The McLuskys Are Back: A 'Mayor of Kingstown' Season 2 Character Guide

Mayor of Kingstown, Taylor Sheridan's gritty crime drama, is returning in January for a highly anticipated season 2. The series focuses on the McLusky family, who operate the Kingstown Prison in the impoverished town of Kingstown, Michigan. Like any good drama, there is plenty of turmoil within the four walls of the prison. Season 1 gave viewers an inside look into the systemic racial issues under-guarding the prison system, as well as a peek into the family hierarchy. With a cast led by the one and only Jeremy Renner, the series was a fast favorite for Yellowstone fans looking for more Sheridan content. In typical fashion for the writer/director, Sheridan took an idea conceived by his co-creator, Hugh Dillon, and immediately took pen to paper, finalizing his first script in a single day, according to Esquire.

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Though season 2 is being kept pretty under wraps, we do know which colorful characters will return, with some new faces added to the mix. Here's a breakdown of everyone you'll see in the show's sophomore season.

Jeremy Renner

Renner stars as the main character, Mike McLusky. Renner is reprising his role as the new mayor, who takes over the operations of the prison after his older brother is murdered. Mike acts as a peacekeeper, brokering deals between the inmates and those living on the outside. 

Renner has plenty of experience acting in dramatic roles. He's most well known for playing Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He's had that role for over 10 years and in 2021 brought Hawkeye to the small screen, appearing in the mini-series Hawkeye. Prior to his superhero stardom, Renner got his big break in the 2009 war thriller, The Hurt Locker. It was in this role that Renner earned his first Academy Award nomination. 

Mayor of Kingstown is not the first time Renner and Sheridan have worked together. Renner starred in Sheridan's 2018 film Wind River. In an interview with Looper, Renner called Sheridan's writing, "Wonderfully honest. ... It comes with the ferocity of his words. And the actions that he uses the words against, it's violent, as is equally, beautifully, thematically, poetic and timely and important with social issues." 

Dianne Wiest

Dianne Wiest returns to her role as Miriam McLusky, the prison's history teacher and matriarch of the McLusky family. Miriam is not the stereotypical warm and nurturing mother to her three boys. Her sole focus is educating the female inmates and trying to avoid the death and destruction that is undoubtedly caused by her sons and their business ventures. 

Wiest began her acting career performing live shows on Broadway. She appeared in the stage production of Our Town and Frankenstein before moving over to the big screen. Her first well-known appearance was as the reverend's wife in the musical Footloose. After earning her first Academy Award for her role in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters, she went on to act in three other Woody Allen films. '90s kids may know and love Wiest for her role as the iconic Peg Boggs in Edward Scissorhands. 

Wiest made TV appearances in Law and Order, but her breakout TV role had her playing Dr. Gina Toll on the HBO series In Treatment. Fans can look out for her in season 2 of Mayor of Kingstown; and she will appear in Apartment 7A, an upcoming psychological thriller. 

Taylor Handley

Taylor Handley plays the youngest McLusky brother, Kyle, who is attempting to distance himself from the all-consuming family business. Kyle works as a police officer and is expecting his first son with his wife. In an attempt to provide a better life for his wife and child, he's trying to transfer to the Michigan State police department. 

Handley has quite a list of acting credentials prior to playing Kyle on Mayor of Kingstown. His breakout hit was in the '90s Christmas classic Jack Frost. He's been featured in several episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and the O.C. Fans are probably most familiar with his role on the TV show Vegas. Horror film fans will recognize him from his role as Dean in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 

 In 2011, he produced his first short film, Sink Into You. Fans can follow his personal Instagram account to see behind the scenes of Mayor of Kingstown.

Emma Laird

Emma Laird plays a beautiful young escort who works for the Russian Mafia. She was brought into the prison to help control Mike but has since worked with Milo to help bribe government officials, using her beauty and quick wit. 

