''Goliath'' is an American

legal drama A legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice play ...

streaming television Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air a ...

series by

Amazon Studios Amazon Studios is an American television and film producer and distributor that is a subsidiary of Amazon. It specializes in developing television series and distributing and producing films. It was started in late 2010. Content is distributed th ...

. The show was commissioned with a straight-to-series order of eight episodes on December 1, 2015 and premiered on October 13, 2016, on Amazon Prime Video. On February 15, 2017, Amazon announced the series had been renewed for a second season and confirmed that Clyde Phillips was joining the series as showrunner. The trailer for season 2 was released on May 1, 2018. Season 2, consisting of eight episodes, was released on June 15, 2018. On December 11, 2018, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on October 4, 2019. On November 14, 2019, Amazon announced the series was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on September 24, 2021.

Premise

''Goliath'' follows "a down-and-out lawyer (Thornton) as he seeks redemption. His one shot depends on getting justice in a legal system where truth has become a commodity, and the scales of justice have never been more heavily weighted toward the rich and powerful."

Cast

Main

Billy Bob Thornton Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''One False Move'', and received international attention after writing, directing, a ...

as Billy McBride: formerly a brilliant and personable lawyer who founded the law firm Cooperman McBride with Donald Cooperman, and with whom he built it to be a successful legal firm. He walked out of the firm and became an alcoholic after a murder suspect he got acquitted on a technicality went on to kill an entire family. He lives in an extended-stay hotel (the Ocean Lodge Hotel) by the Santa Monica Pier. McBride is also a graduate of the University of California Berkeley School of Law and

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

. *

Nina Arianda Nina Arianda Matijcio (born September 18, 1984) is an American actress. She won the 2012 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Vanda Jordan in ''Venus in Fur,'' and she was nominated for the 2011 Tony Award for Best Actres ...

as Patty Solis-Papagian: a DUI lawyer and real estate agent, who brings Rachel Kennedy's case to McBride. *

Tania Raymonde Tania Raymonde Helen Katz, is an American actress and artist. Her career first caught traction when she played the recurring character of Cynthia Sanders on the Fox sitcom '' Malcolm in the Middle'' between 2000 and 2002, followed by the role o ...

as Brittany Gold: a

sex worker A sex worker is a person who provides sex work, either on a regular or occasional basis. The term is used in reference to those who work in all areas of the sex industry.Oxford English Dictionary, "sex worker" According to one view, sex work i ...

who cares about Billy McBride and sometimes works as his legal assistant. * Diana Hopper as Denise McBride (recurring season 1, main seasons 2–4): Billy and Michelle's 16-year-old daughter. *

William Hurt William McChord Hurt (March 20, 1950 – March 13, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he received various awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award and Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor. H ...

as Donald Cooperman: McBride's partner in founding Cooperman McBride (main, season 1; recurring, seasons 3–4). Cooperman is disfigured with facial burns and functions as a recluse: he rarely if ever leaves his office, and most people at the firm have never seen him. He monitors meetings and depositions remotely by cameras. Without the staff's knowledge, he has the entire office bugged, giving him access to everything that happens. He holds a grudge against McBride.

Season 1

Maria Bello Maria Elena Bello (born April 18, 1967) is an American actress and writer. Her film roles include '' Permanent Midnight'' (1998), '' Payback'' (1999), '' Coyote Ugly'' (2000), ''The Cooler'' (2003), '' A History of Violence'' (2005), '' The Mumm ...

as Michelle McBride: Billy's ex-wife and a partner at Cooperman McBride. She is angry with McBride, but respects his legal skills and is still fond of him. *

Olivia Thirlby Olivia Jo Thirlby (born October 6, 1986) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Leah in the comedy-drama film ''Juno'' (2007),Louie, Rebecca (June 28, 2008).Olivia Thirlby is smoking in 'The Wackness'". '' Daily News, location ...

as Lucy Kittridge: a young associate at Cooperman McBride whom Cooperman installs on the Larson case. *

Molly Parker Molly Parker (born 30 June 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She has had roles in independent films as well as television. Her accolades include two Genie Awards, one Canadian Screen Award, one Independent Spirit Awards nomina ...

as Callie Senate: a senior lawyer at the firm who previously used a relationship with Cooperman to advance her career. *

