''Ray Donovan'' is an American

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combin ...

television series created by Ann Biderman for

Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...

. The twelve-episode first season premiered on June 30, 2013. The pilot episode broke viewership records, becoming the biggest premiere of all time on Showtime. In February 2020, the series was cancelled after seven seasons. The show's storyline concluded with the feature-length '' Ray Donovan: The Movie'', which premiered on January 14, 2022, on Showtime. The drama, starring

Liev Schreiber Isaac Liev Schreiber (; born October 4, 1967) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and narrator. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s after appearing in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywo ...

in the title role, is set primarily in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

(during seasons 1–5) and in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

(during seasons 6–7). The main character, Ray Donovan, is a professional " fixer" who arranges bribes, payoffs, threats, crime-scene clean-up, and other illegal activities to protect his (usually) celebrity clients. Good at his job, he is also normally devoted to his children and brothers but has a complicated relationship with his wife. He encounters problems when his menacing father, Mickey Donovan (

Jon Voight Jonathan Vincent Voight (; born December 29, 1938) is an American actor. He came to prominence in the late 1960s with his Academy Award–nominated performance as Joe Buck, a would-be gigolo, in ''Midnight Cowboy'' (1969). During the 1970s, h ...

), is unexpectedly released from prison. The

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

attempts to bring down Mickey and his associates, and Donovan struggles to escape the undertow.

Episodes

Cast and characters

Main

as Raymond "Ray" Donovan *

Paula Malcomson Paula Malcomson (born 1 June 1970) is a Northern Irish actress. She is sometimes credited as Paula Williams. She is known as Trixie in ''Deadwood'' (2004-2006), Maureen Ashby in ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2010), and as Abby Donovan in '' Ray Donovan' ...

as Abigail "Abby" Donovan, Ray's wife (seasons 1–5) *

Eddie Marsan Edward Maurice Charles Marsan (born 9 June 1968) is an English actor. He won the London Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film '' Happy-Go-Lucky'' (2008). He has feature ...

as Terrence "Terry" Donovan, Ray's older brother. He is a former

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, and suffers from

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. *

Dash Mihok Dashiell Raymond Mihok (; born May 24, 1974) is an American actor and director best known for playing Brendan "Bunchy" Donovan in the Showtime drama '' Ray Donovan''. Early life Mihok was born in New York City, the son of theater actors Andrea ...

as Brendan "Bunchy" Donovan, Ray's younger brother. He identifies as a sexual anorexic. *

Pooch Hall Marion "Pooch" Hall, Jr. (born February 8, 1976) is an American television and film actor known for his role as Derwin Davis, the football player on the sitcom '' The Game'', and as Ricky in the 2011 film ''Jumping the Broom''. He also played th ...

as Daryll Donovan, Ray's younger half-brother (son of Mickey and Claudette) * Steven Bauer as Avi Rudin, Ray's right-hand man, a former

IDF IDF or idf may refer to: Defence forces * Irish Defence Forces * Israel Defense Forces *Iceland Defense Force, of the US Armed Forces, 1951-2006 * Indian Defence Force, a part-time force, 1917 Organizations * Israeli Diving Federation * Interac ...

soldier and ex– Mossad agent (seasons 1–5) *

Katherine Moennig Katherine Sian Moennig (; born December 29, 1977) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Shane McCutcheon on ''The L Word'' (2004–2009), as well as Jake Pratt on ''Young Americans'' (2000). Moennig played the role of Lena in ...

as Lena Burnham, Ray's investigative assistant *

Kerris Dorsey Kerris Dorsey (born January 9, 1998) is an American actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Paige Whedon in the television series '' Brothers & Sisters'', Casey Beane, Billy Beane's daughter, in the 2011 film ''Moneyball'', and as Emily ...

as Bridget Donovan, Ray's daughter * Devon Bagby as Conor Donovan, Ray's son (seasons 1–6) *

as Michael "Mickey" Donovan, Ray's father *

Susan Sarandon Susan Abigail Sarandon (; née Tomalin; born October 4, 1946) is an American actorMcCabe, Bruce"Susan Sarandon, the 'actor'" ''Boston Globe''. April 17, 1981. Retrieved January 21, 2021. and activist. She is the recipient of various accolades, ...

