Ian McShane joins Last King of The Cross

Deadwood star Ian McShane (John Wick: Chapter 4) will play the lead antagonist, Ezra Shipman, the reigning King of The Cross in the upcoming drama series, Last King of The Cross on Paramount+.

Daniel Monaghan, Senior Vice President, Content and Programming, Paramount Australia and New Zealand, said: “We are incredibly thrilled to have an actor of Ian McShane’s calibre and body of work, join our very own rising star Lincoln Younes, to tell this unique and captivating Australian story set amongst one of our country’s most iconic and notorious backdrops.”

Producer and Helium Founder, Mark Fennessy, said: “From Winston to Blackbeard, Al Swearengen to Mr Wednesday, Ian McShane’s on-screen characterisations are the epitome of compelling masterpieces, and we cannot wait for the world to meet Ezra Shipman.”

Last King of The Cross is a 10-part serialised drama inspired by John Ibrahim’s autobiography of the same name. Filming set to commence in Sydney in May,

Wily and much-celebrated, Ezra has a gift for all things business, be that the stock market or overseeing the illegal gambling, prostitution, and strip joints that Kings Cross has been famous for since the Vietnam War.

For three generations Ezra has been the most powerful and most feared man in Sydney, but now he is confronting his looming mortality. For all his power and material success, and all he has had to do to maintain it, there is no one to continue his legacy.

Enter John Ibrahim, (Lincoln Younes) an adolescent facsimile of Ezra: young, brash, ambitious, and intelligent. Seeing the opportunity to extend his reign, Ezra takes the young John into his inner circle as his acolyte. But who is exploiting who?

Last King of The Cross is a Helium Pictures production for Paramount+ Australia with Cineflix Rights as the exclusive international distribution partner. Produced by Mark Fennessy and Karl Zwicky, the elevated serialised drama is by multi award-winning writer/director Kieran Darcy-Smith who will also direct.

Mr McShane is represented by ICM Partners, Independent Talent Group, Gallant Management, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.