Morgan City native starring in TV mystery

Actor Kevin Rankin, originally from Morgan City, will portray a clergyman in Fox’s 10-Part murder mystery, “Gracepoint,” premiering Thursday.
Rankin, 38, is the son of Tom and Pam Rankin, of Morgan City.
In “Gracepoint,” Rankin portrays Paul Coates, the trusted clergyman who acts as a go-between for the residents and police after a young boy is killed, Pam Rankin said.
According to FOX’s website, “when a young boy is found dead on an idyllic beach, a major police investigation gets underway in the small northern California seaside town where the tragedy occurred. Soon deemed a homicide, the case turns neighbor against neighbor and sparks a media frenzy, which throws the boy’s family into further turmoil and upends the lives of the town’s residents.”
Although the story takes part in northern California, filming was in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, from the end of January through the end of May, Pam Rankin said.
Rankin stars in “Gracepoint” with David Tennant, Anna Gunn, Nick Nolte, Josh Hamilton and more in the story that is based on “Broadchurch,” the U.K.’s critically acclaimed hit crime drama.
Rankin’s filmography includes work as Kenny in “Breaking Bad,” Carl Kellick in “White House Down,” T.J. in “Dallas Buyer’s Club,” Tyler Briggs in NBC’s “Trauma,” McVeigh in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” and Herc in NBC’s “Friday Night Lights.”
“Gracepoint” premieres at 8 p.m. Central Standard Time on Fox.