as Samantha "Sam" Winslow, Ray's new boss (recurring season 5; season 6) * Graham Rogers as Jacob "Smitty" Smith, Bridget's boyfriend turned husband (recurring season 5; seasons 6–7)

Recurring

* Elliott Gould as Ezra Goldman (seasons 1–3) *

Peter Jacobson Peter Jacobson (born March 24, 1965) is an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Dr. Chris Taub on the Fox medical drama series ''House''. He also starred on the USA Network science fiction drama ''Colony'' as former Proxy Snyd ...

as Lee Drexler (seasons 1–3) *

Denise Crosby Denise Michelle Crosby is an American actress and model known for portraying Security Chief Tasha Yar mainly in season one of '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'', and Yar's daughter, the half-Romulan Commander Sela, in subsequent seasons. She ...

as Debra "Deb" Goldman (seasons 1–5) * William Stanford Davis as Potato Pie (seasons 1–5) *

Ambyr Childers Ambyr C. Childers (born July 18, 1988) is an American actress known for her portrayal of Susan Atkins in the NBC crime drama '' Aquarius'', Ashley Rucker in the Showtime crime drama ''Ray Donovan'', and Candace Stone in the Lifetime/Netflix ...

as Ashley Rucker (seasons 1–2, 4) *

Josh Pais Joshua Atwill Pais (born June 21, 1958) is an American actor and acting coach. He has appeared in the films ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (1990), ''Music of the Heart'' (1999), ''Assassination of a High School President'' (2008), '' I Saw the ...

as Stuart "Stu" Feldman (seasons 1–2, 4, 6–7) *

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sheryl Lee Ralph OJ is an American actress and singer. She made her screen debut in the 1977 comedy film '' A Piece of the Action'', before landing the role of Deena Jones in the Broadway musical '' Dreamgirls'' (1981), for which she received ...

as Claudette (seasons 1–2, 7) *

Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser March 25, 1943) is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Dave Starsky on the 1970s television series, ''Starsky & Hutch''. In between his work writing and directing, Gla ...

as Alan (seasons 1–2, 7) *

Austin Nichols Austin Nichols (born April 24, 1980) is an American actor and director, known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series ''One Tree Hill''. He is also known for his roles in the films ''The Day After Tomorrow'' and '' Wimbledon''. He st ...

as Thomas "Tommy" Wheeler (seasons 1–4, 7) * Brooke Smith as Frances Simpson (seasons 1–3) *

Michael McGrady Michael Steven McGrady (born March 30, 1960) is an American theater, film and television actor. He is known for playing Tom Matthews in Beyond. He is also an artist. Life and work McGrady was born in Federal Way, Washington, to Gloria, a hair ...

as Frank Barnes (seasons 1–5) * Craig Ricci Shaynak as Kenneth "Tiny" Benson (seasons 1–2) * Octavius J. Johnson as Marvin Gaye Washington (seasons 1–2) *

Frank Whaley Frank Joseph Whaley (born July 20, 1963) is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and comedian. His roles include Brett in ''Pulp Fiction'', Robby Krieger in ''The Doors'', young Archie "Moonlight" Graham in ''Field of Dreams'', and Guy ...

as FBI Agent Van Miller (season 1) *

Johnathon Schaech Johnathon Schaech ( ; born September 10, 1969) is an American actor and screenwriter. He has been working as an actor since the early '90s. Early life Johnathon Schaech was born in Edgewood, Maryland, in 1969 to Joe, a Baltimore City law enf ...

as Sean Walker (season 1) *

James Woods James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off- Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in ''The Trial of the ...

as Patrick "Sully" Sullivan (season 1) *

Rosanna Arquette Rosanna Lisa Arquette (; born August 10, 1959) is an American actress. She was nominated for an Emmy Award for her performance in the TV film ''The Executioner's Song'' (1982), and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for th ...

as Linda (season 1–2) * Kwame Patterson as Re-Kon (seasons 1–2) * Mo McRae as Deonte Frasier (seasons 1–2) *