Sarah Wynter Sarah Wynter (born 15 February 1973)
movies2.nytimes.com; accessed 13 January 2016. is an Australian actr ...

as Gina Larson: the widow of Ryan Larson (who worked at Borns Tech and purportedly committed suicide by blowing himself up on a boat). *

Britain Dalton Britain Dalton is an American actor known for his role as Lo'ak, the second son of Jake Sully and Neytiri, in the science fiction film '' Avatar: The Way of Water'' (2022). He has also appeared in the first season of the series ''Goliath'' (2016 ...

as Jason Larson: Ryan and Gina's son. He eventually becomes the plaintiff in the case.

Season 2

Ana de la Reguera Anabell Gardoqui de la Reguera (; born 8 April 1977) is a Mexican actress. She has starred in telenovelas, films, the HBO television series ''Eastbound & Down'' and ''Capadocia'', the Amazon television series ''Goliath'', and the 2006 comedy '' ...

as Marisol Silva, a city councilwoman from East Los Angeles, in the race to be the first Latina mayor of Los Angeles (Seasons 2, 3). *

Matthew Del Negro Matthew Del Negro (born August 2, 1972) is an American actor. Life and career Matthew Del Negro was born in Mount Kisco, New York, as the youngest of three children. He grew up in Westchester County. He is a graduate of Boston College, where h ...

as Danny Loomis, a charismatic yet devious political operative and consiglieri to the city's power elite under the guise of being a "financial analyst". *

Morris Chestnut Morris Lamont Chestnut (born January 1, 1969) is an American actor. He first came to prominence for his role as Ricky in the 1991 film ''Boyz n the Hood''. He has appeared in feature films and on television series, including the starring role of ...

as Deputy District Attorney Hakeem Rashad, who was on the losing side of Billy's last criminal case and has a bitter, old grudge against him. *

Mark Duplass Mark David Duplass (born December 7, 1976) is an American filmmaker, actor, writer, and musician. With his brother Jay Duplass, he started the film production company Duplass Brothers Productions in 1996. Duplass has written and directed films, ...

as Tom Wyatt, a successful Los Angeles developer who wants to give the city a distinct skyline. A prominent philanthropist, he is a major contributor to mayoral candidate Marisol Silva. (Season 2, guest Season 3)

Season 3

Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include ''Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...

as Wade Blackwood * Amy Brenneman as Diana Blackwood *

Beau Bridges Lloyd Vernet "Beau" Bridges III (born December 9, 1941) is an American actor and director. He is a three-time Emmy, two-time Golden Globe and one-time Grammy Award winner, as well as a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award nominee. Bridges was a ...

as Roy Wheeler *

Shamier Anderson Shamier Anderson (born May 6, 1991) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing U.S. Deputy Marshal Xavier Dolls on the television series '' Wynonna Earp'' and ''Invasion.'' Background Anderson is the older brother of actor Stephan James. He ...

as Anton/Dario *

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...

as Littlecrow *

Julia Jones Julia Jones (born January 23, 1981) is an American actress, known for playing Leah Clearwater in '' The Twilight Saga'' films and Kohana in the HBO series ''Westworld''. She also co-stars on '' Dexter: New Blood''. Early life and education Jul ...

as Stephanie

Season 4

J. K. Simmons Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He i ...

as George Zax, a ruthless pharmaceutical company executive *

Jena Malone Jena Laine Malone (; born November 21, 1984) is an American actress, musician, and photographer. Known for her roles in both independent films and mainstream blockbuster features, she has received numerous accolades, including nominations for a ...

as Samantha Margolis, the daughter of the founder and current managing partner of Margolis-True, the law firm Billy joins to help settle a high-profile pharmaceutical lawsuit. *

Lenora Crichlow Lenora Isabella Crichlow (born 4 January 1985) is a British actress. She became known for her starring roles as Maria "Sugar" Sweet in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series '' Sugar Rush'', Annie Sawyer in the BBC Three supernatural drama series ' ...

as Ava Wallace-Margolis, wife of the founder and name partner of Margolis-True. *

Brandon Scott Brandon Maurice Scott (born April 8, 1984) is an American politician serving as the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland since 2020. The city of Baltimore uses a strong mayor-council structure for their government, meaning Scott holds strong mayoral po ...

