Will Trent has hired a new Assistant District Attorney: Gina Rodriguez.
The Jane the Virgin alum is taking her talents to the ABC drama for season 3, Entertainment Weekly has confirmed.
Rodriguez will play the series regular role of ADA Marion Alba, who is described as charismatic and confident. Marion is new to Atlanta, and her “first encounter with Will (Ramón Rodriguez) falls flat,” according to the character description. That’s why the pair is surprised to learn that they must work together to investigate a crime in the world of Atlanta gangs — hopefully they’re able to get over their initial bad first impression.
Will Trent is based on Karin Slaughter’s bestselling book series about Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), who was abandoned at birth and endured a harsh coming-of-age in Atlanta’s overwhelmed foster care system. Now, Will uses his unique point of view in the pursuit of justice and has the highest clearance rate in the GBI.
“I was not familiar with Karin Slaughter’s book series prior to receiving the script, but once I dove into the book — I started with Fractured, then went into Triptych — I met this character who I pretty quickly found very compelling,” Ramón Rodriguez previously told EW. “He’s been through a lot in the foster care system down here in Georgia. I love that through everything he’s been through and living with, because he’s dyslexic, that he is able to find a way to look at crime and the world in a pretty unique way. That is what has allowed him to be pretty successful as a Georgia Bureau of Investigation [agent].”
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The drama also stars Sonja Sohn as Amanda Wagner, Erika Christensen as Angie Polaski, Iantha Richardson as Faith Mitchell, and Jake McLaughlin as Michael Ormewood. The series is executive produced by star Ramón, author Slaughter, Liz Heldens, Daniel Thomsen, Oly Obst, Howard Deutch, and Ellen Marie Blum. Heldens and Thomsen also serve as co-showrunners.
Gina Rodriguez first rose to fame by starring in the CW’s telenovela Jane the Virgin. She has since starred and executive produced ABC’s Not Dead Yet and Disney+’s Diary of a Future President, as well as co-hosted the game show Lucky 13 with Shaquille O’Neal, and starred in films including Annihilation, Someone Great, Miss Bala, and Deepwater Horizon.
Deadline first reported Rodriguez’s casting.