Ballard Season 1 Cast And Character Guide

Amazon Prime’s Ballard works so well not just due to the brilliant narrative and bold reflection of societal horrors faced by women in the workplace—especially in law enforcement—but also because of its stellar cast. While Maggie Q is simply phenomenal as the lead detective, the makers have imbued all the supporting cast with enough personality to make them feel like living, breathing characters with their personal struggles, aspirations, virtues, and vices. While some members of the cold case division might come off as archetypal, the superb dynamics between them and teamwork make for such an exciting watch. Aside from them, there are obvious cameos from larger Bosch universe characters, who appear in a limited capacity but might have a bigger role in the second season of Ballard.

Renée Ballard Played by Maggie Q

Actor Maggie Q has starred in several acclaimed action movies during her more than two-and-a-half-decade-long acting career, namely Gen Y Cops, Mission Impossible III, Priest, Naked Weapon, etc. Her role as Tori Yu in the Divergent movie trilogy received recognition, as did her performance as the lead in small-screen fares like Nikita, Designated Survivor, etc. Maggie Q previously portrayed LAPD Detective Renée Ballard in the final season of Bosch: Legacy, and she reprises her role in Ballard as the lead. Renée Ballard is a resilient, strong-willed investigator, and her philosophy of considering the past to be as important as the present is what makes her the best person to lead the cold case unit. However, this worldview also has a restraining effect on her, as she has not been able to move on from the past tragedy of her father’s demise. Renée is shown to have emotionally guarded herself, and given the kind of experiences she has experienced during her tenure as a female investigator, it should come as no surprise anyway. This also affects her relations, as seen in the way her unwillingness to get serious with Aaron and keep him at a distance costs her the connection they had with each other.

What makes Ballard exceptional, just like Bosch, is her altruism, honesty, and determination to serve justice to those who have been denied; it is infectious—no matter how bad life knocks her down, she never lets things change who she really is as a person. The series goes to great lengths to show Ballard’s vulnerable self and all the mistreatment she has to tolerate simply to prove herself time and time again, and this makes her struggle all the more inspiring. Real-life LAPD Detective Mitzi Roberts acted as an inspiration to Michael Connelly in the creation of Renée Ballard. 

Samira Parker Played by Courtney Taylor

Actor Courtney Taylor has previously acted in several TV series, namely Abbott Elementary, Neon, The Company You Keep, etc. In the series, she portrays the role of former RHD Detective of LAPD, Samira Parker, who is recruited by Ballard in her cold case division to help with the John Doe case, and later she becomes a permanent member of the team. As a Black woman in force, Samira struggles in her precarious situation of trying to follow her father’s footsteps as a law enforcement officer but at the same time not let her vocation cost her the connection with her mother, who doesn’t approve of her job. Samira feels disillusioned about whether or not to pursue law enforcement as a career, as institutionalized corruption and racism have made her realize that the entire system is a cesspool, which cannot be changed anytime soon. Still, she persists, as Samira’s responsibility and will to serve the ones in need are greater than her skepticism. 

Ted Rawls as Michael Mosley

Michael Mosley is a terrific actor who has given some of his best performances in series like Ozark, Siren, Castle, Criminal Minds, etc. In the series, she plays the role of Ted Rawls, one of the reserve candidates of the cold case unit who runs a private security company on the side. Ted is written as such a unique character, as he is presented as a mix of contradictions. He initially comes off as a generic rich guy, a jock stereotype who has not seen the world from ground level and acts kind of uppity and socially clueless. It is only when the series progresses that viewers learn more about him, how he has a strong moral compass, is very tactful in his approach, has the sensibility to empathize with the sordid plight of his female colleagues, and actually is quite adept in on-field duties. Ted Rawls becomes a fan favorite character by the end of the first season, and unfortunately, that’s when the most tragic event happens in the form of his tragic death at the hands of the serial killer, Gary Pearlman—father of Ted’s friend Councilman Jake Pearlman. 

Thomas Laffront, played by John Carroll Lynch

Veteran actor John Carroll Lynch has acted in several acclaimed movies and TV series like Fargo, Zodiac, Shutter Island, Gran Torino, The Invitation, etc. In the series, he portrays the character of retired RHD officer Thomas Laffront, who acts as a mentor/guardian figure to Renée Ballard and is a major presence in her life on whom the detective can always count. Laffront is an experienced, sharp detective whose expertise proves to be most crucial in the majority of Ballard’s investigations.

Colleen Hatteras Played by Rebecca Field

Actor Rebecca Field has starred in a significant number of small-screen ventures, which include Twin Peaks, Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, and The Game, to name a few. In the series, she portrays the character of soccer mom/expert techie, Colleen Hatteras. Colleen is shown to be the most sensitive, empathetic member of the team, whose genuine goodwill to look out for the neglected ones makes her a perfect candidate to be a part of the cold case unit. Despite some of her eccentricities involving her affinity to pseudoscience and stuff like that, Colleen is a kind, caring person—the likes of which are needed the most in the world right now. 

Miscellaneous Characters

Aside from the leads, the supporting cast of Ballard is exceptional, which includes cameos from Bosch universe stars as well. Victoria Moroles acted pretty well as promising law school intern Martina, who is a part of the cold case unit. Amy Hill is great as Ballard’s grandma, Tutu, and Noah Bean delivered a strong performance as councilman Jake Pearlman. Hector Hugo did well with Captain Bercham, and the crooked Detective Robert Olivas was portrayed by Ricardo Chavira. Titus Welliver reprised his role as Harry Bosch, Stephen A. Chang returns in his role as Mo Bassi, and Mimi Rogers reprises her role as LA District Attorney Honey Chandler. 

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