Bianca Lawson & More Join Cast of OWN's Original Drama Series QUEEN SUGAR

Bianca Lawson ("Pretty Little Liars"), Greg Vaughan ("Days of Our Lives"), Henry G. Sanders ("Selma") have joined the cast of the new original drama series "Queen Sugar," from award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay ("Selma") for OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK and produced by Warner Horizon Television.

The series, which will begin production in Louisiana and Los Angeles this month, chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings - NOVA (Rutina Wesley "True Blood"), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner "Unforgettable") and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe "Awkward") - who come together after a family tragedy to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South.

Lawson portrays Darla, the ex-girlfriend of Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) and mother of their son, 6-year-old Blue, who she has been prevented from seeing as she battles drug addiction. Vaughan portrays Calvin, a cop and longtime lover of NOVA (Rutina Wesley), who shares a deep connection with her despite being married. Sanders, in a recurring role, portrays Prosper Denton, a farmer and old friend of Ernest (guest star Glynn Turman).

The series is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay and Melissa Carter. DuVernay developed "Queen Sugar" for television, wrote its pilot episode and will direct multiple episodes of the show's first season.

About "Queen Sugar""Queen Sugar" chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Saint Josephine, Louisiana: Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner "Unforgettable"), the savvy wife and manager of an NBA star; NOVA (Rutina Wesley "True Blood"), a world-wise journalist and activist; and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe "Awkward"), a formerly incarcerated young father in search of redemption. After a family tragedy, the Bordelons must navigate the triumphs and struggles of their complicated lives in order to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South. "Queen Sugar" is produced for OWN by Warner Horizon Television. The executive producers are Oprah Winfrey, Ava DuVernay and Melissa Carter. The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile.

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network
OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand - and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own and press.discovery.com/us/own.

About Warner Horizon Television
Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of scripted series for the cable marketplace and primetime reality series for both network and cable. A division of the Warner Bros. Television Group, WHTV was founded in 2006. Its current scripted programs are Rizzoli & Isles and the forthcoming ANIMAL Kingdom for TNT, the upcoming People of Earth for TBS, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS for Freeform, LONGMIRE and Fuller House for Netflix, and Queen Sugar for OWN. WHTV's unscripted series are THE VOICE and the upcoming Little Big Shots for NBC, as well as THE BACHELOR franchise - which also includes THE BACHELORETTE and BACHELOR IN PARADISE - and 500 QUESTIONS for ABC, among others.

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