Laird is relatively new to the acting world, acting in her first short films in 2018. Conversation With a Goddess and From Life were the only two roles she played before landing her starring role in Mayor of Kingstown. Laird was born in Scotland and has landed herself on Variety's list of "The 10 Brits to Watch," according to IMDb). Along with returning for season 2, fans will be able to watch Laird in the upcoming TV show The Crowded Room and the movie A Haunting in Venice.

 Hugh Dillon

Not only does Dillon act in the series, but he's also its co-creator and executive producer. Dillon plays Ian Ferguson, a senior police officer who is also a detective for the narcotics and homicide division. The show is based partially on Dillon's own upbringing in Kingston, Ontario. His hometown had nine prisons, including a women's prison and a maximum security prison. 

Dillon began his professional career as the lead singer for his band The Headstones. The punk-rock band has released 10 studio albums, with the latest released in 2022. After landing his first major role in the movie Hard Core Logo, he went on to appear in countless movies and TV shows, most notably, Flashpoint. According to IMDb, Dillon is known for his realistic portrayal of complicated, rough-around-the-edges characters. Dillon has worked with Sheridan before; the two worked together on Yellowstone, where Dillon played Sheriff Donnie Haskell. 

Derek Webster

Derek Webster plays the trusted ally of the McLusky family, Stevie, who serves as a Kingstown police officer. 

Webster has a wide-ranging swath of credits from the past 30 years of his career. Some of his most well-known works include dramatic action flicks, such as Godzilla, Independence Day and Stargate. Fun fact: All of these are Roland Emmerich-directed pieces, and the two have a close working relationship. When Webster isn't acting on the big and small screens, he can be found doing live theatrical performances, where he got his start. He starred in the title role in the play Othello. 

Nishi Munshi

Nishi Munshi plays Kyle's wife, who is pregnant with her first son. While she only appeared in five episodes of season 1, she has been promoted to a series regular for season 2. 

According to IMDb, Munshi spent her youth traveling with her family and performing in the family band. Her most well-known acting credits include the TV show The Originals, as well as Lethal Weapon and Home Invasion. Those who play video games may cognize Munshi's voice in Call of Duty: A Modern Warfare. 

Munshi isn't just known for her acting. She is an accomplished Bollywood dancer and won Miss India California in 2006. Munshi is also a producer and produced a short called Jennifer. She's an executive producer for the upcoming film The Shadows Among Us. 

Tobi Bamtefa

Tobi Bamtefa plays Deverin, aka Bunny Washington, a drug dealer and leader of the Crips gang. 

On Bamtefa's Instagram, he describes himself as a television, film and theater actor. You've seen him before on shows such as The Witcher, Tin Star and Feel Good. According to his website, he's acted in several theatrical productions, including Three Sisters and The Last King of Scotland. 

Aidan Gillen

Aidan Gillen plays Milo, a seasoned criminal inmate at Kingstown Prison who successfully escaped at the end of season 1. 

Gillen is an Irish actor who is best known for his role as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish on Game of Thrones. His performance even earned him several Screen Actors Guild nominations. Prior to Game of Thrones, Gillen appeared in Queer as Folk, The Wire, and Project Blue Book. Gillen has quite impressive movie credentials. He appeared in The Dark Knight Rises and The Maze Runner series. As well as acting, Gillen wrote and produced the film Pickups. 

Gratiela Brancusi

Gratiela Brancusi joins the cast for season 2 and will be playing Tatiana, a hostess at a local nightclub. 

Brancusi is brand new to the acting world. Her debut role is another Sheridan feature, 1883. She plays Noemi in the Yellowstone prequel. Fans will get a chance to see her more during this season as Mayor of Kingstown. 

Lane Garrison

Lane Garrison is also a newcomer to Mayor of Kingstown's second season. He'll play Carney, a guard at the prison.

Garrison is no stranger to playing the role of someone working in a prison. One of his most well-known roles is that of "Tweener" in Prison Break. Garrison and Sheridan also have history, as he's written three screenplays, including 12 Mighty Orphans, for which he was also the producer. 

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