Summary

• Justified: City Primeval brings back old characters and introduces new ones in a gripping story set in Detroit.
• The miniseries is based on Elmore Leonard's City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit and blends Western and city noir elements.
• The impressive cast, including Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, and Aunjanue Ellis, contribute to the success of Justified: City Primeval.

The original Justified ran for six seasons, from 2010-2015, and in 2022, it was announced that the beloved characters of Harlan County would be going to Detroit for an eight-episode miniseries. Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens left the Appalachian Mountains for Miami sometime in the interim but finds himself now in Detroit, helping the local police with a manhunt.

For the most part, the cast of Justified: City Primeval features a new cast of characters who are working alongside or against Raylan. Justified: City Primeval, like the original series, is based on the stories by Elmore Leonard; and for the miniseries specifically, City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit. The story mixes the usual Western elements with a new city noir style, which makes for a fantastic combo. Justified: City Primeval also has its impressive cast of recognizable stars and award-winning actors, old and new, to thank for its success.

Timothy Olyphant

As Raylan Givens

Timothy Olyphant returns to Justified: City Primeval as U.S. Deputy Marshall Raylan Givens. Having originally gone to Miami to raise his daughter away from his old lawless county, Raylan gets wrapped up in another manhunt that brings him to Detroit and a new crew of police officers. Olyphant has many iconic roles, and if they all say anything, it's that the actor looks really good in a cowboy hat. Many of his TV roles have seen him swaggering around like Raylan, including Cobb Vanth in The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian​​​​.

The novel Justified: City Primeval is based on, City Primeval: High Noon in Detroit by Elmore Leonard, does not feature Raylan Givens as a character.

Other notable TV roles include Sheriff Seth Bullock in Deadwood, Wes Krulik in Damages, and Dick "Deafy" Wickware in Fargo season 4. Not just a tough-as-nails Western hero, Olyphant is an excellent comedic actor, starring in Santa Clarita Diet as Joel Hammond and having a memorable recurring role in The Office as Danny Cordray. His movie career is a little more eclectic with performances in Scream 2 as Mickey Altieri, Live Free or Die Hard as Thomas Gabriel, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as James Stacy.

Boyd Holbrook

As Clement Mansell

Clement Mansell is the big bad of Justified: City Primeval, a ruthless killer known as "The Oklahoma Wildman" who is also savvy when it comes to using the Detroit justice system to his advantage. Mansell is played by Boyd Holbrook, an actor who burst onto the scene in the late 2000s. The role that first introduced the actor to a wide audience was DEA agent Steve Murphy in the first two seasons of Narcos. After that, he appeared as the Corinthian in The Sandman.

Holbrook did have one notable film role before Narcos, as Jeff in Gone Girl, one-half of the couple who robs Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike). His other performances include the villainous Donald Pierce in Logan, Quinn McKenna in The Predator, and Klaber in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.

Aunjanue Ellis

As Carolyn Wilder

Carolyn Wilder is a defense attorney representing Mansell. Despite their opposing jobs, she and Raylan begin a relationship. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor plays Carolyn and is a celebrated actor who is best known for her Academy Award-nominated role in the Best ing Actress category as Oracene "Brandy" Price in King Richard, a role which also earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Other notable film performances include Isabel Wilkerson in Origin, Mrs. Hunt in If Beale Street Could Talk, and Yule May Davis in The Help.

Wilder has also earned two Emmy nominations for her work in television, specifically for her roles as Hippolyta Freeman in the canceled-too-soon Lovecraft Country and Sharonne Salaam in When They See Us. She also had recurring roles in Designated Survivor as Vice President Ellenor Darby and in season 1 of True Blood as Diane.

Vondie Curtis-Hall

As Marcus "Sweety" Sweeton

Vondie Curtis-Hall plays Marcus "Sweety" Sweeton in Justified: City Primeval, the owner of a local Detroit bar who has had to deal with Mansell in the past. Curtis-Hall is a prolific television and movie actor who has also directed many episodes of the shows he's been a part of. His most notable TV roles include Ben Urich in Daredevil, Roger McGrath for an arc on ER, and Dr. Dennis Hancock in Chicago Hope.