as Robert Bettencourt, a lawyer at Margolis-True working on the pharmaceutical lawsuits; he was once engaged to Samantha. *

Geoffrey Arend Geoffrey Rashid Arend (born February 28, 1978) is an American film, television, voice and theater actor. He is best known for his role as Ethan Gross on the ABC drama series ''Body of Proof'', Matt Mahoney on the CBS political drama series '' M ...

as Griffin Petock, the attorney for the parties to Tom True's lawsuit: Zax Pharma, Tillinger Health and Russell Drug. *

Bruce Dern Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an American actor. He has often played supporting villainous characters of unstable natures. He has received several accolades, including the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor and the Silver B ...

as Frank Zax, former partner of Zax Pharma who was forced out by his brother George Zax after a disagreement over a key product. * Clara Wong as Kate Zax, daughter of Frank Zax and niece of George, she is a chemist at Zax Pharma who has concerns over the long-effects of the company's flagship product.

Recurring

* Julie Brister as Marva Jefferson: Billy's legal assistant. (Recurring Seasons 1-2, main Seasons 3-4)

Season 1

Damon Gupton Damon Jamal Gupton (born January 4, 1973) is an American actor and orchestral conductor, best known for his series regular roles as Charles Foster on ''Deadline'', Evrard Velerio on ''Prime Suspect'', Adam Page on '' The Divide'', Detective Cal ...

as Leonard Letts: Corporate counsel to Borns Tech. *

Dwight Yoakam Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerabl ...

as Wendell Corey: CEO of Borns Tech. *

Harold Perrineau Harold Perrineau (born August 7, 1963) is an American actor best known for his roles as Michael Dawson in the ABC television series ''Lost'' (2004–2010), Augustus Hill in the HBO television series '' Oz'' (1997–2003), Sheriff Boyd Steven ...

as Judge Roston Keller: The presiding judge on the Larson case. *

Ever Carradine Ever Dawn Carradine is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Tiffany Porter and Kelly Ludlow on the ABC television series ''Once and Again'' and '' Commander in Chief'', respectively and as Naomi Putnam and Janet Stein on the Hulu ...

as Rachel Kennedy: Ryan's sister, and the initial plaintiff in the wrongful death case against Borns Tech. *

Kevin Weisman Kevin Glen Weisman (born December 29, 1970) is an American film, television and stage actor. Career highlights thus far include his lauded portrayal of Marshall Flinkman on the critically acclaimed J.J. Abrams television series ''Alias'', which ...

as Ned Berring: A former employee at Borns Tech and a key witness in the case. *

Jason Ritter Jason Morgan Ritter (born February 17, 1980) is an American actor and producer. He is known for his roles as Kevin Girardi in the television series ''Joan of Arcadia'', Ethan Haas in '' The Class'', Sean Walker in the NBC series '' The Event'', ...

as FBI Agent Farley. * Patrick Robert Smith as Officer Ezekiel Sanders * Rigo Sanchez as Karl Stolz *

Julia Cho Julia Cho (born July 5, 1975) is an American playwright and television writer. In March 2020 she was awarded the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize. Select full length plays ''99 Histories'' (2002) ''99 Histories'' is a drama portraying th ...

as Jade Matizu *

Juan Gabriel Pareja Juan Gabriel Pareja (born December 24, 1978) is an American actor. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, to parents who immigrated from Colombia, Pareja is a graduate of the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. Pareja's film credits h ...

as Gabriel Marquez * T.W. Leshner as Alan Rubin * Jorge Luis Pallo as Alejandro Marquez * Gilbert Owuor as Father Anan

Season 2

Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips ( born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (19 ...

as Oscar Suarez, who works at Chez Jay, whose son Julio is falsely accused of murder. * Diego Josef as Julio Suarez, the son of Oscar, who is falsely accused of murder. *

Dominic Fumusa Dominic Fumusa (; born September 13, 1969) is an American stage and screen actor known for starring in the Showtime comedy-drama series ''Nurse Jackie''. Early life Fumusa was born and raised in Dane County, Wisconsin to a large family as one ...

