The Deuce (TV series)

Premise

Conception

Cast and characters

Main

• James Franco as Vincent Martino, a bartender, and Frankie Martino, a gambler. Twin Italian-American brothers from Brooklyn operating out of Times Square, they become associates of and fronts for the Mafia.
• Maggie Gyllenhaal as Eileen Merrell / Candy Renee, a prostitute with an entrepreneurial spirit who sees opportunity in the emerging pornography industry.
• Gbenga Akinnagbe as Larry Brown, an intense and demanding pimp who later discovers a talent for acting.
• Chris Bauer as Bobby Dwyer, Vincent and Frankie Martino's brother-in-law, a construction foreman and family man who begins working on The Deuce in one of the Mafia's parlors.
• Gary Carr as C.C., a charismatic but ruthless and controlling pimp.
• Chris Coy as Paul Hendrickson, a kindred spirit to Vincent Martino and a veteran bartender who pursues his own personal and professional ambitions in the emerging LGBT political community.
• Dominique Fishback as Donna Pickett / Darlene, a young, sweet-natured sex worker who relies on her savvy and intellect to create a life for herself while navigating a complicated relationship with Larry Brown.
• Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Chris Alston, a smart NYPD patrolman who discovers corruption in the police department.
• Margarita Levieva as Abigail "Abby" Parker, a college student who rejects the confines of her wealthy upbringing by embracing feminist politics and entering a relationship with Vincent.
• Emily Meade as Sarah / Lori Madison, a young woman who quickly becomes a sex worker after arriving in New York City from Minnesota and finds her place in the emerging porn industry, but is hampered by the controlling C.C. and a cocaine addiction. The character is loosely based on the adult film star Shauna Grant.
• Natalie Paul as Sandra Washington, a newspaper reporter who's investigating the relationship between sex work in Times Square and the police department.
• Michael Rispoli as Rudy Pipilo, a Gambino family capo who oversees the Mafia's financial interests in the sex industry, generally preferring negotiation to violence.
• Luke Kirby as Gene Goldman, an incoming Koch administration official bent on reform.
• Jamie Neumann as Dorothy Spina / Ashley, a sex worker who works for C.C. that quits the sex trade and becomes an activist with the help of Abby.
• David Krumholtz as Harvey Wasserman, a highly intelligent and quick-witted director of pornographic movies who mentors Eileen.
• Olivia Luccardi as Margaret Rouse / Melissa, a sex worker who worked for Reggie Love and then for C.C. before joining the porn industry.
• Sepideh Moafi as Loretta, a sex worker who works for Larry Brown.
• Daniel Sauli as Tommy Longo, a gangster and an associate of and later a soldier for Mafia capo Rudy Pipilo.

  Recurring

• Method Man as Rodney, a pimp.
• Don Harvey as Danny Flanagan, a NYPD patrolman and Alston's partner.
• Michael Kostroff as Rizzi, a desk sergeant in Alston and Flanagan's precinct.
• Mustafa Shakir as Mike "Big Mike", a physically imposing man of few words who becomes Vincent's muscle and fiercely devoted friend.
• Thaddeus Street as Frankie "Black Frankie", a Vietnam veteran hired by Vincent for security at the parlors.
• Genevieve Hudson-Price as Jocelyn Wasserman, Harvey's wife and film assistant.
• Anwan Glover as Leon, who runs a diner the characters frequent. His disgust at the treatment of the women by their pimps eventually boils over.
• Ralph Macchio as Officer Haddix, a jaded vice cop patrolling Times Square in the corrupt police force of 1970s New York.
• Zoe Kazan as Andrea Martino, Vincent's estranged wife.
• James Ciccone as Carmine Patriccia, a mob underboss who works out of a Mulberry Street social club in Little Italy and is one rung above Rudy Pipilo.
• Will Chase as Jack, a divorced man in his 40s who has a brief relationship with Eileen, unaware that she is a sex worker.
• Garry Pastore as Matthew Ianniello, the Genovese Family capo who ran the Times Square porn industry during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Carolyn Mignini as Joan Merrell, Eileen's disappointed mother who lives in the suburbs of Queens.
• Finn Robbins, Mikey Moughan and Dion Costelloe as Adam, Eileen's son who lives with her mother.
• E.J. Carroll as "Fat" Mooney, manager of a sex shop owned by Frankie.
• Gino Vento as Carlos, driver and bodyguard for mobster Rudy Pipilo.
• Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Todd Lang, a classically trained, unsuccessful actor who begins working in porn films and quickly finds a home. He befriends Paul Hendrickson and enters a personal/business relationship with him.
• Kim Director as Leila Brodie / Shay, a sex worker who works for Rodney and struggles with heroin addiction.
• Andrea-Rachel Parker as Bernice, a sensitive and naive young woman. During season 1 Darlene travels home to North Carolina and returns with Bernice. She is "traded" from Larry to Rodney, after Larry deems her too young and not street ready. She then works at the parlor. In season 2, she becomes the parlor's bartender.
• Pernell Walker as Ruby / Thunder Thighs, a thoughtful and opinionated plus-sized African American sex worker.
• Tariq Trotter as Reggie Love, a pimp.
• Matthew James Ballinger as Richie "Gentle Richie", a pimp.
• Kat Cunning as Christina Fuego, Frankie's wife.
• Alysia Reiner as Kiki Rains, a shrewd and successful talent agent who manages Lori.
• Roberta Colindrez as Irene, who manages a peep show owned by Vincent and the Mob. She helps Shay get sober and initiates a relationship with her.
• Armand Assante as Mr. Martino, Vincent and Frankie's father.
• Michael Stahl-David as Kenneth, a boyfriend of Paul's and business partner in his new club.
• Sebastian Arcelus as Dave, a labor activist and associate of Dorothy's.
• Esteban Carmona as Julito, a pimp.
• Jim Parrack as Russell, a film editor who becomes Eileen's boyfriend.
• Taylor Selé as Renton Lowry, a pleasant young man with a Caribbean accent who befriends Darlene and helps her get a job and escape the sex trade.
• Ryan Farrell as Greg Taylor, a Los Angeles talent agent who becomes Lori's personal and professional partner.
• Michael Gandolfini as Joey Dwyer, Bobby's son.
• Domenick Lombardozzi as Jack Maple, a highly regarded transit police officer who assists Alston in cleaning up Times Square.
• Kelcy Griffin as Jennifer Preston, a smart young African American cop who attracts the attention of Alston.
• Corey Stoll as Hank Jaffe, a wealthy businessman who dates Eileen.
• Calvin Leon Smith as Reg, a sweet-natured gay African American man who befriends Melissa and looks out for her in the apartment they share.
• Sonia Mena as Xiomara, an assertive Hispanic sex worker who quits Bobby's parlor business and encourages the other women to do the same.
• David Morse as Matthew Rouse, Melissa's long estranged father.
• Paloma Guzman as Pilar, a graffiti artist who initiates a relationship with Abby.
• Ben Livingston as Dr. Steiner, a psychiatrist who owns a sleazy property in Times Square.