Tim Roth Replaces Ian McShane in Paramount+ Drama Amid Health Concerns
Tim Roth has stepped in for Ian McShane in Paramount+‘s upcoming Australian drama Last King of the Cross after the Deadwood star exited the series over health concerns.
As reported by Deadline, Roth will take over the role of antagonist Ezra Shipman in the Helium Pictures-produced serialized crime drama. McShane was originally cast as Shipman in late March but has since left the series to recover from an undisclosed health issue.
“It’s unfortunate that Ian is unable to join us, and we wish him a speedy recovery,” said the show’s executive producer and Helium founder Mark Fennessy (via Deadline). “We are truly delighted that the super brilliant Tim Roth joins our cast as Ezra and cannot wait to see him breathe life into yet another unforgettable character.”
The 10-episode series is based on the best-selling autobiography by John Ibrahim and follows Ibrahim and his brother Sam as they grow apart in their ascent to power. The drama traces Ibrahim’s rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no money or prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul in Sydney’s Kings Cross, which offers every form of illegal activity.
Roth’s character is described as a “wily and much-celebrated” underworld crime boss who has been the most powerful and feared man in Sydney for three generations. But as time ticks on, he realizes there is no one to continue the legacy he spent decades building. Enter John Ibrahim.
In addition to Roth, the series also stars Callan Mulvey (Outlaw King), Tess Haubrich (Alien: Covenant), Claude Jabbour (Eden), Maria Tran (Echo 8), Matt Nable (Riddick), and Damian Walshe-Howling (Underbelly).
Roth recently led the British crime drama Tin Star, which wrapped up its third and final season in 2020. He will next be seen in Disney+’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, playing the role of Emil Blonsky / Abomination.
Last King of the Cross, Series Premiere, TBA, Paramount+
