Tessa Thompson: From ‘For Colored Girls’ to BBC America

*Tessa Thompson, who appeared in the film “For Colored Girls,” has landed a co-starring role in the drama “Copper,” BBC America’s first original scripted series.

British actor Tom Weston-Jones (“MI5”) has landed the lead, and Franka Potente (“Run Lola Run,” “The Bourne Identity”) will also co-star in the series co-created by Tom Fontana and Will Rokos, joining previously cast Anastasia Griffith.

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It centers on a young Irish cop (Weston-Jones) operating in the immigrant communities of 19th century New York. In her first series regular role, Potente, will play the cunning and cutthroat Eva who runs a brothel and has a layered relationship with the cop. Thompson will play Sara, a doctor’s wife whose brothers were lynched by a group of Irish during riots and will do what she has to do to protect her own.