Say Anything…, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous. Filmmaker Cameron Crowe has directed some incredibly beloved movies over the past several decades — and now, like many a great auteur in this era of Peak TV, he's turning his attention to the small screen. This Sunday evening, the Oscar-winning screenwriter will debut his newest creation: the Showtime musical drama Roadies .
According to the show's official website, Roadies will be "an insider’s look at the reckless, romantic, funny and often poignant lives of a committed group of 'roadies,' who live for music and the de facto family they’ve formed along the way. The music-infused ensemble comedy series chronicles the rock world through the eyes of music’s unsung heroes and puts the spotlight on the backstage workers who put the show on the road while touring the United States for a successful arena-level band."
Obviously, a big name like Cameron Crowe was able to attract top acting and musical talent to his show, including the likes of Rainn Wilson (The Office) and Luis Guzmán (Code Black), who will be stopping by in recurring roles. But before you hit the road with the Roadies premiere this Sunday, here are the eight main cast members you should be sure to know:
Colson Baker ("Wes")
If you don't recognize the name Colson Baker, perhaps you'll know him better by his stage name, MGK — or Machine Gun Kelly — the Cleveland rapper whose 2012 debut album Lace Up contained such Top 100 hits as "Wild Boy" and "Invincible." Although Baker has appeared as himself in a number of reality TV programs including Catfish, he made his acting debut in the critically-acclaimed 2014 musical drama Beyond The Lights, and can next be seen in the Emma Roberts/Dave Franco thriller Nerve, in theaters next month.
Peter Cambor ("Milo")
Cambor's big break came when he starred alongside Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) in the two-season ABC sitcom Notes From The Underbelly in 2007-'08. Roadies will be his first series regular gig since then, but in the meantime you may have caught him in recurring roles on the likes of Grace And Frankie (as Barry, a love interest of Grace's daughter) and NCIS: Los Angeles (as psychologist Nate Getz).
Keisha Castle-Hughes ("Donna")
The New Zealand actress got her start early on, earning an Oscar nomination when she was only 12 for her starring role in the film Whale Rider. Since then, you may have seen her as Amidala's successor as Queen of Naboo in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge Of The Sith, as the Virgin Mary in The Nativity Story, as an infected patient of Beth's on The Walking Dead, and as spear-wielding Sandsnake Obara on Game Of Thrones.
Carla Gugino ("Shelli")
Gugino has almost 100 credits to her name over the past three decades on both film and television. Some of her more famous big screen roles include the Spy Kids trilogy, Robert Rodriguez's Sin City, Zack Snyder's Watchmen and Sucker Punch, and most recently the Dwayne Johnson disaster movie San Andreas. Her extensive experience on the small screen include the eponymous role in the ABC procedural Karen Sisco, the Sigourney Weaver miniseries Political Animals, recurring roles on the likes of Entourage, Californication, and The Brink, and most recently a starring role in Season 1 of the FOX series Wayward Pines.
Imogen Poots ("Kelly Ann")
This 27-year-old British actress got her start in sci-fi with the likes of V For Vendetta and 28 Weeks Later. Since then, she has accrued a fairly eclectic resumé, appearing in dumb action movies (Need For Speed), heady Terrence Malick flicks (Knight Of Cups), rom coms (That Awkward Moment), biopics (Jimi: All Is By My Side), parodies (Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping), and not one but two movies with the late great Anton Yelchin (Fright Night, Green Room). This is her first series regular role on American television.
Rafe Spall ("Reg")
If Spall's face looks familiar to you, it may be because he appeared in all three entries of Edgar Wright's Cornetto trilogy alongside Simon Pegg and Nick Frost: Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End. He also played one of the world's worst scientists in Prometheus, the novelist Yann Martell in Life Of Pi, and an expert trader in last year's Best Picture nominee The Big Short.
Ron White ("Phil")
Although White does have some acting credits to his name — including Sex And The City 2, Horrible Bosses, and an episode of Reno 911!, he is undoubtedly most famous as a stand-up comedian and a member of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour alongside Larry the Cable Guy, Jeff Foxworthy, and Bill Engvall. His solo works, which you can catch on CD or DVD, include Drunk In Public and You Can't Fix Stupid.
Luke Wilson ("Bill")
Yes, he is Owen Wilson's younger brother. Yes, he's one of the stars of HBO's short-lived Enlightened. Yes, he has appeared in countless beloved movies like Charlie's Angels, The Royal Tenenbaums, Old School, Anchorman, and Idiocracy. But to me, Luke Wilson will always be Emmett, Elle Woods' adorkable love interest in the seminal 2001 classic comedy Legally Blonde.
Roadies officially premieres on Showtime this Sunday, June 26, at 10:00 p.m. ET, but the first episode is already available to stream on Showtime Anytime and YouTube. Rock on!
Images: Showtime, Katie Yu (7), Patrick Wymore/Showtime
