Godfather of Harlem

Godfather of Harlem is an American crime drama television series that premiered on September 29, 2019, on Epix. The series is written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein, and stars Forest Whitaker as 1960s New York City gangster Bumpy Johnson. Whitaker is also executive producer alongside Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, John Ridley and Markuann Smith. Chris Brancato acts as showrunner. On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season; which premiered on April 18, 2021. On January 13, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season, which premiered on January 15, 2023, on the rebranded MGM+. On November 29, 2023, the series was renewed for a fourth season.

A docu-series based on the series titled By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem and directed by Keith McQuirter premiered on November 8, 2020.

Premise
Godfather of Harlem tells the fictionalised story of infamous crime boss Bumpy Johnson, "who in the early 1960s returned from ten years in prison to find the neighborhood he once ruled in shambles. With the streets controlled by the Italian mob, Bumpy must take on the Genovese crime family to regain control. During the battle, he forms an alliance with Muslim minister Malcolm X – catching Malcolm's political rise in the crosshairs of social upheaval and a mob war that threatens to tear the city apart."

Main

 * Forest Whitaker as Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Johnson, a Harlem-based mob boss and the titular "Godfather of Harlem"
 * Nigél Thatch (seasons 1–2) and Jason Alan Carvell (season 3) as Malcolm X, a Muslim minister in the Nation of Islam and civil rights activist
 * Ilfenesh Hadera as Mayme Thatcher Johnson, Bumpy's wife
 * Lucy Fry as Stella Gigante, Vincent's rebellious daughter
 * Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Teddy Greene (season 1), an aspiring musician and Stella's boyfriend
 * Rafi Gavron as Ernie Nunzi (seasons 1–2), a violent associate of Vincent's and part of the Genovese crime family
 * Antoinette Crowe-Legacy as Elise Johnson, Bumpy's heroin-addicted daughter-turned Muslim
 * Giancarlo Esposito as Adam Clayton Powell Jr. (season 1; recurring season 2–present), a politician who represents Harlem in Congress
 * Vincent D'Onofrio as Vincent "The Chin" Gigante (seasons 1–2; guest season 3), the mob boss of the Genovese crime family and Bumpy's main rival
 * Erik LaRay Harvey as Del Chance (season 2–present; recurring season 1), one of Bumpy's most trusted enforcers
 * Demi Singleton as Margaret Johnson (season 2; recurring season 1; guest season 3), Bumpy's granddaughter

Recurring
• Paul Sorvino as Frank Costello (seasons 1–2)

• Luis Guzmán as Alejandro "El Guapo" Villabuena (season 1)

• Elvis Nolasco as Nat Pettigrew

• Roslyn Ruff as Delia Greene (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)

• Rony Clanton as Cecil Bradley (seasons 1–2)

• Markuann Smith as Junie Byrd

• Dominic Fumusa as Father Louis Gigante

• Tramell Tillman as Bobby Robinson (season 1)

• Afi Bijou as Sister Marny (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)

• Korey Jackson as Livingston Wingate

• Chazz Palminteri as Joseph Bonanno (seasons 1–2)

• Kevin Corrigan as Venero Frank "Bennie Eggs" Mangano (season 1; guest season 2)

• Joanne Kelly as Amy Vanderbilt (season 1; guest season 2)

• Patricia R. Floyd as Esther James (season 1; guest season 2)

• Clifton Davis as Honorable Elijah Muhammad (seasons 1–2)

• Kathrine Narducci as Olympia Gigante

• Peter Francis James as Archie Gaines (seasons 2–3; guest season 1)

• Leopold Manswell as Captain Henry (season 2; guest season 1)

• Method Man as Sam Christian (season 2)

• Ronald Guttman as Jean Jehan (season 2)

• Isaach de Bankolé as Jean Cesar / Monsieur 98 (season 2; guest season 3)

• Grace Porter as Betty Shabazz (season 2–present)

• Gino Cafarelli as Fat Gino (season 2)

• Justin Bartha as Robert Morgenthau (season 2; guest season 3)

• Maurice Jones as Captain Omar (season 2–present)

