*John Legend will guest star as Frederick Douglass on the upcoming second season of WGN America’s “Underground,” which also features the singer-musician as an executive producer.
Legend will play the history-making abolitionist who escaped from slavery in Maryland and went on to became a national leader of the abolitionist movement.
In June, Legend told Variety he was thinking about guest starring in the upcoming season.
He also talked about why “Underground,” about the Underground Railroad, is relevant today. “We are in a moment now where we have a major candidate for office that is being very racist and divisive,” Legend said. “I feel the need to call that out all the time because I don’t want us to feel like it’s impossible for our nation to go back to another dark place.”
In addition to Legend, creator Misha Green and Joe Pokaski serve as executive producers for “Underground” alongside Anthony Hemingway, Akiva Goldsman of Weed Road Pictures, Tory Tunnell and Joby Harold of Safehouse Pictures, Mike Jackson and Ty Stiklorius of Legend’s Get Lifted Film Co, and Mark Taylor.
Season 2, scheduled to premiere in early 2017, is currently filming in Atlanta with returning stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aldis Hodge.
As previously reported, Aisha Hinds has been cast as Underground Railroad leader Harriet Tubman in the series.
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