The Big Cigar TV Series Details:
| Based on | The Big Cigar by Joshuah Bearman |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Biographical drama Thriller |
| Season | 1 |
| Episodes | 6 |
| Release date | May 17, 2024 |
| Running time | 37-41min |
| Age rating | TV-MA |
| Starring | André Holland Tiffany Boone Alessandro Nivola Marc Menchaca P. J. Byrne |
| Created by | Janine Sherman Barrois |
| Developed by | Jim Hecht |
| Directed by | Damon Thomas Don Cheadle |
| Written by | Jim Hecht Laurence Andries Joshuah Bearman Ameer Hasan Gwendolyn M. Parker Valerie Woods |
| Executive producers | Janine Sherman Barrois Joshuah Bearman Don Cheadle Joshua Davis Jim Hecht Arthur Spector |
| Cinematography by | Miroslaw Baszak Carmen Cabana Suki Medencevic |
| Edited by | Avril Beukes Rebecca Valente |
| Music by | Robert Glasper Qmillion |
| Casting By | Leah Daniels Butler |
| Production Design by | Warren Alan Young |
| Production Company | Folding Chair Productions Epic Warner Bros. Television |
| Distributor | Apple TV+ |
The Big Cigar TV Series Cast & Character:
Main
André Holland as Huey P. Newton: The main protagonist, who is the founder of The Black Panther Party.
Alessandro Nivola as Bert Schneider: The film and television producer. He and his business partner Steve Blauner hid Newton due to him being convicted of murder and assault.
Tiffany Boone as Gwen Fontaine: The wife of Huey P. Newton who is a party member.
P. J. Byrne as Stephen Blauner: Bert’s business partner and childhood friend. He and Bert helped and collaborate with Huey on a series of wild schemes.
Marc Menchaca as Sydney Clark: An FBI agent dressed as a hippie who never gives up interrogating the organization, family members and anybody related to Huey.
Recurring
- Thamela Mpumlwana as Lil Bobby Hutton
- Moses Ingram as Teressa Dixon: A young member of the party who proves to be resourceful, even when she persuades Huey to give Bert his money.
- Jaime Ray Newman as Roz Torrance
- Jordane Christie as Bobby Seale: An political activist and author who was one of the co-founders of the Black Panther Party along with Newton.
- Inny Clemons as Richard Pryor
- Olli Haaskivi as Arthur A. Ross: A film and screenwriter who works for Bert.
- Noah Emmerich as Stanley Schneider: Bert’s brother.
- James Cade as Agent Anderson
Guest
- Glynn Turman as Walter Newton: Huey P. Newton’s father
- Brenton Allen as Eldridge Cleaver: A writer and political activist who an early leader of the Black Panther Party.
- Michael Mașini as Gregory Lipton:
- Chris Brochu as Dennis Hopper
- Rebecca Dalton as Jessica
- John Doman as Abe Schneider: Bert’s father.
- Owen Roth as Jack Nicholson
- Manuel Rodriguez Saenz as Tajo
- Hudson Wurster as Michael Torrance
- Al McFoster as Ceddy
- Taylor Jackson as Candice Bergen
- Liz Adjei as Betty Shabazz
- Brian Jansen as Warren Winkle
Storyline:
Chronicles the manhunt for Huey P. Newton, the founder of the Black Panther Party, who seeks the help of film producer Bert Schneider as he tries to escape to Cuba.
About The Big Cigar TV Series:
The Big Cigar is an American biographical drama thriller miniseries developed by Jim Hecht, based on the 2012 Playboy article of the same name by Joshuah Bearman. It stars André Holland, Tiffany Boone, Alessandro Nivola, Marc Menchaca, and P. J. Byrne.
It was announced in December 2012 that Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris were set to direct the project for Sony Pictures, at the time developed as a film, with Joshuah Bearman, author of the source article, and Jim Hecht set to write the screenplay.
The project, now a miniseries, was given a greenlight from Apple TV+ in April 2022, with André Holland cast to star. Don Cheadle was announced to be directing the first two episodes in addition to executive producing. In June, Tiffany Boone and Alessandro Nivola joined the cast, with Marc Menchaca and P. J. Byrne joining the next month.
In August, Jordane Christie, Moses Ingram, Olli Haaskivi, and Glynn Turman were cast to recur in the series. Additional recurring cast including Jaime Ray Newman and Noah Emmerich was announced in September.
Filming for the series began in Toronto in June 2022, as showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois revealed. By August, production was occurring throughout Hamilton, Ontario, where Hamilton City Hall was being used as a double for San Francisco International Airport.
The series premiered on Apple TV+ on May 17, 2024.
The Big Cigar TV Series Episodes List:
| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | “Panther/Producer” | Don Cheadle | Jim Hecht | May 17, 2024 |
| 2 | “The Cuban” | Don Cheadle | Janine Sherman Barrois & Jim Hecht | May 17, 2024 |
| 3 | “Guns & Matzah” | Damon Thomas | Laurence Andries & Gwendolyn M. Parker | May 24, 2024 |
| 4 | “What Are Friends For?” | Damon Thomas | Janine Sherman Barrois & Jim Hecht | May 31, 2024 |
| 5 | “Lost Paradise” | Tiffany Johnson | Laurence Andries & Valerie Woods & Ameer Hasan | June 7, 2024 |
| 6 | “The Pirate” | Tiffany Johnson | Jim Hecht & Joshuah Bearman | June 14, 2024 |
