‘Walker’ Casts Sharon Lawrence — Scoop on Her Sinister Character
The great guest stars continue running to Walker!
In the past few weeks, Jared Padalecki‘s Texas Ranger drama has welcomed the returns of Matt Barr (as the late Hoyt Rawlins, via flashback) and his fellow Walker: Independence costar Justin Johnson Cortez, who has been heating up Austin as Det. Luna. And now, the CW hit that had better be renewed is about to get a visit from some major TV royalty.
TV Insider has learned exclusively that SAG award-winning and Emmy-nominated actress Sharon Lawrence (from the equally Western-tinged Joe Picket) is set to debut in the May 22 episode, “Witt’s End,” as a barrel raced-turned-crime boss named Joanna. Described as “a killer in Wranglers,” the only thing that surpasses the villain’s “greedy grit and tenacity is her vendetta against those that have wronged her.” Who that may be remains a mystery, but we’re betting it’s someone with in the Walker camp—especially with that ominous episode title and the above first-look at the lady in action.
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Madison Shaffer
Lawrence, who knocked our socks off as A.D.A. Sylvia Costas Sipowicz on NYPD Blue (back when the original Walker, Texas Ranger was airing!), recently had a series regular role in the Paramount+ series Joe Pickett and previously starred opposite Kirsten Dunst in the Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida.
Additional roles include Home Before Dark, Rebel, a stint as serial killer Roberta Lynch on Criminal Minds, and, of course, her Emmy-winning turn as Izzy’s mom on Grey’s Anatomy. And for your Hallmark fans, let’s not forget her role as Phylis Mitchell in The Christmas House and its sequel!
An accomplished stage actress and 2012 Lunt-Fontane Ten Chimneys Fellow, the multi-hyphenate has myriad theater credits and is also the Second Vice President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. So clearly, the woman knows how to get the job done…which is bad news for the folks in Joanna’s sights.
Walker, Wednesdays, 8/7c, The CW