British actor Naveen Andrews, known for his roles in Lost and The Dropout, will play lead antagonist, Ray Kinnock, in the second season of Paramount+’s Last King of The Cross.
Filming continues in Sydney on new episodes of the Helium Pictures drama, which picks up 18 months after the events of the first season with John Ibrahim (Lincoln Younes) lying low overseas and Sam Ibrahim (Claude Jabbour) in jail.
The story follows John as he is thrown into a struggle for power with Kinnock, the reigning queen of Oxford Street, who is determined to either keep John out or take him down while facing the relentless scrutiny of newly promoted Senior Sergeant Liz Doyle (Tess Haubrich) and her new taskforce.
Luke Arnold and Matuse also join the cast as Dean Taylor and Benny, respectively, two new drug lords hell-bent on bringing their booming trade into John’s clubs.
They join previously announced Dave Hoey and Alex Kaan, who play Michael and Fadi Ibrahim.
Last King of the Cross is produced by Alexandra Doering, executive produced by Helium CEO Mark Fennessy and John Ibrahim, with Alexander Pettaras as associate producer.
Season two is written by Sam Meikle, Sarah Smith, Fin Edquist, Jane Allen, Tim Pye, and James Pope, while Grant Brown, Ian Watson, and Tori Garrett are directing.
Fennessy said Andrews brought a “delicious mix of cool and class to a diverse and multi-talented cast”.
“Naveen is a highly respected and celebrated actor who has captivated audiences with stunning performances in major hits such as Lost, The English Patient, Bride and Prejudice, and more recently The Dropout,” he said.
Paramount Australia’s creative advisor for drama, Rick Maier agreed, describing Andrews as a “fantastic inclusion” for the second season
“Going up against the Ibrahims on screen is no easy task,” he said.
“Naveen promises to give Lincoln and Claude a run for their money. The addition of Luke and Matuse only adds weight to the feeling that this is the hottest ticket in town for actors keen to join this red-hot ensemble. They will be terrific.”
Last King of the Cross has received major production investment from Screen Australia with financial support from Screen NSW through the Made in NSW fund and Fulcrum Media Finance. Post, digital, and visual effects is supported by Screen NSW and Screen Queensland. Cineflix Rights is handling international distribution.