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Lincoln Lawyer Show Cast, Character & Book Changes Guide

Warning: Contains spoilers for The Lincoln Lawyer season 1.

Netflix’s adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer takes a new look at a cast of characters that have already appeared in book and movie form. The show is based primarily on The Brass Verdict, the 2007 novel by Michael Connelly and the second book in his The Lincoln Lawyer novel series that started in 2005. In 2011, The Lincoln Lawyer book 1 (of the same name) was adapted into a movie (also of the same name) starring Matthew McConaughey. While Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer is adapting a different book, many of the same characters appear, but now with new actors and storylines.

Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer show follows criminal defense attorney Michael “Mickey” Haller Jr. as he gets back on his feet after a surfing accident and suffering from an addiction to painkillers. When an old attorney acquaintance, Jerry Vincent, is murdered and leaves him his practice, Haller finds himself thrown back into the legal system with full force. With the help of his two ex-wives, Mickey is faced with juggling multiple new cases, including the high-profile murder trial of Trevor Elliot, a wealthy video-game designer.

While The Lincoln Lawyer might be told from the eyes of a defense attorney, the Netflix series is still essentially a mystery at its core. The large cast includes a wealth of mainstay characters who make up Mickey Haller’s team, his friends and family, and of course his client and opposing members of law enforcement and the legal system. There are also an extensive list of characters who make brief appearances as parts of side plots. Here’s a list of all the major players and the main recurring roles and cameos from The Lincoln Lawyer season 1 cast of characters, and how they relate to their book characters.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Mickey Haller

In Netflix’s adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer, Michael “Mickey” Haller Jr. is played by Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, taking the role that was played by Matthew McConaughey in the 2011 The Lincoln Lawyer. Mickey operates out of his Lincoln town car because he works cases all over LA County which sees him rely on his driver to help him get to different courthouses while he reviews case files in the back seat. The adaptation of Mickey in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer is fairly true to the book but leans into his Latino heritage more than the original story which tended to remain preoccupied with his American-Irish roots. Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is known for his roles as Vasquez in the 2016 movie The Magnificent Seven and Biniamino Marquez in Murder on the Orient Express in 2017.

Neve Campbell as Maggie McPherson

Neve Campbell plays Maggie McPherson in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, a role played by Marisa Tomei in the 2011 movie. As a prosecutor, Maggie earned a reputation for being ruthless and got the nickname Maggie McFierce, though in the Netflix adaptation Mickey is more likely to call her Mags. Maggie is also Mickey’s first ex-wife and the pair have a daughter together. Neve Campbell is best known for her role as Sidney Prescott in the Scream franchise.

Becki Newton as Lorna Taylor

Played by Pell James in the McConaughey-led movie, Lorna Taylor is plated by Becki Newton in the Netflix The Lincoln Lawyer TV series. Mickey’s trusted second ex-wife who he married on the rebound from Maggie before eventually parting amicably, Lorna manages his cases and phone calls while he is on the road and in court. A relatively faithful adaptation of the character, Netflix adapting The Brass Verdict gave Lorna Taylor more opportunity to appear on screen as in book 1 she is primarily only a voice on a phone line. Becki Newton is known for her roles as Annie Matopoulos in Love Bites, Jackie in Divorce, and Quinn in How I Met Your Mother.

Angus Sampson as Dennis “Cisco” Wojciechowski

Dennis “Cisco” Wojciechowski is played by Angus Sampson in The Lincoln Lawyer TV series and the character did not appear in the first book or the 2011 movie. Cisco is an ex-member of the Road Saints and has leveraged his clean criminal record into a private investigator license and is hired by Mickey to help him on his cases. Cisco is also in a relationship with Lorna Taylor. Angus Sampson is known for his roles as The Organic Mechanic in the 2015 Mad Max: Fury Road and as Bear Gerhardt in Fargo.

Christopher Gorham as Trevor Elliot

Christopher Gorham plays Trevor Elliot in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer season 1. Trevor Elliot is Mickey’s main client for the season, suspected of having murdered his wife and their lover. The character is an adaptation of Walter Elliot from The Brass Verdict and while the character in the book is a movie mogul, in the Netflix series he runs a video game company. Christopher Gorham is known for his roles as Bob Barnard in the series Insatiable and as Bobby in 2 Broke Girls.

Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Detective Raymond Griggs

Detective Raymond Griggs is a member of the LAPD and is played by Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer series. Griggs is investigating the murder of Jerry Vincent and insists that Mickey has more information than he is revealing. Detective Griggs is not a direct pull from the book, but largely replaces the character of Hieronymus “Harry” Bosch, the lead character of Michael Connelly’s earlier novel series who appears in The Brass Verdict as a cross over. The Bosch series are run by Amazon, and it seems the rights to the TV representation of the character are owned by them as well, so he could not appear in the Netflix series. Bosch’s role is also filled in in some ways by Cisco. Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine is known for his role as Ronnie Davis in The Chi and will appear as Gaius in the upcoming miniseries Washington Black.

