‘Suits’ Spinoff Adds ‘One Tree Hill’ Alum Bethany Joy Lenz
It’s a good year to be both a One Tree Hill alum and a One Tree Hill fan! The series may have bowed on The CW back in 2012 but now more than ever the stars of the beloved long-running TV drama are busier than ever. James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti are writing and starring in their own series titled Everyone is Doing Great. Hilarie Burton, Robert Buckley, Daneel Ackles, and Antwon Tanner are all reuniting for a Lifetime Network Christmas movie called The Christmas Contract, which will be followed by a one-hour reunion special. Sophia Bush lent her voice to the latest Incredibles movie and has just signed on to star in a new CBS series, Surveillance. Now, Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley James Scott for all of One Tree Hill’s nine seasons, has signed up to star in the upcoming Suits spinoff series, Second City, that follows Gina Torres’ character Jessica Pearson in Chicago. The series also stars Simon Kassianides and Morgan Spector.
Lenz joins Second City in the recast role of Keri Allen. Actress Rebecca Rittenhouse originally played the character in the backdoor pilot, which aired during season 7 of Suits, but now Lenz is stepping into the role of the born and raised Chicago native who is a driven, ambitious city attorney serving as unofficial right hand to the mayor.
Lenz’s casting announcement coincided with new additions Chantel Riley (Wynonna Earp), Isabel Arraiza (The Oath) and Eli Goree (Ballers). According to Deadline, Riley will be playing Angela Cook, “a certified Nursing Assistant and Jessica’s cousin. Angela is suspicious of Jessica’s sudden altruism and is preoccupied with taking care of her two sons, protecting her mother and staying connected to her community.” Arraiza will play Yoli Castillo, “Jessica’s passionate assistant who will learn from the best how to most effectively channel her intensity” and Mayes will play a “young press secretary and a former journalist who got into politics to make a difference but struggles with the reality of what it takes to do so.”
While Lenz is probably most known for her One Tree Hill role, she recently guest-starred on Grey’s Anatomy and USA’s Colony. She will also appear in her own Lifetime Christmas movie Poinsettas for Christmas.
Are you excited for Second City? Let us know!
Source:Deadline
Having studied Media & Writing at James Madison University, I always knew that I wanted to do some type of creative writing, but being able to write about zombies, Starks, and superheroes on a daily basis for Fan Fest is my actual dream. While I probably shouldn’t be as proud as I am to be so similar to Nick Miller, I do hope to one day write my own “Pepperwood Chronicles’.
