Mea is a confident and strong-willed criminal defense attorney. But when she takes on the murder case of artist Zyair Malloy, it leads her down a path of illicit attraction and deceit. Still, she’s committed to Zyair’s case and believes she’s the most qualified attorney to take him on — though she doesn’t trust his intentions, and will have to follow her instincts to find the real truth. 

Perry had only positive words for his co-producer and lead actor. “She is 100% invested,” he says. “She’s there. Once we established the trust between director and actor, she gave it her all. And I just can’t wait for the world and everybody to see the gears that she has and the levels that she put down in this and the way she painted it.” 

Rowland, he adds, is “not only a phenomenal superstar around the world, [and] incredibly beautiful, but the camera loves her. Working with her was such a joy.”

The Curse of Bridge Hollow, Grown-ish, Freddy vs . Jason, American Soul, Think Like a Man

Zyair is an enigmatic artist who lives and works out of his Chicago loft. When he is accused of killing his girlfriend, the job of defending him falls to Mea, and he finds his advocate both intriguing and attractive. Despite all the evidence pointing to Zyair — described by one witness as a womanizer and a snake — he maintains his innocence. He may have some wild sexual interests, he says, but he would never hurt anybody. Or would he?

Perry and Rhodes reunited on the set of Mea Culpa after working together for the first time 10 years ago. “I pretty much gave him his first gig in this industry on a show I had called If Loving You is Wrong, and I knew he was a superstar, I knew he was incredibly talented,” Perry says. “So to have this mystery and this kind of danger in this character, I needed someone who can really play that.”

Perry knew Rhodes would be the perfect actor to portray Zyair’s enigmatic charm. “He’s like a mischievous kid, he has a smile that can be quite disarming,” he says. “When Kelly was talking about who she wanted to work with, she wanted to work with somebody who could meet her energy and elevate her energy. Hiring him was the best choice for Zyair.”

Moonlight, Bird Box, The United States vs. Billie Holiday, The Predator

Kal is struggling to get back on track after losing his job. He’s kept his change in circumstances secret from his assistant district attorney brother, Ray, and his mother, Azalia.

The Covenant, Our Girl, The Gentlemen, Tyler Perry’s Sistas, Fate: The Winx Saga

Ray is the assistant district attorney who will be prosecuting Zyair’s case. He wants to use the artist as the face of his upcoming tough-on-crime mayoral bid. But in his efforts to make that happen, he gets caught up in his own web of lies. And yes, Nick and Sean Sagar are brothers in real life — this is their first time working together in over a decade.

The Princess Switch, The Princess Switch: Switched Again, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, Shadowhunters, Supergirl, Run the World, Queen of the South

Jimmy is the private investigator hired by Mea to look into the loose ends in Zyair’s case. What Jimmy finds comes as a bigger shock than either of them expected. 

Glory, Guess Who, Survivor’s Remorse, The Black Hamptons, First Wives Club, Nappily Ever After

Charlise is Ray’s wife, who also shares a special bond with Mea.

P-Valley, Dynasty, Inventing Anna, Power

Azalia is Ray and Kal’s mother, a classic boy mom for better or for worse (mostly for worse). She always thinks she knows what’s best for the two men, getting involved in their lives in inappropriate ways.  

Perry gushed about O’Malley, who took the lead among the cast behind the scenes. “She would show up and just be the narrator of my table reads,” he says. “And if there were actors that weren’t there, she would just fill in. She’s phenomenal at falling into all of these different moments and these different characters.”

The Killer, NYPD Blue, Boardwalk Empire, Why Women Kill, Sami, Snowpiercer, Annabelle: Creation, Strange Angel, Shameless