The Strain

Carlton Cuse has mastered the art of primetime storytelling. As one of television’s most successful scribes, this year he has written, executive-produced, and acted as showrunner on four drama series: The Strain (FX), Bates Motel (A&amp;E), Colony (USA) and the upcoming Jack Ryan (Amazon).Cuse started his career in feature films. His first television gig was as a writer on the Michael Mann series Crime Story, and then he became Co-Creator and Executive Producer of the critically-acclaimed FOX series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.In 2004, Cuse teamed with prolific Writer/Producer Damon Lindelof as Showrunner, Executive Producer, and Writer for all six seasons of Lost on ABC. While overseeing Lost, Cuse pioneered using content on multiple platforms, or transmedia content, to extend and deepen the story. Over the years, Cuse has received 10 Emmy® Nominations for his work, snagging wins for Best Drama Series and Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Media. Among his other honors, Cuse has won a Peabody, a Golden Globe®, a Producers Guild Award, three AFI Awards, The Jules Verne Award, four Saturn Awards, the Saturn Legacy Award, a Writers Guild Award and the Variety Creative Leadership Award. In 2010, Cuse was named to Time Magazine’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

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As one of television’s most successful scribes, this year he has written, executive-produced, and acted as showrunner on four drama series.

Carlton Cuse Headshot wearing glasses with a black and white filter

Carlton Cuse | Showrunner for The Strain

As one of television’s most successful scribes, this year he has written, executive-produced, and acted as showrunner on four drama series: The Strain (FX), Bates Motel (A&E), Colony (USA) and the upcoming Jack Ryan (Amazon).

Carlton Cuse | Showrunner of The Strain | FX

About

Cast and Crew

Corey Stoll stars as “Dr. Ephraim ‘Eph’ Goodweather.” As former head of the Center for Disease Control – Canary Team, Eph led the investigation of the mysterious viral epidemic taking over New York City.After his own son triggered the nuke that brought about the apocalypse, Eph can't help but blame himself. Haunted by guilt and shame, Eph leaves both New York City and the fight behind for Philadelphia where he trades his medical skills for supplies and sustenance. But it's there that he meets Alex, a fiery resistance fighter who challenges his passive position.When his exploits with Alex lead to a terrible discovery about the Master's end game, Eph is drawn back to New York, back to the fight, and back to his son.

Corey Stoll Headshot wearing a black shirt

David Bradley stars as “Abraham Setrakian,” a Holocaust survivor with an iron will and a hair-trigger temper who has been hunting the Master for decades.Devastated by the Master's escape, Setrakian is bolstered by his belief that the "Face of God" is a nuclear weapon – his answer to the Occido Lumen's prediction. But time is of the essence, and after the pawnbroker is caught in his off-the-grid hideout, he's faced with a critical choice: hold onto the prophecy or abandon all hope.

David Bradley Headshot wearing a hat and black jacket

Jonathan Hyde stars as “Eldritch Palmer / The Master.” After narrowly escaping a watery grave, the Master succeeded in spreading his strain and conquering the globe. Now, with Eldritch Palmer as his host and loyal Eichhorst by his side, the Master is focused on ensuring his infinite reign – a task that involves grooming Eph's son, Zack, for a mysterious purpose.But while the Master's dominance seems absolute, one major threat still looms: Setrakian, Quinlan, Eph and the others are still out there somewhere, and the Master will stop at nothing to bring them to their knees.

Jonathan Hyde Headshot with veins in his head and scars on his face

Kevin Durand stars as “Vasiliy Fet,” a muscular and charismatic Ukrainian exterminator.Fet finds himself trudging through the wilderness of North Dakota, tasked with finding a nuclear bomb to kill the Master. With Quinlan serving as both his half-human teammate and thorn in his side, Fet enlists the help of a tough but beautiful pioneer woman, Charlotte, who can show this city boy a thing or two about survival.

Kevin Durand Headshot wearing a beanie and black coat

Ruta Gedmintas stars as “Dutch Velders.” Dutch sees first-hand the horrors of the new world when she's swept up in a Partnership raid and imprisoned. Her preferable blood type offers her a chance to survive in captivity, but only if she's willing to participate in the Partnership's sinister reproductive program.

Ruta Gedmintas Headshot wearing dark eye makeup and long wavy hair

Miguel Gomez stars as “Augustin ‘Gus’ Elizalde,” a former gangbanger and ex-con.Having lost everyone close to him, Gus abandons the crusade against the Master and partners with an unlikely ally, Alonso Creem. Together they run an underground market, dealing contraband goods to New York's off-the-grid populace. Gus recruits a family member for a big score and as tensions rise, above-ground and below, he is once again faced with losing everything.

Miguel Gomez Headshot wearing a vest and turning his head to the side 

Richard Sammel stars as “Thomas Eichhorst,” the Master’s chief lieutenant.Now one-handed, Eichhorst is more cunning and dangerous than ever as he diligently carries out the final phases of the Master's plan for humanity. Additionally, his sights remain set on hunting down his old nemesis, Abraham Setrakian.

Richard Sammel Headshot wearing a black jacket with white collar and staring above 

Max Charles stars as “Zack Goodweather.”After triggering the nuke that began a global chain reaction, Zack is comfortable but lonely under the Master's watchful eye. He finds a desperately-needed friend in Abby, an orphan hired to be his servant. But as Zack takes a liking to her, it becomes apparent that even his budding feelings are under the Master's control.As the Master continues to cultivate the boy's loyalty, Zack is put to the ultimate test when he finally comes face-to-face with his father.

Max Charles Headshot wearing a black shirt and long black hair

Rupert Penry-Jones stars as “Quinlan,” who is neither human nor strigoi.With an unwavering focus on killing the Master, Quinlan is driven by his sense of destiny as he and Fet scour the countryside for the ultimate weapon: a nuke. Through explorations of Quinlan's past, his complex human half will come more into focus. And in his journey with Fet, he will be forced to learn the hardest lesson of all: perhaps he cannot do this alone.

Rupert Penry-Jones Headshot with scars on his face and a thick line striped down his head

Guillermo del Toro Headshot wearing glasses with a black and white filter

Chuck Hogan Headshot with black and white filter

J. Miles Dale Headshot wearing glasses with a black and white filter

Gary Ungar Headshot wearing a collard shirt with a black and white filter

Bradley Thompson Headshot smiling and wearing sunglasses with a black and white filter

David Weddle Headshot wearing sunglasses and smiling with a black and white filter

Regina Corrado Headshot looking to the side with a black and white filter