role as John Locke on ABC's Lost, for which he won an Emmy Award in 2007. Lahti is a versatile actress and film director who has won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Both O'Quinn and Lahti have recurring roles in CBS' Hawaii Five-O TV series. O'Quinn plays Steve McGarret's friend and former mentor Joe White while Lahti is cast as McGarret's mother Doris who is apparently still working a government operative.