Jay Thomas Jay Thomas (born Jon Thomas Terrell; July 12, 1948 – August 24, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, and radio personality. He was heard in New York from 1976–1979 on top-40 station 99X, and later on rhythmic CHR station 92KTU, and in ...

as Marty Grossman (seasons 1–3, 5) *

Hank Azaria Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, ...

as Ed Cochran (seasons 2–4) *

Sherilyn Fenn Sherilyn Fenn (born Sheryl Ann Fenn; February 1, 1965) is an American actress and author. She came to attention for her performance as Audrey Horne on the television series ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) for which she was nominated for a Go ...

as Donna Cochran (season 2) *

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

as June Wilson (season 2) *

Kip Pardue Kevin Ian "Kip" Pardue (born September 23, 1975) is an American actor and model, who became known for his roles in the films ''Remember the Titans'', '' But I'm a Cheerleader'', '' The Rules of Attraction'' and ''Thirteen''. Early life and educ ...

as FBI Agent Thomas Volcheck (season 2) *

Andrea Bogart Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that re ...

as Megan Volchek (season 2) *

Wendell Pierce Wendell Edward Pierce (born December 8, 1963) is an American actor and businessman. Having trained at Juilliard School, Pierce rose to prominence as a character actor portraying roles both on the stage and screen. He first gained notoriety portra ...

as Ronald Keith (seasons 2–3) * Crispin Alapag as Pablo Ramirez (season 2) *

Vinessa Shaw Vinessa Elizabeth Shaw (born July 19, 1976) is an American film actress and model. She began her career as a child actor, and had her breakout role in Disney's 1993 Halloween comedy-fantasy film '' Hocus Pocus''. Shaw also appeared in '' Ladyb ...

as Kate McPherson (season 2) *

Jeryl Prescott Jeryl Prescott Sales is an American actress, best known for her role as Jacqui in the AMC series '' The Walking Dead''. In 2019, she had series regular role of Madame Xanadu in the short-lived DC Universe series ''Swamp Thing''. Life and caree ...

as Cherry (season 2) *

Omar Dorsey Omar J. Dorsey (born December 22, 1975) is an American actor. He has appeared in films '' The Blind Side'' (2009), ''Django Unchained'' (2012), and '' Selma'' (2014) playing James Orange. In 2016, Dorsey began starring as Hollingsworth "Holly ...

as Cookie Brown (season 2) *

Jamie Donnelly Jamie Donnelly is an American actress known for her portrayal of Jan in the musical, and later film, '' Grease,'' along with Magenta in ''The Rocky Horror Show'' during its run in the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles. Biography Donnelly was born in ...

as Peggy Shaugnessy (season 2) *

Eion Bailey Eion Francis Hamilton Bailey ( ; born June 8, 1976) is an American actor. He stars as Jim Matthews in the epix horror series '' From''. He played Pvt. David Kenyon Webster in the HBO miniseries '' Band of Brothers'' and appeared in the films ...

as Steve Knight (season 2) *

Brian Geraghty Brian Timothy Geraghty (born May 13, 1975) is an American actor, known for his roles in the 2005 film '' Jarhead'', the 2008 film ''The Hurt Locker'', and in the 2012 film ''Flight'', along with his recurring role in the HBO drama series ''Board ...

as Detective Jim Halloran (season 2) * Steph DuVall as Shorty (season 2) *

Heather McComb Heather Ann McComb (born March 2, 1977) is an American actress. Career McComb started acting at age two in a commercial for Publisher's Clearing House. In 1989 she played the title character in Francis Ford Coppola's segment, "Life Without Z ...

as Patty (season 2) * Jayne Taini as Harriet Greenberg (seasons 2–5) *

Ian McShane Ian David McShane (born 29 September 1942) is an English actor, producer and director. He is known for his television performances, particularly as the title role in the BBC series ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1994), Al Swearengen in '' Deadwood'' (20 ...

as Andrew Finney (season 3) * Katie Holmes as Paige Finney (season 3) *

Guy Burnet Guy Burnet (born 8 August 1983) is a British theatre, film and television actor. Early life Burnet was born in London, England. He attended Holland Park School where his interest in drama first developed, taking an A level in the subject. Bef ...

