A & E Announces Additional Cast for Roots

Roots, a four night, eight hour miniseries event being developed by History, is slated for simulcast airing on History, A&E and Lifetime.

A&E announced additional casting to join Academy Award winners Anna Paquin and Forest Whitaker, Golden Globe Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and actors Laurence Fishburne, Anika Noni Rose, Chad L. Coleman, Erica Tazel, Derek Luke, Malachi Kirby, and Rege-Jean Page.

Grammy winner Tip “T.I.” Harris, Mekhi Phifer, James Purefoy, Matthew Goode, Lane Garrison, Emayatzy Corinealdi and G. Hannelius have been added to the cast.

The original “Roots”, released in 1977 as an ABC novel for television, told the story of author Alex Haley’s family spanning generations starting with his ancestor Kunta Kinte, a proud young man captured in Africa and sold into slavery in America.