Our Steve Zahn Righteous Gemstones Scoop Confirmed
Steve Zahn is officially joining the Righteous Gemstones series, which was reported by us just three days ago, and is now confirmed.
Steve Zahn is officially joining Danny McBride and John Goodman when The Righteous Gemstones returns for its third season. Giant Freakin Robot was first to confirm the news about the HBO series thanks to our trusted and proven sources. The 54-year-old, who is known for playing the quintessential every-man on screen, will take on the role of a militia leader named Peter. Not much else is known about the character, but fans won’t have to wait too long to find out since production is due to begin later this month.
Billed as a dark comedy, The Righteous Gemstones follows a family of televangelists and mega-church pastors led by widowed patriarch Eli Gemstone. Along with his immature children, Jesse, Judy, and Kelvin, they lead opulent lives which are essentially funded by church donations. Their history of deviance and greed often sees their empire threatened by outsiders from both the family’s past and present. It will be interesting to see which category Steve Zahn’s Peter fits into.
The first season saw Eli’s estranged brother-in-law lead the Gemstones’ new shopping mall-based satellite church, while a trio of masked figures blackmailed Jesse with a scandalous video of him and his best friends. In the second season, Jesse and Amber partner with Texas church leaders to develop a Christian timeshare resort. But the new venture saw the family face several threats too. An investigative journalist came poking around their business, an old friend from Eli’s past showed up, and a mysterious group of motorcycle-riding assassins arrived in town. It’s still unclear if Steve Zahn’s character is their leader, but it would fit Peter’s description.
The Righteous Gemstones is the brainchild of Danny McBride who also stars as Jesse Gemstone. Joining him is a talented ensemble cast that includes John Goodman as Dr. Eli Gemstone, Adam DeVine as Kelvin Gemstone, and Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone. The show also features Tony Cavalero as Kelvin’s roommate Keefe Chambers, Cassidy Freeman as Jesse’s wife Amber Gemstone, Skyler Gisondo as Gideon Gemstone, Jesse’s oldest son, and Walton Goggins as “Baby” Billy Freeman. Steve Zahn is set to join the cast in season three.
Jody Hill and David Gordon Green serve as directors and executive producers on the HBO series, along with Jeff Fradley and Brandon James. The Righteous Gemstones is co-executive produced by Jonathan Watson and produced by David Brightbill. Consulting producers are Grant Dekernion, Kevin Barnett, Edi Patterson, and Chris Pappas, according to The Wrap. Speaking about the upcoming season featuring Steve Zahn, McBride told Variety the story will expand the strange Gemstone world and dive deeper into who the family is and how they became so successful. Viewers will also get to meet some new characters from different points in their lives.
Meanwhile, Steve Zahn recently created some Emmy buzz for his work on Mike White’s anthology drama series The White Lotus. His other notable television credits include roles in An Uncandid Portrait, The Good Lord Bird, and the upcoming George and Tammy with Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon. He also has a strong big screen game with roles in Tall Girl, Where’d You Go, Bernadette? and War for the Planet of the Apes.
