‘Bosch’ Star Titus Welliver’s New Mobster Series Recruits Beloved British Mystery Icon

Titus Welliver is headed from the streets of L.A. to the blood-soaked alleyways of 1980s New York — and this time, he’s got company from across the pond. Deadline is reporting this afternoon that Grantchester star Tom Brittney has joined the cast of The Westies, the upcoming MGM+ crime drama from Narcos co-creator Chris Brancato and Michael Panes. Brittney will co-lead the eight-episode series opposite Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, with production officially kicking off this July in Toronto.

Brittney will play James “Jimmy” Roarke, a fiercely loyal, streetwise up-and-comer in the Irish mob. As the head of The Westies’ younger generation, Jimmy is groomed for leadership by Simmons’ Eamon Sweeney, the gang’s old-school patriarch. But when the crew enters into a shaky alliance with the Gambino crime family, Roarke’s loyalty — to his mentor, his crew, and his own ambition — begins to fracture.

It’s a big swing for Brittney, who’s best known for his long-running role as vicar-turned-sleuth Will Davenport on Grantchester. He also directed several episodes of the British mystery hit before stepping away earlier this year. On the big screen, he starred alongside Tom Hanks in Greyhound, appeared in Netflix’s Back in Action opposite Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz, and earned critical praise in Make Me Famous for the BBC. Beyond acting, Brittney co-founded Wild Nest Pictures, a production outfit focused on original film and TV.

What’s ‘The Westies’ About?

Set against the backdrop of the Jacob Javits Convention Center’s construction in early ’80s Manhattan, The Westies tells the story of Hell’s Kitchen’s real-life Irish mob crew. Despite being outnumbered fifty-to-one by the Italian mafia’s Five Families, the Westies carved out a brutal legacy through sheer violence and street-level cunning. But as younger gangsters like Roarke rise and question the authority of the old guard, that fragile détente begins to unravel — and the FBI takes notice.

Welliver will play Glenn Keenan, a haunted NYPD officer with roots in the Westies’ neighborhood and secrets he’d rather leave buried. Torn between the law, the gang, and his own increasingly conflicted family life, Glenn walks a moral tightrope that promises plenty of fireworks — especially when he butts heads with Simmons’ larger-than-life mob boss.

With The Westies, Welliver steps into his first major role since wrapping Bosch: Legacy — but fans of Harry Bosch won’t have to say goodbye just yet. He’s set to appear in a recurring role on Ballard, the new Bosch spinoff starring Maggie Q as Detective Renée Ballard, premiering later this month on Prime Video.

Stay tuned to Collider for more updates on The Westies.