as Casey Finney (season 3) *

Jason Butler Harner Jason Thomas Butler Harner (born October 9, 1970) is an American actor. Life and career Harner was born in Elmira, New York and grew up in suburban Northern Virginia, where he saw a handful of plays at Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage. His mid ...

as Varick Strauss (season 3) *

Leland Orser Leland Jones Orser (born August 6, 1960) is an American actor. He has appeared in numerous film and television roles, notably as Lucien Dubenko in the television series '' ER'' (2004–2009) and Sam Gilroy in the '' Taken'' film series (2008–20 ...

as Father Romero (seasons 3–4) *

Michael Hyatt Charlene "Michael" Hyatt is a British-born American actress. Before her work in film and television, she performed on stages throughout the United States, particularly in ''Ragtime'' on Broadway. She has played Brianna Barksdale on ''The Wire'' ...

as Detective Sheila Muncie (seasons 3–4) * Christy Williams as Michelle (season 3) * Nick Kent as Davros Minassian (season 3) *

Ken Davitian Kenneth Davitian ( hy, Քենեթ Դավիթյան; born June 19, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his role as Borat's producer Azamat Bagatov in the 2006 comedy film ''Borat''. Early life and education Kenneth Davitian was born in ...

as Vartan Minassian (season 3) *

Grace Zabriskie Grace Zabriskie (' Caplinger; born May 17, 1941) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Sarah Palmer in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991; 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me'' (1992), Lois Henrickson in '' ...

as Mrs. Minassian (season 3) * Shree Crooks as Audrey (season 3) *

Aaron Staton Aaron Staton (born August 10, 1980) is an American actor. He played Ken Cosgrove on the AMC drama series ''Mad Men'' (2007–2015) and voiced Cole Phelps in the video game '' L.A. Noire'' (2011), for which he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best ...

as Greg Donellen (seasons 3–4) * Alyssa Diaz as Teresa (seasons 3–6) *

Lulu Brud Lulu Brud (born 1985) is an American actress and interior designer, best known for her role as Sabrina in ''Pretty Little Liars''. Career Brud is an actress and interior designer. Selected filmography Selected television *'' 90210 new genera ...

as Lauren (seasons 3 and 6) *

Fairuza Balk Fairuza Balk (born May 21, 1974) is an American actress, musician, and visual artist. Influential in popular culture, Balk is known for her portrayals of distinctive " goth-girl" characters, often with a dark edge. She has appeared in numerous i ...

as Ginger (season 3) * Bronson Pinchot as Flip Brightman (season 3) * Embeth Davidtz as Sonia Kovitzky (season 4) *

Richard Brake Richard Colin Brake (born 30 November 1964) is a Welsh-American character actor, known for his supporting roles as Joe Chill in '' Batman Begins'' (2005), Doom-Head in '' 31'' (2016), and the chemist in '' Mandy'' (2018), as well as his lead ro ...

as Vlad (season 4) *

Stacy Keach Walter Stacy Keach Jr. (born June 2, 1941) is an American actor and narrator. He has played mainly dramatic roles throughout his career, often in law enforcement or as a private detective. His most prominent role was as Mickey Spillane's fiction ...

as The Texan (season 4) *

Pasha D. Lychnikoff Pavel Dmitriyevich Lychnikov ( rus, Павел Дмитриевич Лычников) is a Russian-American television, voice, film and theatre actor, who lives and works in the United States. Early life and education Lychnikoff was born in Mos ...

as Ivan Belikov (season 4) *

Ismael Cruz Córdova Ismael Enrique Cruz Córdova (born April 7, 1987) is a Puerto Rican actor who gained national attention playing Mando on ''Sesame Street''. Cruz also had a role in the Showtime original series ''Ray Donovan ''Ray Donovan'' is an American c ...

as Hector Campos (season 4) * Lisa Bonet as Marisol Campos (season 4) * Dominique Columbus as Damon Bradley (seasons 4–5) * Tom Wright as Punch Hoffman (seasons 4–5) * Derek Webster as Jackson Holt (seasons 4–5) *

Tara Buck Tara Buck (born March 16, 1975) is an American film, stage, and television actress. Buck is known for her roles in ''True Blood,'' '' Ray Donovan'', and ''Party of Five''. Early life Buck attended Wood River High School in Hailey Idaho, where ...

