'Secret Circle' Alum Chris Zylka Joins NBC's 'Bloodline' (Exclusive)

Sergei Bachlakov/The CW

Chris Zylka

Chris Zylka is heading into battle for NBC.

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The Secret Circle alum has joined the cast of the network's pulp thriller Bloodline, The Hollywood Reporter has learned exclusively.

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The drama revolves around an orphaned young girl named Bird Benson (The Nine Lives of Chloe King's Skyler Samuels), who because of an accident of birth is caught in the struggle between two warring families of mercenaries and killers. Mentored by a Chinese man, Bird has to accept the quest to find and defeat her mother in mortal combat if she is ever to lead a normal life.

Zylka will play Troy, who was taken from his parents at a young age and forced to live in the agoge, the modern resurrection of an ancient Spartan military meant to prepare boys for the life of battle by teaching them pain tolerance. Unlike other Spartan men his age, Troy has feelings, and he wants to get close to Bird.

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Awake's David Graziano will pen the script and executive produce alongside Peter Berg and Sarah Aubrey. Berg will direct the pilot for the Universal Television drama. Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks and Private Practice's KaDee Strickland and Tom Everett Scott are set to star.

Repped by WME, Schiff Co. and Hirsch Wallerstein, Zylka's credits include 10 Things I Hate About You, episodes of Cougar Town and 90210, and The Amazing Spider-Man.

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