David Burroughs begins I Will Find You in the darkest place imaginable.
Imprisoned for the murder of his own son, the grieving father (played by Sam Worthington) has given up on life, until an unexpected visitor pulls him out of his funk and offers a glimmer of hope: His son may just be alive after all.
“This story starts in a very dark place,” author Harlan Coben, who wrote the book the series is based on, told Netflix. “I wanted to figure out a way to tell a story that also had light, also had hope, and also had optimism.”
That light arrives in the form of a group of unlikely allies that will help David clear his name and maybe, just maybe, find his lost son. “This is a dream cast all the way through,” Coben, who also serves as an executive producer on the series, said. “I can’t believe how lucky we are.”
For showrunner and creator Robert Hull, I Will Find You was an opportunity to build a creative rapport with that dream team. “As a showrunner, it's invaluable to have that sort of telepathic shorthand with [your cast and crew],” Hull told Netflix. “Once you get into production, it's all thrown out the window, and you just go day by day hoping that you get what you need. But with this cast and crew, I think it came out better than I ever could have hoped for.”
You can meet the cast of the new series below. I Will Find You is streaming on Netflix now.
David is the long-suffering protagonist of I Will Find You, a wrongfully imprisoned father accused of murdering his son, Matthew. After a photo surfaces, revealing that his son may actually be alive, David escapes from prison and embarks on a desperate odyssey to save Matthew and prove his innocence.
Worthington found Coben’s escapist milieu irresistible. “Harlan calls his genre ‘the novel of immersion,’” Worthington told Netflix. “What he’s trying to get at is that the reader’s so engrossed that they can’t put the book down, and it’s like taking a vacation. They don’t want to get out of their hotel room. They just want to keep going with these characters and see where that journey takes them.”
Coben was equally delighted to have Worthington playing the character of David. “Sam just brings that gravitas and the controlled emotion that you want in David Burroughs,” he said. “The idea was to start there and let Sam play someone who can now possibly get full redemption and not just prove his innocence — which is only a small part for him — but [also] find and be with his son again.”
Worthington is best known for his role as Jake Sully, the Marine turned Na’vi insurgent of James Cameron’s Avatar films. He’s also appeared in films including Clash of the Titans, Hacksaw Ridge, Terminator Salvation, Relay, and Fuze, as well as the Under the Banner of Heaven miniseries.
Rachel is David’s former sister-in-law, an investigative journalist searching for a scoop. She visits David in prison after finding a photo of his son, joining him on his search for the truth.
“Rachel has never [thought] that David was guilty of the crime that he’s imprisoned for,” Lower told Netflix. “Her curiosity about what actually happened is what sends her on that path.”
Showrunner and creator Robert Hull knows how lucky he is to secure Lower’s talents in the midst of her run on Severance. “We’re catching her at such an incredible zeitgeist moment,” he told Netflix. “I really felt that it was Rachel’s story as much as it was David’s in a way. When Britt came aboard, it validated that instinct. And once I had her, I knew I had a lead who could carry equal water to Sam and the role of David.”
Lower won an Emmy for her dual role as Helly R. and Helly R.’s “outie” in Severance. She’s also appeared in films including Circus Person (which she also directed), Holly Slept Over, and Mr. Roosevelt, and in series including Unforgettable, Man Seeking Woman, Casual, and High Maintenance.
Hayden is Rachel’s ex-boyfriend, a prominent Boston philanthropist whose continuing bond with Rachel compels him to help David as he evades the authorities.
“Hayden’s a wealthy philanthropist, comes from generational wealth, and he just wants to help,” Ventimiglia told Netflix. “I think when you’ve shared time and you shared a love as deep as Hayden and Rachel had, of course he’s going to show up for her, even if it means the law is looking at him a little closer now.”
Ventimiglia played Rory Gilmore’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Jess Mariano in Gilmore Girls, and starred as Pearson family patriarch Jack in This Is Us. His other film and television credits include roles in Rocky Balboa, Gamer, Pathology, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Heroes, The Company You Keep, Whispers, and American Dreams.
Greer is a member of the FBI’s Fugitive Task Force in Boston. She and her partner have become an elite team hunting down the country’s most wanted criminals — but David Burroughs is about to give them more than they bargained for.
“Our job as Fugitive Task Force agents is we encounter people like this often,” Browning told Netflix. “It’s just another day at the office to us, but when you think about the nature of his crime, it’s awful.”
Browning starred as outspoken college student Sam White on Dear White People. Her other film and television credits include Meet the Browns, Powers, Bratz: The Movie, and Harlem.
Williams is Greer’s partner, a legendary agent on the Fugitive Task Force and a helpful sounding board for the younger officer.
“As far as Max is concerned, he’s completely dispassionate,” McBride told Netflix. “We just catch him. We don’t cook him. He was in prison, he was convicted of a crime, he’s gotta go back. The prisons and penitentiaries are filled with innocent people. You can sort that out after I catch you.”
McBride starred as high school principal Steven Harper in Boston Public, and as private detective Emerson Cod in Pushing Daisies. Other film and television credits include roles in The Frighteners, Gone in 60 Seconds, The Terminal, Hawaii Five-0, Human Target, Golden Boy, and I, Robot.
Cheryl is David’s ex-wife. Still mourning the death of their son, she then sees her world turned upside down when David escapes from prison in a crusade to clear his name and find their son.
Richards played the future Commissioner Gordon’s wife Barbara Kean in Fox’s Batman prequel Gotham. Other film and television credits include roles in Open Grave, Breaking In, The Brides, and Being Human.
Adam is David’s childhood friend, currently serving as a police sergeant. When David resolves to escape from prison, Adam must choose between his friend and his job.
Tucker played Mayor Bob Little in the acclaimed dramatic series Parenthood. His other film and television credits include roles in The Virgin Suicides, Hostage, In the Valley of Elah, Kingdom, Justified, and Westworld.
Gertrude is a wealthy heiress harboring a dark secret. A connection to David’s son draws her into his orbit.
Stowe was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her scene-stealing role as the antagonist of ABC’s Revenge. Her other film and television credits include roles in The Last of the Mohicans, Short Cuts, 12 Monkeys, The General’s Daughter, Soundtrack, and It: Welcome to Derry.
Nicky is a semi-retired, old-school mobster with a startling personal connection to the Burroughs family. David’s escape threatens to expose these long-buried secrets.
Brown is a prolific voice actor who’s appeared in series including SpongeBob SquarePants, Superman: The Animated Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. His other film and television credits include roles in The Shawshank Redemption, Promising Young Woman, John Wick: Chapter 4, The Penguin, and Carnivàle.
Ronald is Cheryl’s new husband. He’s shocked when the tragic story of Cheryl’s first family rears its head once again.
Ashmore played Superman’s pal Jimmy Olsen in Smallville and Veronica’s short-term boyfriend Troy in Veronica Mars. His other credits include roles in Killjoys, Warehouse 13, Designated Survivor, In Plain Sight, and 1-800-Missing.
The cast also includes:
