‘Harlem’s Kitchen’: Sheryl Lee Ralph & Miguel Gomez Join ABC Drama Pilot

Denise Petski
·2 min read

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EXCLUSIVE: Sheryl Lee Ralph (Ray Donovan) and Miguel Gomez (The Strain) are set as leads opposite Delroy Lindo in ABC’s family restaurant drama pilot Harlem’s Kitchen, from Zahir McGhee, Mandeville Television and ABC Studios.

Written by McGhee and to be directed by Stephen Williams, Harlem’s Kitchen is set in a fine dining restaurant in Harlem and centers on Ellis Rice (Lindo), Executive Chef and patriarch, who runs a successful restaurant with his wife CC (Ralph) and three daughters. But an unexpected death thrusts the family into turmoil and puts the restaurant’s future in jeopardy as long-buried secrets are revealed.

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Ralph’s Cecilia CC Rice is the Rice family matriarch. Devoted wife of Ellis. Caring mother of their three daughters, and a world-class pastry chef. CC is a strong, traditional black woman who is secretly the driving force behind her husband’s success. CC has patience in spades, and always puts the needs of her family ahead of her own. It’s time for that to change.

Gomez is Marco, a talented line cook and an undocumented El Salvadorian who trekked to America with his little brother. Like his mentor and surrogate father, Ellis, Marco had nothing when he landed in Harlem. Ellis took Marco in and made him employee number one at RICE. Marco repaid Ellis with hard work, quickly rising from dishwasher through the ranks of the kitchen. Marco is a surrogate member of the Rice family and the embodiment of the American Dream. Passionate, sensitive and sexy — Marco is easy to love and quick to fall in love.

Ralph can currently be seen on Showtime’s Ray Donovan, reprising her role as Claudette for the seventh and final season. She appeared in The Comeback Trail with Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman, and this past year was one of the leads of the CBS comedy Fam, opposite Nina Dobrev, Tone Bell and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Ralph is repped by Link Entertainment, Innovative, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Gomez, known for his role as Gus on The Strain, was most recently seen on Showtime’s SMILF. He’s repped by Greene & Associates Talent Agency and attorney Jeff Bernstein.

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