as Maureen Dougherty Donovan (seasons 4–5) *

Raymond J. Barry Raymond John Barry (born March 14, 1939) is an American film, television, and stage actor. He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male for his performance in the film ''Steel City (film), Steel City''. Personal life ...

as Dmitri Sokolov (season 4) *

Ted Levine Frank Theodore Levine (born May 29, 1957) is an American actor. He is best known for playing the roles of Buffalo Bill in the film '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1991) and Leland Stottlemeyer in the television series ''Monk'' (2002–2009). Le ...

as Little Bill Primm (season 4) *

Gabriel Mann Gabriel Mann (born Gabriel Mick; May 14, 1972) is an American actor and model, known for his role as Nolan Ross on the ABC drama series '' Revenge''. He has co-starred in several films, including '' The Life of David Gale'', '' The Bourne Iden ...

as Jacob Waller (season 4) *

Paula Jai Parker Paula Jai Parker is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in the films ''Friday'' (1995), '' Sprung'' (1997), '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' (1998), ''Phone Booth'' (2002), '' Hustle & Flow'' (2005), and '' Idlewild'' (20 ...

as Sylvie Starr (season 4) *

C. Thomas Howell Christopher Thomas Howell (born December 7, 1966) is an American actor. He has starred in the films '' Soul Man'', '' The Hitcher'', '' Grandview U.S.A.'', ''Red Dawn'', ''Secret Admirer'' and '' The Outsiders''. He has also appeared in '' Gett ...

as Dr. Brogan (seasons 5–6) *

Donald Faison Donald Adeosun Faison (; born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and comedian, best known for his leading role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC/ NBC comedy-drama '' Scrubs'' (2001–2010), and a supporting role as Murray in both the film '' Cluele ...

as Antoine A'Shawn Anderson (seasons 5–6) *

Rhys Coiro John Rhys Coiro (born March 12, 1979) is an American film, television, and stage actor. He began acting on Broadway but is best known for on-screen roles such as Billy Walsh on the television series ''Entourage''. Early life Born in Santo Stefa ...

as Rob Heard (season 5) *

Lili Simmons Lili Marie Simmons (born July 23, 1993) is an American actress and model known for her role as Rebecca Bowman in the Cinemax series ''Banshee'' (2013–2016). Early life Simmons was born and raised in Cardiff-by-the-Sea in San Diego County, Ca ...

as Natalie James (season 5) *

Michel Gill Michel Gill (born April 16, 1960), also known as Michael Gill, is an American actor best known for playing President Garrett Walker in the Netflix series ''House of Cards'' and Gideon Goddard on '' Mr. Robot''. Early life Gill is a first gener ...

as Doug Landry (season 5) *

Brian J. White Brian Joseph White (born April 21, 1975) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in films such as ''The Family Stone'' (2005), '' The Game Plan'' (2007), '' 12 Rounds'' (2009), '' I Can Do Bad All by Myself'' (2009), ''Good Deeds'' ( ...

as Jay White (seasons 5–6) *

Kim Raver Kimberly Jayne Raver (born March 15, 1969) is an American actress and producer. She is best known for television roles as Dr. Teddy Altman on ABC's medical drama '' Grey's Anatomy'', Kim Zambrano on '' Third Watch'', and Audrey Raines on '' ...

as Dr. Bergstein (season 5) *

James Keach James Keach (born December 7, 1947) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the younger brother of actor Stacy Keach Jr. and son of actor Stacy Keach Sr. Early life and education Keach was born in Savannah, Georgia, the son of Mary Cain ( ...

as Tom (season 5) * Jordan Mahome as Damon's father (season 5) * Adina Porter as Vicki Delgatti (season 5) *

Ryan Dorsey Ryan Keith Dorsey (born July 19, 1983) is an American actor, known for playing Earl on '' Justified'' and Duquesne “Dime Bag” Baker on ''Ray Donovan''. His personal life, particularly his marriage to Naya Rivera, has garnered significant media ...