as Detective Keith Roman: An LAPD detective involved in the conspiracy. Roman blames Billy for getting a killer off who then went on to murder a family a few years ago. * Paul Williams as J.T. Reginald, a former colleague of Billy's with extensive contacts, who left his legal practice following the execution of a client. (season 2, 3) *

James Wolk James Wolk (born March 22, 1985) is an American actor. He is known for his starring roles in the CBS comedy series ''The Crazy Ones'' (2013–2014), the AMC period drama series ''Mad Men'' (2013–2014), the CBS drama thriller series '' Zoo'' (201 ...

as FBI Special Agent Jeff Clayton, who agrees to help Billy hunt down his prime suspect in the Marcos Pena murder. *

Alexandra Billings Alexandra Scott Billings (born March 28, 1962) is an American actress, teacher, and singer. Billings is the second openly transgender woman to have played a transgender character on television, which she did in the 2005 made-for-TV movie '' Romy ...

as Judge Martha Wallace, the judge in the Pena murder case, and a former prosecutor who has history with both Billy and J.T. *

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo Manuel García-Rulfo Lapuente (born February 25, 1981) known professionally as Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, is a Mexican actor and model. He is best known for roles in films such as '' Cake'' and '' Bless Me, Ultima'', as well as the television program ...

as Gabriel Ortega, a powerful drug lord behind the murder conspiracy; he has childhood connections to Marisol. *

David Cross David Cross (born April 4, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and writer known for his stand-up performances, the HBO sketch comedy series ''Mr. Show'' (1995–1998), and his role as Tobias Fünke in the Fox/Netflix sitcom ...

as Pete "The Broker" Oakland, a real estate agent who helps Tom Wyatt with some dirty business (Recurring Season 2, Guest Season 3) *

Annika Marks Annika Marks is an American actress, writer and producer. She had a supporting role in 2012 film '' The Sessions'', and played leading roles in independent movies '' Grace.'' (2014) and ''Anguish'' (2015). From 2014 to 2018 she played Monte Port ...

as Mary Roman. *

JC Gonzalez Juan Camilo Gonzalez (born March 8, 1990) is a Colombian actor and singer-songwriter. His career began in 2009, when he participated in television commercials and advertisements in Texas. Gonzalez was also a candidate on ''Making Menudo'', an MTV ...

as DJ Diego Spiz. *

Zachary James Rukavina Zachary is a male given name, a variant of Zechariah – the name of several Biblical characters. People *Pope Zachary (679–752), Pope of the Catholic Church from 741 to 752 * Zachary of Vienne (died 106), bishop of Vienne (France), martyr an ...

as Miguel *

Paul Ben-Victor Paul Ben-Victor (born July 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Greek mobster Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', Alan Gray in ''Entourage'' (2005–2008), and Ray in '' Body Parts'' (1991). ...

as Cleft Chin (Recurring Season 2, Guest Season 3) * John Savage as Mickey * Steven Bauer as Willie

Season 3

Season 4

Elias Koteas Elias Koteas (; el, Ηλίας Κοτέας; born March 11, 1961) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Alvin "Al" Olinsky in the ''Chicago'' franchise, as well as appearing in lead and supporting roles in numerous films. He won the Cana ...

as Tom True, partner in Margolis-True and the father of Amanda True, a teenaged victim of opioid abuse * Emma Kennedy as Amanda True, Tom True's daughter *

Obba Babatundé Obba Babatundé (born Donald Cohen; December 1, 1951) is an American actor. A native of Queens, New York City, he has appeared in more than seventeen stage productions, thirty theatrical films, sixty made-for-television films, and two prime-time ...

as Ivan Tillinger, owner of Tillinge Health, a party to Tom True's lawsuit *

Haley Joel Osment Haley Joel Osment (born April 10, 1988) is an American actor and voice actor. Beginning his career as a child actor, Osment's role in the comedy-drama film '' Forrest Gump'' (1994) won him a Young Artist Award. His breakthrough came with the psyc ...

as Dylan Zax, the son of George Zax and an heir apparent to Zax Pharma *

Robert Patrick Robert Hammond Patrick (born November 5, 1958) is an American actor. Known for portraying villains and honorable authority figures, he is a Saturn Award winner with four other nominations. Patrick dropped out of college when drama class sparked ...