• Bo Dietl as Tommy Lucchese (season 3; guest seasons 1–2)

• Richard Topol as Jonah Fineman (season 3; guest season 2)

• Louis Vanaria as Lombardi (season 3; guest season 2)

• Michael Raymond-James as Joseph Colombo (season 3)

• Arthur J. Nascarella as Carlo Gambino (season 3)

• Richard D'Alessandro as Gaspar DiGregorio (season 3)

• Yul Vazquez as José Battle (season 3)

• Hudson Oz as Jonathan Pike (season 3)

• Joel Marsh Garland as William "Wild Bill" Harvey (season 3)

Guest
• Jazmine Sullivan as Mary Wells (season 1)

• Nick Chinlund as Gary D'Alessandro (seasons 1, 3)

• Geoffrey Blake as Kenneth O'Donnell (season 1)

• Deric Augustine as Cassius Marcellus Clay / Muhammad Ali (seasons 1–2)

• Kim Brockington as Lillian Gaines (seasons 1, 3)

• Sean Allan Krill as Lester Wolff (season 1)

• Steve Vinovich as Senator John McClellan (seasons 1–2)

• Richard Petrocelli as Joseph Valachi (season 1)

• Brian Hutchison as George Lincoln Rockwell (season 1)

• Samm Henshaw as Sam Cooke (season 1)

• Ivo Nandi as The Zip (season 1)

• Annabella Sciorra as Fay Bonanno (season 2)

• James Madio as Angelo Dundee (season 2)

• Michael Rispoli as Joseph Magliocco (season 2)

• Marc C. Donovan as Mike Wallace (season 2)

• Ralph Brown as President Lyndon B. Johnson (seasons 2–3)

• Whoopi Goldberg as Miss Willa (seasons 2–3)

• A$AP Ferg as Reggie (season 2)

• Frank Wood as Dr. Omar Azzam (season 3)

• Arturo Del Puerto as Che Guevara (season 3)

• Derrick Williams as Captain Reggie Fields (season 3)

• Bowman Wright as Alex Haley (season 3)

• J.D. Mollison as Andrew Young (season 3)

Development
On April 25, 2018, it was announced that Epix had given the production a series order for a first season consisting of ten episodes set to premiere in 2019. The series will be written by Chris Brancato and Paul Eckstein who will also executive produce alongside Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, James Acheson, and Markuann Smith. Brancato will also act as showrunner. Production companies involved with the series include ABC Signature Studios and Significant Productions.

On June 19, 2018, it was reported that John Ridley would direct the first episode of the series.

On February 12, 2020, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on April 18, 2021.

On January 13, 2022, the series was renewed for a third season which premiered on January 15, 2023.

Casting
Alongside the initial series announcement, it was confirmed that Forest Whitaker would star in the series as Bumpy Johnson. In September 2018, it was announced that Vincent D'Onofrio, Ilfenesh Hadera, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, Nigél Thatch, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucy Fry and Paul Sorvino had been cast in starring roles. In October 2018, it was reported that Giancarlo Esposito and Rafi Gavron had joined the cast in a series regular capacity. On January 8, 2019, it was announced that Kathrine Narducci had been cast in a recurring role.

For the second season in 2021, Justin Bartha, Annabella Sciorra, Ronald Guttman, Isaach de Bankolé, Method Man, Michael Rispoli and Grace Porter were added to the cast. In May 2021, it was announced that actress Whoopi Goldberg will appear in a guest role. On July 25, Paul Sorvino died shortly before the third season's filming began.

Filming
Principal photography for the series reportedly began in September 2018 in New York City.

Reception
For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating with an average rating of 7.50/10, based on 25 reviews. The website's critical consensus reads: "As sharply dressed as it is smartly written, Godfather of Harlem walks familiar blocks to its own beat and makes a strong first impression." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the season a score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Cheryl Kahla of The South African said: "The Godfather of Harlem is an excellent example of what modern television is capable of today. Whitaker's character Bumpy is a drug kingpin but also just a man trying to make sense of the world and connect with his family".