TV Worlds Are Colliding In New Drama Series 'Underground' & It's Amazing

From executive producer John Legend and creators Misha Green ("Sons of Anarchy") and Joe Pokaski ("Heroes"), "Underground" is the slavery story never taught in school. 

It centers on a group of slaves on a Georgia plantation planning a daring 600-mile escape to freedom. Along the way, they're assisted by a secret abolitionist couple who run a station on the Underground Railway. Instead of being a show about the cruelty of slavery though, "Underground" portrays the slaves as how we should have been viewing them all along - as heroes.

Here are all the familiar faces in the incredible cast:

You probably recognize Jurnee Smollett-Bell from a bunch of your favorite TV shows. Smollett-Bell played Jess in "Friday Night Lights," Heather in "Parenthood," Nicole in "True Blood" and Lisa in "The Defenders." 

Now, the talented actress will be taking on the role of Rosalee in "Underground," a tough slave with the drive to escape to freedom. Smollett-Bell said of the show: "I definitely think our show will create a lot of discussion. We come from revolutionaries. We come from kings and queens. We come from people who have always resisted when we were in bondage, when we were oppressed. And young people, we've always been on the front line of change. And that's one of the things our show explores." 

Emmy-winning actor Christopher Meloni has become a household name in TV. He's most famous for playing Elliot Stabler in "Law & Order: SVU" for 12 years. He has also been in "True Blood", "Surviving Jack" and "Wet Hot American Summer" (the movie and Netflix TV show).

"My character is the definition of conflict," Meloni said. "He's a man, who's got to do what's best for his family. He's losing everything on his farm, he's good at his trade and I guess he has moral qualms about what he's doing, but he's got to do what he's got to do." 

As for the series as a whole, Meloni says, "They did a great job of making something historical, very action-y and just emotion-oriented."

He might have dramatically died on "Jane the Virgin," only to come back as his secret twin brother, but on "Underground" Cato is as alive as ever and desperate to break free. 

"The character is someone that will have a mark," Miller says of his character. "He's a superhero. I never saw it from that point of view until Joe and Misha talked to me about it, and I go, 'you're right. These people travel 600 miles to freedom with impossible odds under crazy terrain."

"Arrow's" vengeance-seeking character The Huntress will star as Elizabeth, a woman who wants in her heart to fight for slaves' freedom. But will she be brave enough? 

"Elizabeth starts out the series as something of a socialite, a sort of aimless, purposeless socialite, who has a big heart but nowhere to put the energy," De Gouw said. "Her husband John is a lawyer, who's an abolitionist and very much wanting to be active in changing the situation. She's not very on board to start with, not because she doesn't agree with him, but because it's a huge thing to do. We always ask that question of 'how active is your activism' and I think that makes it relatable now.'"

Remember Riley Finn, the good-hearted human who dated Buffy in her college years? Well, Blucas will be playing another character with a heart of gold who's also got a badass edge. His character John Hawkes is a passionate abolitionist who's hungry for change and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants... even if it means risking his life.

From Lettie Mae to Pearly Mae, we're so excited to see Porter take on another role. "True Blood" showcased the complexity and depth of Porter as an actress, and we know taking on the role of a slave desperate to escape, who will literally do anything, is going to be incredible.

Hodge starred in "Leverage" and has appeared in other popular shows such as "The Walking Dead" and "Rectify." He also recently starred in critically-acclaimed film "Straight Outta Compton." In "Underground", Hodge will play Noah, the leader of the pack who gets the brilliant idea to escape.

"The beautiful thing about 'Underground' is that these people are heroes," Hodge said. "When I first heard about it I thought 'ok, it's a show about slavery, how does that resonate over seasons?' I read the script, [it] blew my mind, because I said, 'wow, this is coming from a different perspective. These people are smart, they're strong-willed.'" 

"Empire" breakout star - and Smollett-Bell's brother - Jussie Smollett will guest star in the series. Many of us have fallen in love with Jamal Lyon, and seeing the actor in a different role will without a doubt be exciting.

If you're like everyone else on the planet, you probably had a crush on Lafferty's "OTH" character, Nathan Scott. This time, he won't be playing a basketball hunk though - the actor is set to play Kylie Risdin, a U.S. marshal who strictly enforces the Fugitive Slave Act. *Shudders*