Titus Welliveris hanging up his LAPD badge — and picking up something a little more bloodstained. TheBoschandBosch: Legacystar is heading back into crime drama territory withThe Westies, a gritty new period series for MGM+ set in 1980s Hell’s Kitchen. Created byNarcosmastermindChris BrancatoandMichael Panes, the eight-episode drama hasjust commenced productionin Toronto and will see Welliver go toe-to-toe with Oscar-winnerJ.K. Simmonsin a clash of cops, criminals, and compromised morals. Collider spoke with Welliver ahead of filming — while he was promoting his latest project,Abraham’s Boys— where he shared exclusive details about the role — and why this character couldn’t be more different from Harry Bosch.
“Yeah, it takes place around 1981. JK plays the leader of the Irish gang in Hell’s Kitchen in New York, The Westies, and I’m from the same neighborhood. We came up together, but I’m a police officer,” Welliver revealed. “He’s no Harry Bosch, but believe me, this guy is a Vietnam War veteran.He’s a beat cop. He still walks the streets, but he’s corrupt. His moral compass has been completely compromised.”
That moral messiness is a big part of what drew him in. While Bosch was defined by his stoic integrity and dedication to justice — “everybody counts or nobody counts” — Glenn Keenan, Welliver’s new character, walks a shakier line.
“Somebody said to me, ‘Do you really want to do a cop?’ Well, if I could let you read the script, you would realize why. This is a very, very complex and deeply nuanced character, in the same way that Bosch was. But this is a very, very dark world."
When Is ‘The Westies’ Set?
The Westiesunfolds in the shadow of the construction of the Jacob Javits Center, during a time when real estate deals were tangled with mob money and violence was part of the political infrastructure. The titular gang, while small in number, managed to hold their own through sheer brutality — and Welliver’s Keenan is caught between his duty as a cop and his ties to the neighborhood, the crew, and a son slipping deeper into criminal life.
“They were building the convention center, the Javits Center, which meant that there were all sorts of union things, and there was a lot of money to be made — illegal millions to be made — and the Gambino crime family, at that time led byPaul Costolanoand eventuallyJohn Gotti.So it’s in that kind of tumultuous time,” Welliver told us. “And the fragility of the relationship between the Irish and the Italian mob. The Irish mob is outnumbered 100 to 1, but they were tough, and they were ruthless.”
For Welliver, the project reunites him with longtime friendsChris BrancatoandMichael Panesand fulfills a dream of working opposite Simmons.
“I’m thrilled at the prospect of working with JK, who I’ve been a massive fan of for obvious reasons — he’s an incredible actor. Chris Broncato and Michael Paynes are longtime friends of mine. We’ve been wanting to work together, so I think it’s going to be really good. The scripts are phenomenal.”
With production just about to begin and Prime Video’sBallardspin-off — in which Welliver will still appear as Harry Bosch — right around the corner, it’s a full-circle moment for the actor, who’s ready to show fans a very different side of law enforcement.
“It’s definitely right up your straza. It’s very, very well written, and has really interesting characters. Even if you’re… It doesn’t matter if you’re from New York or were in New York at that time period. It was a very kind of chaotic and crazy time in New York anyway, and so we’ll get to capture that. So it’ll be a lot of fun, but I’m really excited to get to it, to get it done so we can get it out there so you’re able to see it.”
Titus Welliver stars inAbraham’s Boys, opening in theaters and on digital from July 11. Stay tuned to Collider for more coverage of the film.
