Liza Lapira Joins Queen Latifah In ‘The Equalizer’ Reboot Pilot On CBS

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Liza Lapira (9JKL, Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life) is set as a lead in CBS drama pilot The Equalizer, a re-imagining of the classic 1980s series, with Queen Latifah starring and executive producing. The project hails from Take Two creators Andrew Marlowe & Terri Miller, Davis Entertainment, Flavor Unit, Martin Chase Productions, Universal Television and CBS TV Studios.

Written by Marlowe and Miller, who will serve as showrunners, The Equalizer stars Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic figure who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn. This is a new take on the character played by Edward Woodward on the original 1985-89 CBS series and by Denzel Washington in the movie franchise.

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Lapira will play Melody Chu. An edgy bar owner with a wry sense of humor and sunny disposition, Melody is a former colleague of Robyn’s (Queen Latifah) with whom she’s still great friends, and a highly decorated Air Force sniper in a previous life.

2020 CBS Pilots & Series Orders

Marlowe, creator of ABC’s long-running hit Castle, and Miller executive produce alongside John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment; Debra Martin Chase of Martin Chase Productions; Richard Lindheim, co-creator of the original Equalizer TV series; as well as Queen Latifah (real name Dana Owens) and Shakim Compere of Flavor Unit. Universal TV produces in association with CBS TV Studios.

Lapira had starring roles in CBS series 9JKL and Fox’s Cooper Barrett’s Guide to Surviving Life. She can be seen in the Netflix limited drama series Unbelievable, opposite Toni Collette and Merritt Wever, and she next will be seen in the independent feature The Fabulous Filipino Brothers. Lapira is repped by Paradigm and attorney Gregg Gellman.

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