Ava DuVernay’s drama Queen Sugar season 6 has added a few new characters and directors.
Tammy Townsend joins as a new series regular while Paula Jai Parker, Marquis Rodriguez, and McKinley Freeman join in a recurring capacity.
Based on Natalie Baszile’s book, the series centers on the Bordelon siblings (Dawn-Lyen Gardner, Rutina Wesley, and Kofi Siriboe) who fight every obstacle to keep their late father’s sugar cane plantation running.
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Townsend will play Billie, the daughter of beloved Bordelon family friend Prosper Denton (Henry G. Sanders), who returns to St. Josephine for the first time in 20 years to care for her ailing father.
Parker will recur as Celine, a single mother whom Aunt Violet takes under her wing as Celine works to establish a life in St. Josephine with her 10-year-old son.
Rodriguez will play Isaiah, a college student wise beyond his years who befriends Micah West. Freeman takes on Dominic, a cultural anthropologist who captures the attention of Nova Bordelon (Wesley).
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As far as directors go DuVernay is keeping up her word of hiring an entire women-led directing team. For season Queen Sugar season 6, nine women directors will have a chance to helm an episode. The directors are Lisa France, Bertha Bay-Sa Pan, Carmen Marrón, Cierra Glaude, Keisha Rae Witherspoon, Marie Jamora, Shari L. Carpenter, Shaz Bennett, and Stephanie Turner.
The latest addition brings the series’ total women director count to 42 filmmakers, 39 of whom are first-time television directors.
Queen Sugar airs Tuesday nights on OWN. The drama is produced for OWN by ARRAY Filmworks and Harpo Films in association with Warner Bros. Television. The season five executive producers are Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Garnes, and Anthony Sparks. Sparks is also the showrunner.
While season 5 is still airing, the upcoming season is currently in production in New Orleans. Queen Sugar season 6 is set to premiere later in the fall. Season five will finish airing on April 20th.