Jazz Raycole as Izzy Letts

Jazz Raycole plays the part of Izzy Letts, a new character devised for Netflix’s adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer. Izzy Lett’s is a defendant whose case Mickey gets dismissed and she pays his fee by acting as his driver. As a fellow recovering addict, the two also help each other to keep from relapsing. Izzy takes the place of Patrick Henson in The Brass Verdict, replacing the pro-surfer with a queer woman of color that helps The Lincoln Lawyer to dive deeper into some of the themes of the story and provide additional representation. Jazz Raycole has previously appeared as Sydney Fletcher in The Quad.

Michael Graziadei as Jeff Golantz

The prosecutor in the Trevor Elliot case in The Lincoln Lawyer, Jeff Golantz, is played by Michael Graziadei. While Golantz is running the case against Trevor Elliot, he is not set up as an antagonist so much as someone doing his part in the justice system that Mickey Haller needs to outplay. Michael Graziadei has had roles in The Magicians as Raylan Cortez, True Detective as Dan O’Brien, and the Watchmen miniseries as Carmichael.

Jamie McShane as Detective Lee Lankford

Detective Lee Lankford is played by Jamie McShane in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer. Pulled from the books, Lankford has a recurring role, first as a detective who is opposed to lawyers and biased against Haller, then as an investigator, and then in a more villainous role. These roles are brought together in Netflix’s adaptation to create a nuanced portrayal of a corrupt and unethical member of law enforcement. In the 2011 The Lincoln Lawyer movie, Lankford was portrayed by Bryan Cranston. Jamie McShane is known for his role as Cameron Hayes in Sons of Anarchy and as Eric O’Bannon in Netflix’s Bloodline.

Krista Warner as Hayley Haller

Krista Warner plays Hayley Haller in Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, a role that was portrayed by Mackenzie Aladjem in the 2011 movie. The daughter of Mickey and Maggie McPherson, Hayley lives with her mother while Mickey works to regain joint custody after his absence. Hayley was aged up from her book appearance for Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer, which allows her to have a larger presence in the show and to act as a person for Haller to explain himself to. Krista Warner is still early in her career but is set to appear as Young Lisa in the TV series Middle of Nowhere.

The Lincoln Lawyer Recurring Cast & Cameos

Elliot Gould as Devin Jones: While only appearing in a brief cameo role, Elliot Gould plays Mickey’s father’s law partner, a character created for Netflix’s The Lincoln Lawyer series. Elliot Gould has had an extensive career including Trapper John McIntyre in MASH, Reuben Tishkoff in the Ocean’s movies, and Philip Marlowe in the adaptation of the Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye.

Alex Lewis as Eric Loomis: A small appearance as a gun shot residue expert, Alex Lewis plays Eric Loomis. Known for his comedy band Lewberger which also features Keith Habersberger of The Try Guys, Alex Lewis has had a series of roles dating back to playing Marty in Dexter.

LisaGay Hamilton as Judge Mary Holder: Judge Mary Holder, played by LisaGay Hamilton is responsible for keeping tabs on Haller when he takes over Jerry Vincent’s law practice. Hamilton has appeared as Rebecca Washington in The Practice and Captain Lorna Shiro in The Sum of All Fears.

Lamont Thompson as Judge James P. Stanton: The presiding judge in the Trevor Elliot trial, Judge James P. Stanton is played by Lamont Thompson, who is known for his roles as Mr. Mosley in Snowfall and Farmer John in Miracle Workers.

Fione Rene as Gloria Dayton: In what is likely to be a recurring role for future The Lincoln Lawyer seasons, Fione Rene plays Gloria Dayton, a sex worker that Haller needs to testify in a case. Rene played Lyla in I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Heather Mazur as Carol DuBois: Carol DuBois, an insurance agent, is played by Heather Mazur who played Sarah Cooper in Night of the Living Dead and Deputy Mayor Eileen Ashby in General Hospital.

Reggie Lee as Angelo Soto: The primary target of Maggie McPherson’s subplot, Angelo Soto is played by Reggie Lee, known for his role as Sergeant Wu in Grimm.

Jon Tenney as Mickey Haller Sr.: In The Lincoln Lawyer’s flashbacks, Jon Tenney plays Mickey Haller Sr., Mickey’s father. Tenney played Behan in Tombstone and Howard Anderson in Legion.

Chris Browning as Teddy Vogul: Teddy Vogul is the head of the Road Saints and has a hold on Mickey over having let Cisco leave the group. Chris Browning played Serling in Netflix’s Bright.

Mageina Tovah as Wren Williams: A character from the book, Mageina Tovah plays Wren Willaims in The Lincoln Lawyer, the late Jerry Vincent’s assistant. Mageina Tovah played Zelda Schiff in The Magicians.

Jonathan Avigdori as Anton Shavar: Set up as a possible alternate killer, Anton Shavar is played by Jonathan Avigdori in The Lincoln Lawyer and previously played Yuda in Snowfall and Shakir Khan in The Equalizer.

Saul Huezo as Jesus Menendez: A rarely seen but important character, Jesus Menendez is portrayed by Saul Huezo in Netflix’s TV series adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer. Huezo played Oscar in Lincoln Heights.