In the landscape of television, one genre that networks always seem to be in supply of is police dramas. Between shows like Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago P.D., 9-1-1 and others, there is no shortage of onscreen officers committed to their jobs. However, on October 2, TV made room for one more procedural series, East New York.
The show follows Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood (Amanda Warren) of the 74th Precinct in East New York as she tries to lead her team to a reformed version of policing that not only requires they think and act differently, but also requires trust from the residents of a neighborhood she knows quite well. While neither part of the task before them is easy, she’s nonetheless determined.
So just who else is on Haywood’s team when it comes to her mission? Here’s the cast of East New York.
Amanda Warren as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood
Regina Haywood has recently been promoted as the boss of the 74th Precinct in East New York, which is a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Brooklyn. In her new role, she’s determined to be an agent of change and see policing conducted slightly differently.
Her mission, while commendable, is not entirely motivated by unselfish reasons. She has deep family ties to the area and wants better for the residents. Naturally, because her new outlook on policing bucks against a system that’s been in place for generations, her ambitions are met with resistance from not only those on the force but also those in the community she’s sworn to serve and protect.
Playing Haywood is actress Amanda Warren. Warren has appeared in some high-profile films including Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Roman J. Israel, Esq. and she’s also starred in a number of television shows, such as NCIS: New Orleans, Madam Secretary and The Purge.
Jimmy Smits as Chief John Suarez
John Suarez is a shrewd yet highly decorated commanding officer in the NYPD. As the mentor and boss of Haywood, he wants to see her succeed in her new position. However, because he was the "teacher" and her the "student," he often feels he knows best, which sometimes puts the two at odds. This is especially the case when he’s not always a fan of her newer methods of police work.
Jimmy Smits plays Suarez. Smits is familiar to many from his many memorable roles, including The West Wing, NYPD Blue and How to Get Away with Murder. More recently he’s starred in Obi-Wan Kenobi and In the Heights.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Officer Marvin Sandeford
While Haywood has family ties to the East New York area, arguably no one on the squad is more of an expert on the neighborhood than Marvin Sandeford. As a highly-respected training officer and given his knowledge of the area, he may prove to be the most vital in Haywood’s plan. Although, as of now, he appears to be a bit skeptical of whether her ideas will actually work.
Sandeford’s portrayer is none other than Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Before diving into his acting resume, allow us to highlight the fact that he actually wrote the screenplay for the critically-acclaimed film Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis. Onscreen, Santiago-Hudson has been seen in Billions, David Makes Man and Castle.
Kevin Rankin as Detective Tommy Killian
Tommy Killian is one of those officers who is resistant to change. He likes the old approaches to protecting and serving and prefers to stay grounded in tradition despite its flaws.
Killian is played by actor Kevin Rankin. Rankin has starred in TV shows like Claws, The Umbrella Academy and AMC smash hit series, Breaking Bad.
Richard Kind as Captain Stan Yenko
Serving as Haywood’s righthand man is Stan Yenko. Unlike a few of the other characters, he’s quite supportive of Haywood’s new initiatives and is quite thrilled to help her out. His overall demeanor provides some comedic relief for the series.
Richard Kind stars as Yenko. Kind has been featured in several TV shows such as Gotham, The Good Fight and The Goldbergs. He’s also made quite the name for himself as a voiceover actor, and can be heard in Big Mouth, American Dad! and Inside Out.
Elizabeth Rodriguez as Detective Crystal Morales
Crystal Morales has great intuition as a detective, but she at times falls back on some rough and tumble ways of policing that Haywood doesn’t approve of. Morales will be a great member of Haywood’s team provided the detective can get out of her own way.
Starring as Morales is actress Elizabeth Rodriguez. Rodriguez is known for her roles in Orange Is the New Black, Power and Shameless.
Olivia Luccardi as Officer Brandy Quinlan
Brandy Quinlan is an ambitious patrol officer that also believes in Haywood’s mission. She believes in it so much that she is the sole volunteer to live in a local housing project within the precinct as a part of the new wave of community policing.
Olivia Luccardi stars as Quinlan. Luccardi was recently spotted in the limited series The Thing About Pam. She’s also recognizable for her role in Orange Is the New Black.
Lavel Schley as Officer Andre Bentley
Andre Bentley is a trainee officer with an upper-middle class background that is excited about the opportunity to make a difference in the community. He naturally works closely with his training superior Sandeford and is like a sponge ready to soak up information.
Portraying Bentley is Lavel Schley. Schley is pretty new to the acting world and the most prominent role of his acting career is in East New York. He also made an appearance in the sitcom Grown-ish.
Stay tuned for more episodes of East New York airing on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on CBS.
