EXCLUSIVE: In his return to CBS, former CSI: Vegas star Matt Lauria has been tapped as what is believed to be the male lead opposite Morena Baccarin on the network’s upcoming drama series Sheriff Country, a spinoff from hit Fire Country.
Sheriff Country, which will premiere in the fall, stars Baccarin as straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox, the stepsister of Cal Fire’s division chief Sharon Leone (Fire Country‘s Diane Farr), who investigates criminal activity as she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater while contending with her ex-con father (W. Earl Brown) and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.
Lauria will play Boone, Sheriff Mickey Fox’s smart, tough and capable deputy and longtime partner. Originally from Oakland, he’s used to a different kind of policing. Their contrasting law enforcement styles makes their partnership both complex and occasionally tense.
In addition to Baccarin and Brown, whose characters have been introduced on Fire Country, Lauria joins fellow Sheriff Country new series regulars Christopher Gorham and Michele Weaver who play Mickey’s ex-husband and a Sheriff deputy, respectively.
The Sheriff Country planted spinoff episode was written by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater with story by Phelan, Rater and Max Thieriot, the trio behind Fire Country. Executive producing the series are Matt Lopez, who serves as showrunner, Thieriot, Phelan, Rater, and Jerry Bruckheimer and KristieAnne Reed for JBTV. CBS Studios is the studio behind the Fire Country franchise.
Lauria will next be seen recurring in JJ Abrams’ period thriller drama series Duster for Max as Izzy’s (Camille Guaty) oncologist boyfriend. He recently wrapped indie film Drowning and recurred on the second season of Prime Video’s sci-fi Western Outer Range. His series credits also include major roles on DirecTV’s Kingdom, Apple TV+’s Dickinson, CBS All Access’ Tell Me A Story, Channel 4’s Traitors, Sky Atlantic’s Little Birds, NBC’s Parenthood and his breakout turn on Friday Night Lights. In features, he was most recently seen in Paramount’s 80 for Brady. Lauria is repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA and Johnson, Shapiro, Slewett, & Kole.