as Duquesne "Dime Bag" Baker (season 5) *

Keir O'Donnell Keir O'Donnell is an Australian–American actor, best known for his roles in the films '' Wedding Crashers'', '' The Break-Up'', '' Paul Blart: Mall Cop'' and ''American Sniper'' as well as numerous television appearances. Early life O'Donne ...

as George Winslow (seasons 5–6) *

Jake Busey William Jacob Busey is an American actor. Among his most prominent roles have been serial killer Johnny Bartlett in 1996's ''The Frighteners'', Ace Levy in 1997's ''Starship Troopers'', Kyle Brenner in 2001's '' Tomcats'', Aiden Tanner in the 20 ...

as Acid Man/Chef Dave (season 5) * Billy Miller as Todd Dougherty (season 5) * Ryan Radis as Beckett (season 5) *

Domenick Lombardozzi Domenico "Domenick" Lombardozzi (, ; born March 25, 1976) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Herc in ''The Wire'', and is also known for his roles in ''A Bronx Tale'' (1993), '' Entourage'', and ''The Irishman'' (2019). Ca ...

as NYPD Sgt. Sean "Mac" McGrath (season 6) * Gerard Cordero as Big Al (season 6) * Kate Arrington as Amber McGrath (seasons 6–7) *

Tony Curran Tony Curran is a Scottish actor who has appeared in '' Underworld: Evolution'', ''Doctor Who'', ''Roots'', and the Netflix historical epic '' Outlaw King''. He appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film '' Thor: The Dark World'' (2013) as Bo ...

as NYPD Lt. Mikey "Rad" Radulovic (season 6) *

Lola Glaudini Lola Glaudini (born November 24, 1971) is an American actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Elle Greenaway on CBS's ''Criminal Minds'' and for her role as Deborah Ciccerone-Waldrup on HBO's ''The Sopranos''. Early life Glaudini was ...

as Anita Novak (season 6) * Jacob Ming-Trent as Big Easy (season 6) * Alexandra Turshen as Justine Smith (season 6) *

Sandy Martin Sandy Martin is an American actress, playwright, director, and producer. She is best known for her roles in the film '' Napoleon Dynamite'' and the TV series '' Big Love'', ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'', and '' Ray Donovan''. Career Mart ...

as Sandy Donovan (seasons 6–7) *

Zach Grenier Zach Grenier is an American character actor of film, television and stage. He is best known for his roles in films such as '' Fight Club'', ''Tommy Boy'', and '' Twister'' and for his roles in television such as David Lee in '' The Good Wife'' a ...

as Mayor Ed Feratti (seasons 6–7) *

Alan Alda Alan Alda (; born Alphonso Joseph D'Abruzzo; January 28, 1936) is an American actor, screenwriter, and director. A six-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner, he is best known for playing Captain Benjamin "Hawkeye" Pierce in the war come ...

as Dr. Arthur Amiot (seasons 6–7) *

Chris Tardio Chris Tardio is an American actor known for his roles in ''The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Ita ...

as Danny Bianchi (season 6–7) *

Quincy Tyler Bernstine Quincy Tyler Bernstine is an American actress and audiobook narrator. In 2019, she won the Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and ...

as Detective Perry (season 7) *

Louisa Krause Louisa Noel Krause (born May 20, 1986) is an American actress. After studying drama in college, Krause appeared in numerous off-Broadway productions while also appearing in episodes of New York-based network television series. Her first film role ...

as Liberty Larson (season 7) *

Michael Esper Michael James Esper (born December 1, 1975) is an American actor, best known for his stage work. Early life Esper was born in Manhattan and raised in Montclair, New Jersey. He is the son of acting teachers William and Suzanne Esper, of the W ...

as Adam Rain (season 7) *

Josh Hamilton Joshua Holt Hamilton (born May 21, 1981) is an American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder from to , most prominently as a member of the Texas Rangers teams that won two consecutive Americ ...

as Kevin Sullivan (season 7) *

Kerry Condon Kerry Condon (born 9 January 1983) is an Irish actress. She was the youngest actress to play Ophelia in a Royal Shakespeare Company production of ''Hamlet'' (2001–2002). She has since played Octavia of the Julii in ''Rome'' (2005–2007), Sta ...

