MGM+’s ‘The Magnificent Seven’ Adds 4 To Series Regular Cast

EXCLUSIVE: Four new actors have joined the growing cast of the MGM+ series The Magnificent Seven as series regulars: Joshua Close (Wayward, Fargo), Ken Yamamura (The Wolverine, Tetris), Michael Rubenfeld (Lucky Number Slevin) and Joel Nankervis (Your Fault: London). Production is currently underway in Calgary. They join the previously announced cast that includes Matt Dillon as Chris Adams, Will Patton as Cyrus T. Clemons, Michael Ealy as Vin Tanner, Danny Pino as Santiago “Santi” Vega, Joanne Froggatt as Harriet Talbot and Amy Forsyth as Katie “Deadeye” Dalton. Set in the tumultuous 1880s American frontier, The Magnificent Seven follows seven gifted but flawed mercenaries hired to protect a peaceful Quaker village after it is massacred by mercenaries working for a ruthless land baron trying to seize their land. As the team embeds itself and prepares to defend against overwhelming odds, they grapple with a central question: Is violence acceptable to defend people whose faith is based on non-violence? The series explores the backstories of each of the Seven, what’s at stake for them, and why they choose this mission—delving into themes of honor, sacrifice, redemption, morality, and faith. Watch on Deadline Close will play Skelton, a cold, calculating, and always three steps ahead. He lives by a brutal, unwavering code: take what you can, or be taken. In a lawless world, he believes morality is a story the losing side tells itself. A former Confederate raider who dabbled as a corrupt lawman and eventually turned into a bounty killer. The face of evil, Clemons hires him to command his army against the villagers, but Skelton is hard to control. Yamamura as Kenjiro “Kenji”, who is warm and endlessly curious. Raised to be a samurai, Kenji never got to fulfill his destiny when the Meiji Restoration in Japan dismantled the samurai class. After avenging his father’s murder, Kenji was forced to flee his country, carrying only his sword and his shame. In America, he has worked as anything to get by, and despite the weight of his past, Kenji lives with joy. He’s a man who refuses to let pain be his only legacy. Still, in his heart, he quietly waits for a righteous moment that will allow him to draw his blade for something worthy. Rubenfeld as Eli “Wick” Kagan, a da Vinci-esque genius inventor. As a sickly child, Wick spent most of his early years indoors, reading everything he could about mechanical engineering. More comfortable in his own head than with others, he brings a kind of chaotic hope to the group, masking his deeper loneliness behind a crooked grin and a spark of genius. Nankervis as Jebidah “Jeb” Campbell, who is quick-witted, impulsive, and bursting with nervous energy. Jeb is a rambunctious Quaker teenager with swagger, a carefree kid quickly transformed by the reality of the world and the dangers it can pose. Jeb has always been fascinated by the heroic deeds of gunslingers, despite the Quaker teachings of nonviolence. When his community is attacked, however, Jeb is convinced that fighting back is the only way forward. Whether or not he has what it takes to pull a trigger, however, is another matter. The series is written and executive produced by Tim Kring (Heroes, Touch), alongside executive producers Donald De Line (Billy the Kid, Wayward Pines), Lawrence Mirisch, Bruce Kaufman, and Matt Dillon. Casting by Seth Yanklewitz. MGM+ Studios and MGM Television Studios are producing. Close is represented by Buchwald and Stride Management in the US and Play Management in Canada. Yamamura is repped by Pacific Artists Management, Camino Real and Independent Talent Group. Rubenfeld is repped by The Arthur Agency. Nankervis is repped by Markham, Froggatt & Irwin, and Morrissey Management.