Damson Idris has starred in films, television shows, plays, and has even voice-acted for a video game. Now, the multitalented 29-year-old adds producer to his list of abilities.
Deadline Hollywood announced Friday that Idris, who stars as drug kingpin Franklin Saint on the hit FX show Snowfall, will also help produce season five of the show, set to premiere in 2022.
The show was co-created by late producer John Singleton, known for films like Boyz N The Hood and Poetic Justice, with the help of Eric Amadio and Dave Andron.
With the news, Idris adds his name to a short list of producers hand-selected by the show’s creators to bring the vision to life.
“Excited for the next chapter,” Idris tweeted Friday after the news broke.
Set during the 1980s’ crack cocaine epidemic in South Central Los Angeles, the show follows Idris’ character Franklin as he goes from working as a convenience store clerk to rising the ranks of the LA drug scene, becoming the city’s most notorious and feared kingpin.
The show was one of Singleton’s last projects before his passing on April 28, 2019. Several days earlier, the acclaimed producer suffered a stroke and was placed on life support. The show continued filming throughout the process.
“Everybody is sad but everybody also is moving forward because that’s what John would’ve wanted,” said executive producer Trevor Engelson.
Since premiering on FX in 2017, Snowfall has become one of the network’s most popular shows and has racked up several awards and nominations, including an African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) award and nominations from the NAACP Image Awards and Black Reel.
“‘Snowfall’ has come into its own as one of the best dramas on TV,” FX Entertainment president Eric Schrier said in a public statement. “Its quality and audience growth is a remarkable achievement for a show in its fourth season.”
In its fourth season, the show saw a 41% increase in total viewership, averaging 5.1 million viewers across all platforms and streaming services, according to Variety.
Carter Hudson, Isaiah John, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Amin Joseph, Angela Louis, Kevin Carroll, Michael Hyatt, and Suzy Nakamura star in the show alongside Idris.
The show was renewed for a fifth season in March, and it is unknown whether or not production is already underway. On April 22, Leonard Chang, a writer and producer for the show, tweeted that they are “working hard to get you season 5 as soon as possible,” telling fans to “stay tuned!”
Past seasons of the show have aired Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on FX. In preparation for season five, fans can catch up on past episodes via a variety of streaming services, including Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
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