Freeform has cast four of its young Party of Five stars.
The Disney-owned cable network has cast Brandon Larracuente, Emily Tosta, Niko Guardado and Elle Paris Legaspi to play four of the five leads in its deportation-themed reboot of the former Fox series from creators Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman.
The potential series, currently in the pilot stage, is described as a modern twist on the original that follows the five Buendias children as they struggle to survive together as a family after their parents are deported to Mexico. The quartet take on the roles originally played by Matthew Fox, Neve Campbell, Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert.
Larracuente (13 Reasons Why) will play Emilio, an aspiring musician and the oldest son of Gloria and Javier Buendia. Emilio is the reason his parents crossed the Mexican border into the U.S. nearly 25 years ago in hopes of a better life. Although the oldest, he’s the least responsible of the siblings, and had been enjoying living away from home and the freedom that came with it until his parents’ status was threatened.
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Tosta (Mayans MC) will play Lucia, a straight-A student with lofty college ambitions until her parents run into trouble with immigration. Their circumstances force her to re-evaluate her disposition to play by the rules. She quickly becomes resistant to authority, politically radicalized and rebellious to her presumed duties as the oldest sister.
Guardado (The Goldbergs) takes on the role of Beto, the second oldest brother of the family who steps up in the midst of turmoil. While struggling with sports, girls and school, he soon discovers that being the head of his family comes easily to him and gives him the self-respect and sense of purpose he has never had before.
Newcomer Legaspi rounds out the cast as 10-year-old Valentina, the precocious and resourceful youngest sister. Forced to face adolescence without her mother, she’s desperately afraid of what the future holds, and her vulnerability will require her older siblings to step up and offer the structure and support that they may not be wholly equipped to provide.
The fifth sibling, like the original series, will be an infant. The roles of the parents have not yet been cast.
Original series creators Keyser and Lippman co-wrote the pilot script alongside Michal Zebede (Castle) for Freeform and will executive produce alongside director Rodrigo Garcia. The new Party of Five hails from Sony Pictures Television, which also produced the original.
Larracuente is repped by A Management, Abrams Artists and Stone Genow; Tosta is with Hyperion and Vision L.A.; Guardado is repped by Luber Roklin Entertainment and Buchwald; and Legaspi is with Abrams Artists.
