Lorraine Toussaint (The Village) is set to co-star opposite Queen Latifah in CBS drama pilot The Equalizer, a re-imagining of the classic 1980s series. The project hails from Andrew Marlowe & Terri Miller, Davis Entertainment, Flavor Unit, Martin Chase Productions, Universal Television and CBS TV Studios.
Written by Marlowe and Miller, who will serve as showrunners, The Equalizer stars Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic figure who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. This is a new take on the character played by Edward Woodward on the original 1985-89 CBS series and by Denzel Washington in the movie franchise.
Toussaint will play Frieda “Aunt Fry” Lascombe, Robyn’s aunt and her rock who’s been living with Robyn and her daughter, Delilah, since Robyn’s divorce. She has an undeniable wisdom and is a truth-teller who tends to be a wary optimist.
In addition to Queen Latifah, Toussant joins recently cast Liza Lapira.
2020 CBS Pilots & Series Orders
Marlowe and Miller executive produce alongside John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment; Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions; Richard Lindheim, co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series; as well as Queen Latifah (real name Dana Owens) and Shakim Compere of Flavor Unit. Universal TV produces in association with CBS TV Studios.
Toussaint has a recurring role on the upcoming Showtime series Your Honor and a role on CBS All Access’ The Good Fight — both executive produced by Robert and Michelle King. She also co-stars as Flo Kennedy in The Glorias, which premiered at Sundance and will be released in September; in Concrete Cowboy, opposite Iris Elba; and the ensemble comedy Silent Retreat. On TV, she recently starred on NBC’s The Village and also co-starred on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and Rosewood. Toussaint is repped by Frontline Management, Innovative and Myman Greenspan.