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Hollywood legend JK Simmons and Grantchester’s Tom Brittney tease their new "complex" crime drama

Simmons and Brittney star in MGM+ series The Westies.

JK Simmons in The Westies, wearing a shirt, tie and waistcoat, sat behind a desk.

Brooke Palmer/MGM+

Published: Friday, 10 July 2026 at 6:00 am

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Hollywood legend JK Simmons, known for his roles in films like Whiplash and the Spider-Man franchise, leads the cast of The Westies, a brand-new crime drama on MGM+.

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The series, a gritty look at the operations of the titular Irish gang which operated in New York City in the 1980s, also stars Grantchester's Tom Brittney, with Simmons playing gang leader Eamon Sweeney, while the former plays his second in command Jimmy Roarke.

The duo spoke exclusively with Radio Times ahead of the show's debut later this month, and when Brittney was asked what drew him to star in the series, he had a clear answer.

"Him - he drew me to it," Brittney said, pointing at Simmons. "That's a straight answer. I got the audition through, and it had… I mean, there were other things. [Showrunners] Chris Brancato and Michael Panes. Chris had been part of Narcos, Michael Panes and him on Godfather of Harlem, very successful shows, and then JK Simmons, and I went, 'Yeah, I'm in.'"

"Well, I always get to work with JK Simmons on everything I do, which is such a blessing," Simmons joked. "But I got the script for the pilot, which is always an interesting thing because you're committing to potentially years of telling a lengthy story based on 57 minutes or whatever it is of the pilot.

"But I saw that Chris and Michael had created complex, multi-layered characters with some ambiguity and some subtlety, and a world that lives in the different shades of grey. I found all the characters really compelling and was excited to jump on board."

Tom Brittney as Jimmy Roarke and Sarah Bolger as Bridget Walsh in The Westies.

Tom Brittney as Jimmy Roarke and Sarah Bolger as Bridget Walsh in The Westies. Brooke Palmer/MGM+

Asked about his character, Jimmy, Brittney said: "Jimmy Rourke is Sweeney's, in the professional term, I guess, a lieutenant or something, I think. He’s kind of the de facto leader of the younger of the Westies, the younger of the crew. And in some ways a surrogate son.

"He was kind of raised by Sweeney since he was a young teenager after he lost his parents. And he was just brought into the life of crime, and is incredibly loyal to Sweeney and to the gang. But at the beginning of the series, some conflict happens pretty quickly that then puts that that loyalty into question."

Meanwhile, Simmons said of Sweeney: "Eamon Sweeney is the head of the Westies, and that's a tenuous position for anybody, because people do tend to get bumped off, and we're all looking over our shoulders, the Westies, the Italians - so he tries to exude this calm, but he's trying to hang on."

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The eight episode first season of The Westies also stars Titus Welliver, Jessica Frances Dukes, Stanley Morgan, Sarah Bolger, Allen Leech, Hamish Allan-Headly, Vincent Walsh and Hilary McCormack.

The Westies will be available to stream exclusively on MGM+ from 12 July 2026 in the UK.

Add The Westies to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Black and white cut-out portrait headshot of James Hibbs, smiling against a lime green background.

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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