as Coach, Billy's father *

Beth Grant Beth Grant (born September 18, 1949) is an American character actress. Between 2012 and 2017, she was a series regular on the television comedy '' The Mindy Project'' in the role of Beverly Janoszewski. She is also known for her role as Gracie ...

as Judge Meredith Caplan Reiss * Anna Jacoby-Heron as Casey Lukin *

Greg Grunberg Gregory Phillip Grunberg (born July 11, 1966) is an American film and television actor best known for starring as Eric Weiss in the ABC series ''Alias'', Matt Parkman in the NBC series ''Heroes'', Temmin "Snap" Wexley in '' Star Wars: The Force ...

as Greg Wetzel * Raymond Ma as Dr. Ming *

Monica Potter Monica Gregg Potter (née Brokaw; born June 30, 1971) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles in the films ''Con Air'' (1997), ''Patch Adams (film), Patch Adams'' (1998), and ''Along Came a Spider (film), Along Came a Spider'' ...

as Christina Lukin (Guest Season 3, Recurring Season 4) * Lynda Kay Parker as Lynda Kay *

Christina Kirk Christina Kirk (born November 10, 1970) in New York, New York, is an American actress. Career Kirk appeared in Woody Allen's ''Melinda and Melinda'' and Ira Sachs' ''Love Is Strange''. She also was in ''Clybourne Park'', a play by Bruce Nor ...

as Fern Potter

Episodes

Season 1 (2016)

Season 2 (2018)

Season 3 (2019)

Season 4 (2021)

Production

Development

On May 14, 2015, it was announced that Amazon had issued a pilot order for the series, then titled ''Trial'', based on a script by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro. On December 1, 2015, Amazon announced that it was bypassing the pilot process with the project and was instead issuing a straight-to-series order consisting of a ten-episode first season to premiere in 2016. The first season would ultimately come to consist of eight episodes total. On August 7, 2016, it was announced that the first season would premiere on October 13, 2016.

Casting

On June 25, 2015, it was reported that

Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...

was in talks to join the series in the lead role of Billy McBride. By June 30, he had exited talks. On July 23, 2015, it was confirmed that

had been cast in the role. In August,

and

joined the main cast. On September 14,

Sarah Wynter Sarah Wynter (born 15 February 1973)
movies2.nytimes.com; accessed 13 January 2016. is an Australian actr ...

was cast in the series regular role of Gina Larson. In November,

and

joined the production as series regulars. The following March,

and

were also announced as part of the main cast. In June,

and

were cast in recurring roles. In August, the final casting announcements, of Diana Hopper and

in recurring roles, were made. For the show's fourth and final season,

and

joined the main cast, while

and

appear in recurring roles.

Setting

''Goliath'' is set and filmed in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

. The venue Chez Jay, which Billy McBride frequents and often works out of, is a real-life bar and restaurant. Production for the fourth season moved to San Francisco.

Renewal

On February 15, 2017, Amazon announced the series had been renewed for a second season. In that announcement, it was also confirmed that Clyde Phillips was joining the series in season two as the day-to-day showrunner. Kelley, Shapiro and Ross Fineman were set to remain in their roles as executive producers.

Reception

Critical response

review aggregator A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews of products and services (such as films, books, video games, software, hardware, and cars). This system stores the reviews and uses them for purposes such as supporting a website where users ...

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the first season holds an approval rating of 78% based on 37 professional reviews, with an average score of 6.04/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Compelling performances from an excellent cast—led by standout Billy Bob Thornton—propel David E. Kelley's ''Goliath'' into must-watch TV territory." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

the first season has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On Rotten Tomatoes, season two has an approval rating of 88% based on reviews from 8 critics. It was noted for showing much more division between critic and audience scores than the first season. On Rotten Tomatoes season three has an approval rating of 80% based on reviews from 5 critics, while season four has an approval rating of 100% based on reviews from 5 critics.

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* {{Amazon Video original series 2010s American drama television series 2016 American television series debuts 2020s American drama television series 2021 American television series endings Amazon Prime Video original programming English-language television shows Lesbian-related television shows Serial drama television series Television series by Amazon Studios Television series created by David E. Kelley Television shows filmed in California Television shows set in Santa Monica, California