Curtis-Hall's film credits include The Night House as Mel, Blue Bayou as Barry Boucher, and Romeo + Juliet as Captain Prince. He also appears in Gridlock'd as D-Reper alongside Tupac Shakur in one of his few performances, a film Curtis-Hall also wrote and directed, which has become a cult black crime comedy.

Adelaide Clemens

As Sandy Stanton

Sandy Stanton, played by Adelaide Clemens, is Mansell's girlfriend and partner in crime who is not nearly as agreeable to violence as her murderous boyfriend. Clemens has had some other major TV roles, including a main cast role in Under the Banner of Heaven as Rebecca Pyre and Tommy as Blake. Film roles include Catherine in The Great Gatsby, Heather/Alessa in Silent Hill: Revelation, and Carey in The Swearing Jar.

Marin Ireland

As Maureen Downey

Maureen Downey is a Detroit Police Department officer who is dedicated to helping Raylan while also remaining a present mother to her children. Generally a straight arrow, Maureen, played by Marin Ireland in Justified: City Primeval, will bend the rules when she needs to. Ireland is best known for her television roles, such as Julia Bowman in Sneaky Pete, Sissy Cooper in The Umbrella Academy, and Aileen Morgan in Homeland. For movies, Ireland appears in The Irishman as Dolores Sheeran, Hell or High Water as Debbie Howard, and the monster-under-the-bed movie The Boogeyman as Rita Billings.

Victor Williams

As Wendell Robinson

Victor Williams plays Wendell Robinson, a DPD detective and veteran cop who is long past the days of really caring about his job. Williams is best known for playing Deacon Palmer in The King of Queens, but his other notable TV roles include Roger McGrath in ER — a character his Justified: City Primeval co-star Vondie Curtis-Hall would eventually take over — Gerald in Happy Together, and Detective Kennedy Groton in Hunters. Williams' notable movie performances include Mr. Broadus in November Criminals and Howard in The Land of Steady Habits.

Justified: City Primeval ing Cast & Characters

Vivian Olyphant as Willa Givens: Timothy Olyphant's daughter Vivian plays Raylan's daughter, Willa Givens, in a neat bit of meta-casting in Justified: City Primeval. Willa only appeared as a baby in the original Justified, but in the miniseries, she's 15. This is the first and only acting role of Vivian's career.

Norbert Leo Butz as Norbert Bryl: Norbert Bryl is another of the DPD detectives that Raylan works with. Detective Bryl is played by Norbert Leo Butz, who is in the main cast of Bloodline as Kevin Rayburn. He also plays Dr. Byron Hale in Mercy Street and Craig Maddox in Debris. His notable film roles include Tony in The Exorcist: Believer, Dan Towson in Luce, and Clay Burns in Dan in Real Life.

Joseph Anthony Byrd as Trennell: Joseph Anthony Byrd appears in Justified: City Primeval as Trennell, Sweety's boyfriend. Byrd has only appeared in five roles across his career, and all on TV. He plays Tyrese Gonzalez in Chicago Med, Munro Maynard in 4400, Chaz in Proven Innocent, and Sterling in Boardwalk Empire.

Alexander Pobutsky as Skender Lulgjuraj: Skender, played by Alexander Pobutsky, is a rich Albanian man whom Mansell targets in order to steal his money. Pobutsky has only appeared in one-episode roles in shows like The Blacklist, Julia, and Ratched. He does have a larger role in the 2023 film, American Fiction, as Kenny.

Kenn E. Head as Lou Whitman: Kenn Head appears in a handful of episodes of Justified: City Primeval as Lou Whitman. Head has played minor characters in TV shows, including Father of the Bride in Empire, Delray in The Chi, and John Blalock in Chicago Med. His most notable film performance comes in Once Upon a River as Fishbone.