Mea Culpa Cast & Character Guide: Who Stars Alongside Kelly Rowland In Tyler Perry’s Netflix Movie

Tyler Perry‘s upcoming legal thriller, Mea Culpa, sees Kelly Rowland star as a criminal defense attorney named Mea Harper as she finds herself developing feelings for one of her high-profile clients who might be guilty of committing murder. Although Perry is primarily known for his Madea franchise, the filmmaker has deviated from his usual work as seen with Daddy’s Little Girls and Acrimony, among others. Starring alongside Rowland is co-star Trevante Rhodes as Zyair Malloy, whose work in various other dramas makes him the perfect choice for the movie’s artist who is facing murder charges.

While Perry’s Madea movies are notable for their distinct brand of humor, Mea Culpa looks to diversify Perry’s body of work even more, as the trailer for the legal thriller is entirely devoid of the filmmaker’s typical flair. While Mea Culpa is rife with plenty of drama and suspense one would come to expect from the genre, it also features intense romance scenes revolving around Mea and Zyair that contribute significantly to the movie’s themes of sex, lies, and deceit. From the leads to the supporting players, Mea Culpa boasts a solid cast of characters.

Kelly Rowland as Mea Harper

Actress: Kelly Rowland stars as Mea Harper in the legal thriller, Mea Culpa. Born on February 11, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, Rowland got her start in the entertainment industry as one of the original members of the R & B sensation, Destiny’s Child, and would develop her career in entertainment as early as 1995 at 14 years old. After enjoying early success as a member of Destiny’s Child, Rowland would make her feature-length debut as Kia Waterson in 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Aside from Rowland’s breakout role in the early 2000s horror movie, Rowland would also appear alongside Kevin Hart in Think Like a Man, before securing roles in horror movies like Bad Hair and The Curse of Bridge Hollow. In addition to her work in film, Rowland has also appeared as a judge on talent-based TV shows, such as The X Factor UK and The X Factor US, before creating her own series, Chasing Destiny in 2016.

Character: Mea is a hard-working and determined defense attorney whose integrity and impeccable work ethic have contributed to her reputation among other legal professionals as one of the best. However, as she devotes more of her time to the case and gets to know Zyair on a more personal level, the line between professional and personal begins to blur. Nevertheless, Mea still remains one of Perry’s more interesting characters as her internal and external conflicts make for compelling drama and suspense.

Trevante Rhodes as Zyair Malloy

Actor: Trevante Rhodes stars alongside Kelly Rowland as a popular artist named Zyair Malloy. Born in Ponchatoula, Louisiana on February 10, 1990, Rhodes’ early career aspirations centered around athletics as he played running back in high school and was a track and field sprinter specializing in the 100 and 200 meter dashes. However, an ACL tear would force Rhodes to shift his pursuits elsewhere, which contributed to him jumping into the arts.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Although Rhodes’ feature-length debut was as Brian in the 2014 thriller, Open Windows, he would soon become an established name after his breakout performance as Chiron in Barry Jenkins’s 2016 urban coming-of-age drama, Moonlight. 2018 would be a particularly busy year for the actor as it would see him star alongside Chris Hemsworth in 12 Strong, Boyd Holbrook in The Predator, and Sandra Bullock in Bird Box. With roles ranging from comedic to dramatic, Mea Culpa looks to be his most ambitious role yet.

Character: Rhodes plays the popular artist, Zyair Malloy, in Perry’s Mea Culpa – and despite his success in the industry, finds himself being accused of murdering his girlfriend. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the movie’s trailer, Zyair’s perpetually glaring face and smooth, snake-oil delivery of his lines suggest he might know more than he’s letting on. While the actor’s charisma typically works to his characters’ benefits, it has the exact opposite effect in Mea Culpa, which makes the character decidedly one of Rhodes’s most interesting.

RonReaco Lee as Jimmy

Actor: RonReaco Lee stars in Mea Culpa as Jimmy. Born on August 27, 1977 in Decatur, Illinois, Lee began his career in entertainment in 1983 as the host of the short-lived TV show, Kid’s Beat. Lee supported himself through the early days of his career with minor roles in various TV shows and movies, but his role as Mute Drummer Boy in 1989’s Glory led to him receiving offers to make more prominent appearances in various projects.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Lee would maintain the momentum from Glory by appearing in the TV version of In the Heat of the Night, Sister, Sister, Home Improvement, and Moesha usually as a friend or boyfriend. Although his first collaboration with Perry was as Chuck in Madea Goes to Jail, Lee is more recognized for his TV work, as seen in ER, Girlfriend, The Shield, and Queens.

Character: Lee stars in Mea Culpa as Jimmy, a private investigator and Mea’s closest friend who he’s gone on to develop a brother-sister relationship with. Loyal and always more than willing to stand by Mea’s side, Jimmy demonstrates the value of a platonic friendship rooted in respect rather than sex – something seldom seen in Perry’s work, which makes him one of the movie’s most interesting characters. Although the two are close, Lee’s obsession with Mea’s case threatens their relationship in a way that could have fatal consequences.

