'Arrow' Adds 'NYPD Blue' Vet as Leader of the Royal Flush Gang

Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Currie Graham

There's a new gang leader in town on the CW.

our editor recommends

How Does The CW's 'Arrow' Compare to the DC Series? A Comic Book Expert Weighs In

'Arrow' Enlists 'Battlestar Galactica's' Tahmoh Penikett

'Arrow' Adds 'Torchwood' Star John Barrowman

TCA 2012: 'Arrow' Cast, Creators on Changes to the Mythos and 7 More Things to Know About the CW Drama

The network's freshman drama Arrow has enlisted NYPD Blue alum Currie Graham to lead the Royal Flush Gang made famous in the DC Comics series on which the Stephen Amell starrer is based, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

STORY: How Does the CW's 'Arrow' Compare to the DC Series? A Comic Book Expert Weighs In

The Royal Flush Gang is a crime syndicate comprised of villains who fashion themselves after playing cards. Graham will play King -- aka Derek Reston -- on the CW series that revolves around billionaire playboy-turned-hero Oliver Queen after returning home from being stranded on a mysterious island for five years.

In the DC series, Ace was Derek's alter ego, though in the CW incarnation, the character will go by the name of Kyle Reston and be portrayed by Kyle Schmid (Being Human). Graham, whose credits also include episodes of House of Lies, Fringe and Grimm, will appear in episode six.

PHOTOS: Comic-Con 2012: 6 All-Stars Talk Knife-Wielding Fans, Mortifying Auditions and How Their Shows Should End at THR's Roundtable

"The Royal Flush Gang was the most outlandish villains from the comics, but they turned out to be our most grounded villains," executive producer Andrew Kreisberg told reporters Monday. "The relationship that Oliver has with King, the leader of the gang, we're really proud of it."

Arrow premieres Wednesday at 8 p.m. on the CW.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit