Content Spotlight: Benjamin Bratt Plays Villain Role in ‘Poker Face’ Series

Peacock's 'Poker Face' Starring Benjamin Bratt
(Image credit: Peacock)

Peacock on January 25 will launch a new mystery series that is a throwback to the 1970's and 80's mystery-of-the-week series genre, according to series star Benjamin Bratt.

The 10-episode series, Poker Face, stars Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale, a casino worker with an innate ability to tell when people are lying who uses her skill to solve crimes while on the run from the casino’s head of security, played by Bratt. 

Bratt, who has starred in such shows as Law & Order and more recently DMZ, as well as such films as Clear and Present Danger and Doctor Strange, says he was drawn to Poker Face after reading the script from series executive producer and creator Rian Johnson (Knives Out).

“He created this series with a nostalgic nod to the murder mystery of the week that was very popular in the 1970s,” said Bratt. “Poker Face is less of a whodunit and more of a how-to-catch them.”

The series features guest appearances from such stars as Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, David Castaneda, Ellen Barkin, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Judith Light, S. Epatha Merkerson, Tim Meadows, Luis Guzman and Chloe Sevigny.

Poker Face is executive produced by Johnson, Lyonne, Ram Bergman, Nora Zuckerman, Kikka Zuckerman, Nena Rodrigue and Iain B. Macdonald. 

Click below to hear more of the interview (6 minutes) with Benjamin Bratt in a new Content Spotlight podcast. ■

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.