Laurence Fishburne & Jacki Weaver Join LA Clippers Drama ‘The Sterling Affairs’
Oscar-nominated actors Laurence Fishburne and Jacki Weaver are set to star in a new FX limited series about the downfall of Los Angeles Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling.
As reported by Deadline, the series, titled The Sterling Affairs, follows Clippers coach Doc Rivers (Fishburne) in his quest to win a championship amid the controversy surrounding Sterling, whose notoriously racist behavior is uncovered during a power struggle between his wife of 60+ years, Shelly Sterling (Weaver), and his mistress, V. Stiviano.
The series is written and executive produced by Gina Welch (Feud: Bette and Joan) and based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast of the same name, reported and hosted by Ramona Shelburne. Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson are on board as exec producers under their Color Force banner, alongside Shelburne, and Kevin Bray, who will direct the first block of episodes. Nellie Reed and Rembert Browne serve as producers.
“Gina Welch has done a tremendous job of adapting this story for FX, showing the historic resolve and grace of Doc Rivers and the Clippers players during this shocking event,” said Nick Grad (via Deadline), FX’s President, Original Programming. “Building on Ramona Shelburne’s groundbreaking reporting, Gina, Nina Jacobson, and Brad Simpson delve even deeper into this pivotal moment in modern sports.”
Fishburne is perhaps best known for playing Morpheus in The Matrix franchise. His other memorable film roles include Jason “Furious” Styles in Boyz n the Hood, Tyrone “Mr. Clean” Miller in Apocalypse Now, and The Bowery King in the John Wick movies. His TV work includes portraying Dr. Raymond Langston in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and starring in and exec producing the ABC sitcom black-ish.
Meanwhile, Weaver is recognized for her performances in the films Animal Kingdom and Silver Linings Playbook, both of which earned her Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Her TV credits include the Australian mystery series Bloom, the Epix neo-noir thriller Perpetual Grace, LTD, and the Paramount+ western drama Yellowstone. She will next be seen in the Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow! opposite Billy Crudup.
The Sterling Affairs, TBA, FX
