EXCLUSIVE: Steve Howey (Shameless) has joined ABC’s hit new crime drama High Potential as a new series regular for the upcoming second season. Additionally, series star Kaitlin Olson has been upped from producer to executive producer.
One of the biggest breakouts of the 2024-25 season, High Potential stars Olson as Morgan, a single mom with an exceptional mind, whose unconventional knack for solving crimes leads to an unusual and unstoppable partnership with a by-the-book seasoned detective (Daniel Sunjata) at a local precinct of the LAPD.
Howey will play the precinct’s new captain Jesse Wagner, a savvy political animal who knows how to wear an expensive suit and oozes effortless charm. Besides a guy who can launch a million fundraisers with his smile, he has disruptor tenacity and likes thinking outside the box just like their all-star consultant Morgan (Olson). He has a way of putting himself right in the middle of the action… whether he’s wanted there or not.
In addition to Olson and Sunjata, Howey joins returning series regulars Javicia Leslie as Daphne, Deniz Akdeniz as Lev “Oz” Ozdil, Judy Reyes as Selena as Amirah J and Matthew Lamb as Morgan’s children Ava and Elliot, respectively.
Created by Drew Goddard based on the French series HPI, High Potential was the No.1 broadcast series of the 2024-25 season in multi-platform adults 18-49 ratings and was tied for No.2 in multi-platform viewers. Todd Harthan is the showrunner, executive producing alongside Goddard and Sarah Esberg of Goddard Textiles, Olson and writer Marc Halsey who has been promoted from co-executive producer.
High Potential returns this fall, continuing to air on Tuesdays at 10pm on ABC, next day on Hulu. It is a light procedural, and Howey shares comedic background with other cast members, most notably It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Olson and Scrubs alumna Reyes.
He is probably best known for his role as Kevin Ball on the long-running Showtime comedy-drama series Shameless. Howey also was a series regular on the hit WB comedy Reba and, most recently, led the CBS action series True Lies, executive produced by James Cameron and McG. He is repped by Independent Artist Group.