as Molly Sullivan (season 7) * Clay Hollander as Johnathan Walker Hanson (season 7) * Keren Dukes as Jasmine (season 7) *

Peter Gerety Peter Gerety (born May 17, 1940) is an American actor. He is best known as Judge Daniel Phelan in ''The Wire'' (2002–2008). Career Gerety is a veteran of stage, screen and television. In early 1992, he performed to critical acclaim on Broadway ...

as James Sullivan (season 7) *

Kevin Corrigan Kevin Corrigan (born ) is an American character actor. He has appeared mostly in independent films and television since the 1990s, including as Uncle Eddie on the sitcom ''Grounded for Life'' (2001–2005). His film appearances include support ...

as Declan Sullivan (season 7)

Cancellation and feature-length film

On February 4, 2020, Showtime cancelled the series after seven seasons. The series was cancelled without any advance warning, leaving fans and showrunner,

David Hollander David Hollander (born May 16, 1968) is an American television writer, director, and producer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Career Hollander is the creator, screenwriter, and an executive producer of ''The Guardian (TV series), The Guardian'' ...

, in shock. Season 8 was supposed to have been the final season, and Hollander already had a plan in place creatively for the story. A week later, Liev Schreiber wrote on his Instagram account that due to fans' support and activity in media, there was a possibility for Ray Donovan to return. The decision to cancel the series was reportedly for political reasons amid the recent merger between CBS, which owns Showtime, and Viacom, which "did not recognize the power of the fan base and social media". On August 19, Schreiber commented on his Instagram that "an RD finale/movie" was being written. On February 24, 2021, Showtime announced a feature-length film to conclude the storyline, to premiere in 2022, with David Hollander directing it and co-writing with Schreiber. The network brought them the idea of a film after fans' outrage. The two-hour format gave them an ability "to work in very cinematic language". Beside the original cast returning, Chris Petrovski,

AJ Michalka Amanda Joy Michalka ( ; born April 10, 1991) is an American actress, singer-songwriter, record producer and voice actress who is best known as one half of the musical duo Aly & AJ (briefly 78violet), alongside her older sister Aly Michalka. She h ...

, David Patrick Kelly and Chris Gray had joined the film. On November 22, the official trailer and poster for the film, titled '' Ray Donovan: The Movie'' were released, with a premiere date of January 14, 2022 and tagline "You can't outrun your legacy".

Home media

The first season was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 10, 2014. The second season was released on both media on May 26, 2015 and the third season released on December 29, 2015. Further seasons were released only on DVD. The fourth season saw a release on December 27, 2016, the fifth season on January 30, 2018, the sixth season came out on April 9, 2019, and the seventh season on May 5, 2020.

Indian remake

In 2021,

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

India announced that it will broadcast a remake of the series, titled ''

Rana Naidu ''Rana Naidu'' is a 2023 Indian Hindi language action crime drama streaming television series on Netflix created and directed by Karan Anshuman and Suparn Verma. Produced by Sunder Aaron under the banner Locomotive Global Inc., it is the offic ...

'' with starring Rana Daggubati and his uncle

Venkatesh Venkatesh is a given name and family name from the Indian subcontinent derived from Venkateswara, a Hindu deity. Notable persons with the name include: * A. Venkatesh Naik (born 1936), member of the 14th Lok Sabha of India * A. Venkatesh (directo ...

. The series will be produced by Locomotive Global and the format rights are licensed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group (now Paramount Global Content Licensing), with

Karan Anshuman Karan Anshuman (born 1980) is an Indian film writer, director, and producer. He is the creator and director of Emmy-nominated drama film '' Inside Edge''. He is also the director and writer of ''Bangistan'' and the creator, director, and writer ...

as showrunner and director and Suparn Verma as co-director.

Reception

''Ray Donovan'' has received positive reviews from critics.

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 ...

gives the first season a rating of 77% based on reviews from 43 critics, with the site's consensus stating: "''Ray Donovan'' moves quickly between genres and tones, with Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight's performances making the whiplash worth it".

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 ...

gives the first season a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews". Tim Goodman, writing for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', said that "''Showtime'' has another gem on their hands" and the casting of Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight was "gold".

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Ray Donovan
at

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