TINA LIFFORD, DONDRÉ WHITFIELD, TIMON KYLE DURRETT AND NICHOLAS L. ASHE JOIN CAST OF OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK'S ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES 'QUEEN SUGAR,' FROM AVA DUVERNAY AND WARNER HORIZON TELEVISION

Los Angeles - Tina Lifford ("Parenthood"), Dondré Whitfield ("Mistresses"), Timon Kyle Durrett ("Single Ladies") and Nicholas L. Ashe (The Lion King - National Tour) have joined the cast as series regulars 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.

Lifford portrays Violet Bordelon, the aunt to the Bordelon siblings, a spunky woman involved in a long-term relationship with the younger Hollywood Desonier (Omar Dorsey "Ray Donovan"). Whitfield portrays Remy Newell, a trusted friend working on the Bordelon land as a water irrigation specialist. Durrett portrays Davis West, a charismatic and respected professional basketball player married to Charley Bordelon West (Gardner) who becomes embroiled in a public scandal with his teammates. Ashe portrays Davis and Charley's 15-year-old son Micah, who despite a privileged life, is grounded and has a great relationship with his parents.

The series is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay. 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.

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.