Sean Sagar as Kal Hawthorne

Actor: Sean Sagar plays Kal Hawthorne in Mea Culpa, and is one of two brothers to feature in the movie. Born in England on February 20, 1990, Sagar began his acting career in 2011 in the TV series, Top Boy, as Tareek. From there, Sagar would continue to become a notable force in the entertainment industry with a string of well-received TV and movie roles.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: Starring in a minimum of two projects a year, Sagar’s most notable projects include Ill Manors, Our Girl, The Gentleman, and Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant. Among his roles, his work in Ill Manors is arguably his most well-known, as his character, Freddie, is one of the series’ most complexly written gangster characters.

Character: Sagar plays Kal Hawthorne, one of the other characters helping Mea solve her case throughout the events of the story. Despite recently losing his job, Kal’s insistence that Mea stick to her mission in finding the truth not only makes him one of the movie’s more admirable characters, but it also further highlights Sagar’s range, as many of his previous characters are men of ill-repute.

Nick Sagar as Ray Hawthorne

Actor: Born in England on January 7, 1988, Sagar is the older brother to Mea Culpa‘s Sean Sagar. Sagar would begin his career as a gangster in the 2009 TV movie, Gunrush, before going on to demonstrate his range with a string of dramas, comedies, and romance movies that helped establish him as one of England’s new rising talents.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: In addition to Mea Culpa, Sagar’s most notable works include appearances in Ill Manors alongside his younger brother, Queen of the South, Shadowhunters, and The Princess Switch alongside High School Musical alum, Vanessa Hudgens. His performance in Queen of the South is perhaps his most notable as it is one of the strongest examples of the actor’s range as a lawman, which helped him break away from gangster roles.

Character: Sagar plays Assistant District Attorney Ray Hawthorne, one of the most prominent people trying to help Mea solve the story’s case. Similar to his brother, Ray demonstrates a decidedly straightforward approach to solving problems, but his career aspirations of becoming mayor sometimes conflict with his sense of right and wrong.

Shannon Thornton as Charlise Hawthorne

Actress: Shannon Thornton was born in Hartford, Connecticut on July 24, 1987. The actress would make her entertainment debut in 2010 as Sara in an episode of Blue Bloods, before following it up with appearances in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Power, among others. In addition to acting, Thornton has also modeled for Crème of Nature and various other Black hair care products before shifting her focus back to entertainment.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: In addition to her work on Blue Bloods and Power, Thornton has also starred in Dynasty and is arguably most notable for her work as Keyshawn Harris in Starz’s P-Valley. Before co-starring in Mea Culpa, Thornton’s work in P-Valley has earned her both a Gracie Allen Award and a Women’s Image Network Award, further solidifying her as one of the industry’s best actresses working in TV.

Character:Charlise is one of Mea’s close female friends as well as Ray’s wife, and she supports Mea through everything she’s going through in Mea Culpa. Charlise is one of the best characters in the movie because her bond with Mea perfectly captures the necessary camaraderie that one would need when undergoing Mia’s amount of stress. Although sometimes prone to being curt, Charlise is ultimately the friend Mea can depend on through her more challenging moments.

Kerry O’Malley as Azalia Hawthorne

Actress: Kerry O’Malley was born in Nashua, New Hampshire on September 5, 1969, and is the younger sister of actor Mike O’Malley. O’Malley started her career in the 1993 stage play, Cyrano, before making her live-action TV debut in Law & Order as both Leslie Merrick and Millie Sheridan Bender. In 2002, O’Malley received a Drama Desk Award nomination for her work on the Broadway revival of Into the Woods.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: O’Malley’s notable projects include appearances in Real Husbands of Hollywood, Why Women Kill, the Snowpiercer TV series, and David Fincher’s The Killer.

Character: Azalia is the mother of Ray and Kal, and despite having the best intentions for her two sons, she more often than not interferes in their personal and professional lives in inappropriate ways. While the interferences usually cause problems between the three, Azalia’s love for her sons is felt throughout the story nonetheless.

Connor Weil as Bobby

Actor: Connor Weil was born on December 28, 1993 in Portland, Oregon. Weil’s career started in 2010 in the role of Derek in Lies in Plain Sight. From there, he would land supporting roles in various independent movies and TV shows before starring in season 1 on MTV’s Scream as Will Belmont.

Notable Movies & TV Shows: In addition to Weil’s work as Will Belmont in the first season of Scream, the actor’s other notable projects include appearances in the TV shows K.C. Undercover, Foursome, and NCIS: Los Angeles.

Character: Bobby is a colleague of Mea’s who, despite his cocky and brash demeanor, is a competent and hard-working defense attorney similar to Mea. What Bobby lacks in general manners and restraint, he more than makes up for in loyalty, as he’s one of the few characters who genuinely has Mea’s best interests in mind.

Mea Culpa Supporting Cast & Characters

María Gabriela Gonález as Hydie – María Gabriela González plays Hydie, the ex-girlfriend of Zyair whom the story’s central case partially revolve around. A relative newcomer, González’s other notable roles include an appearance in the TV movie, Harmony in Paradise, as Yara, and a recurring role as Isla in the TV series, Fantasy Island.

Angela Robinson as Renee – Angela Robinson stars as Renee, an elderly woman whose advice to Mea regarding her case helps her piece the truth together in Mea Culpa. A character actress, audiences might recognize Robinson from her work on the long-running TV series, The Haves and the Have Nots, Harlem of the South, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.