DAWN-LYEN GARDNER, KOFI SIRIBOE AND OMAR J. DORSEY JOIN THE CAST OF OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK'S ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES 'QUEEN SUGAR,' FROM AVA DUVERNAY AND WARNER HORIZON TELEVISION

Los Angeles - Dawn-Lyen Gardner ("Unforgettable," "Heroes"), Kofi Siriboe ("Awkward," "Whiplash") and Omar J. Dorsey ("Ray Donovan," "Selma") have joined the cast of the new original drama series "Queen Sugar," from award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay ("Selma") for OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and produced by Warner Horizon Television.

· In the series, Gardner will star as Charley Bordelon West, the charismatic and savvy manager and wife of professional basketball superstar Davis West, with whom she has a challenging, conflicted relationship. The proud mother of Micah, Charley is originally from New Orleans, but never seems to get the time to go back home in the midst of her busy, exciting and public life in Los Angeles.

· Siriboe will star as Ralph Angel Bordelon, the youngest Bordelon sibling. Formerly incarcerated and somewhat worn out by life, Ralph Angel is trying to make a new start - and find a job - while raising his beloved 6-year-old son Blue with the help of family members, notably his aunt Violet.

· Dorsey will star as Hollywood Desonier, a rugged, resourceful man and staunch supporter of the Bordelon family. The longtime boyfriend of Violet Bordelon (aunt to Charley, Nova and Ralph Angel), Hollywood clearly loves her - and doesn't think anything of their 20-year age difference.

They join the previously announced Rutina Wesley ("True Blood") in the cast, with Wesley playing Bordelon sibling Nova, a formidable journalist and activist.

Gardner is currently starring in the upcoming independent feature film, "The Dunning Man," and is a graduate of Juilliard. Recent television credits include guest star roles on "Unforgettable," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Castle," "Heroes," "ER," and "Bones." She has provided the voice for a number of animated series, including "Star Wars: The Clone Wars."

Siriboe started acting at the age of six. He recently had a major recurring role in the critically acclaimed MTV drama "Awkward" and appeared in the Oscar(R)-nominated independent feature film "Whiplash." He has guest starred in "CSI" and stars in the upcoming film "Kicks."

Dorsey recently worked with "Queen Sugar" executive producer/director/writer DuVernay on the critically acclaimed "Selma," portraying civil rights activist James Orange in the award winning film. Dorsey is well known for both his film roles ("The Blind Side," "Django Unchained") and his television credits which include a major recurring role in "Ray Donovan" and "Eastbound & Down."

Executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and DuVernay, the series is based on Natalie Baszile's acclaimed novel Queen Sugar. DuVernay developed "Queen Sugar" for television, wrote its pilot episode and will direct multiple episodes of the show's first season.

About "Queen Sugar"

"Queen Sugar" chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings in Saint Josephine, Louisiana: Charley, the savvy wife and manager of an NBA star; Nova, a world-wise journalist and activist; and Ralph Angel, a formerly incarcerated young father in search of redemption. After a family tragedy, the Bordelons must navigate the triumphs and struggles of their complicated lives in order to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South. "Queen Sugar" is produced for OWN by Warner Horizon Television. The executive producers are Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay. The series is based on the book by Natalie Baszile.

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey's heart and creative instincts inform the brand - and the magnetism of the channel. Winfrey provides leadership in programming and attracts superstar talent to join her in primetime, building a global community of like-minded viewers and leading that community to connect on social media and beyond. OWN is a singular destination on cable. Depth with edge. Heart. Star power. Connection. And endless possibilities. OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery Communications. The network debuted on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. For more information, please visit www.oprah.com/own.

About Warner Horizon Television

Warner Horizon Television (WHTV) is one of the entertainment industry's leading producers of scripted series for the cable marketplace and primetime reality series for both network and cable. A division of the Warner Bros. Television Group, WHTV was founded in 2006. Its current scripted programs are Rizzoli & Isles and the forthcoming Animal Kingdom for TNT, the upcoming People of Earth for TBS, Pretty Little Liars for Freeform, Longmire and Fuller House for Netflix, and Queen Sugar for OWN. WHTV's unscripted series are The Voice and the upcoming Little Big Shots for NBC, as well as The Bachelor franchise - which also includes The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise - and 500 Questions for ABC, among others.