BET NETWORKS AND TYLER PERRY STUDIOS ANNOUNCE SECOND WAVE OF TALENT CAST IN PERRY'S NEW ORIGINAL DRAMA "THE OVAL"

WRITTEN, DIRECTED, AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY TYLER PERRY, THE ONE-HOUR DRAMA, "THE OVAL," WILL PREMIERE THIS FALL ON BET

JAVON JOHNSON, PTOSHA STOREY, VAUGHN HEBRON, TEESHA RENEE, LODRIC COLLINS, CIERA PAYTON, TAJA V. SIMPSON, WALTER FAUNTLEROY, BRAD BENEDICT, TRAVIS CURE AND MATTHEW LAW JOIN THE ENSEMBLE CAST

#TheOvalOnBET

New York, NY- Monday, August 5, 2019 - BET Networks and Tyler Perry Studios announced today the second wave of talent joining the production of the new original drama "The Oval." The 25-episodes original series "The Oval" will premiere this fall on BET. Javon Johnson, Ptosha Storey, Vaughn Hebron, Teesha Renee, Lodric Collins, Ciera Payton, Taja V. Simpson, Walter Fauntleroy, Brad Benedict, Travis Cure and Matthew Law join previously announced cast Ed Quinn, Kron Moore, Paige Hurd and Daniel Croix Henderson. "THE OVAL" tells the story of a family placed in the White House by people of power while also highlighting the personal side and everyday lives of the staff who run the inner workings of the nation's most iconic residence. Principal photography is underway at Tyler Perry Studios.

Second wave announcement of series regulars include:

Javon Johnson will play RICHARD HALLSEN

Richard is the esteemed White House butler who has served several administrations at the White House.

Ptosha Storey will play NANCY HALLSEN

Nancy is the loving wife to Richard Hallsen, the esteemed White House butler.

Vaughn Hebron will play BARRY HALLSEN

Barry is the son to the esteemed White House butler. He is a young dad to his 4-year old daughter Callie.

Teesha Renee will play SHARON

Sharon is the girlfriend to Barry Hallsen. She works at a local pharmacy.

LODRIC COLLINS will play DONALD WINTHROP

Donald is the Chief of Staff at The White House for Hunter Franklin, the newly elected President of the United States. He is smart, demanding and manipulative.

Ciera Payton will play Lilly WINTHROP

Lilly is a fashion designer who is married to Donald Winthrop, the Chief of Staff for the President.

Taja V. Simpson will play PRISCILLA OWENS

Priscilla is the residence staff supervisor at the White House. She is married to Sam, the President's secret service agent.

WALTER FAUNTLEROY will play SAM OWENS

Sam is a loyal secret service agent to the President.

Brad Benedict will play Kyle Flint

Kyle is a secret service agent at the White House. He is an ex-Marine who is direct and unwavering. He takes direction, but seems to be always operating with a different outcome in mind.

Travis Cure will play Bobby

Bobby is handsome and rugged. After meeting Lilly Winthrop on a plane, neither of their lives will ever be the same again.

Matthew Law will pay Kareem Richardson

Kareem owns a local pharmacy in Washington, D.C., along with his father. He is a hard- working young man. He may be in a relationship but his heart longs for Sharon, who also works at the pharmacy and is in a committed relationship with Barry.

Viewers can also join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #TheOvalOnBET and following @BET on all social platforms.

"The Oval" is written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry. Michelle Sneed will also serve as Executive Producer of the series for Tyler Perry Studios.

About Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry is an established American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, playwright, author and philanthropist. Tyler started his career writing plays, many of which later became the inspiration for his film projects and included the introduction of the iconic character, Madea. Tyler's first feature film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, debuted at number one nationwide in 2005. In the decade since, the 20 films directed by Tyler have all been met with massive commercial success and grossed over $2 billion. He has also stepped on the other side of the camera for other directors including David Fincher for Gone Girl, Rob Cohen for Alex Cross, Adam McCay for Vice, and helped release Academy Award-nominated Precious as Executive Producer. Tyler has also made an indelible mark in the television space. In 2007, he debuted the TBS series "House of Payne" which broke cable rating records, and later launched the equally successful "Meet the Browns" on the same network. In late 2012, Perry partnered with Oprah Winfrey to bring scripted programming to her cable network, OWN, with For Better or Worse, Love Thy Neighbor, If Loving You is Wrong, The Paynes, and The Haves and The Have Nots, which continues to break ratings. In July 2017, Perry continued to grow his empire by announcing a mega multiyear content partnership with Viacom covering TV, film, and short form video projects. Perry is currently in production for his multiple television series and will be celebrating the grand opening of Tyler Perry Studios in October 2019.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 85 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET's growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.

ABOUT TYLER PERRY STUDIOS

Tyler Perry Studios is a state-of-the art film and television production facility founded in 2006 by actor, producer, filmmaker, playwright and philanthropist Tyler Perry. Located in Atlanta, Georgia on the historic grounds of the former Fort McPherson army base, the new 330-acre campus is one of the largest production studios in the country. It boasts a variety of shooting locations including 40 buildings on the national register of historic places, 11 purpose-built sound stages, 200 acres of green space and an expansive backlot.