The Long Road Home - TCA Panelist Bios

THE LONG ROAD HOME

 TCA PANELIST BIOS

CAST

 

MICHAEL KELLY
“Lt. Col. Gary Volesky”
With an expansive list of film and television credits spanning more than 20 years, Michael Kelly can currently be seen in his two-time Emmy-nominated role of Doug Stamper, the House Majority Whip’s formidable and crafty aide-de-camp, in David Fincher’s Netflix original series “House of Cards.” Recently, Kelly starred in BBC’s limited series “Taboo” opposite Tom Hardy. He also starred in “The Secret in Their Eyes” opposite Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman and Chiwetel Ejiofor and in “Everest” opposite Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal and Robin Wright. A lifetime member of The Actor’s Studio, Kelly has performed in such plays as Arthur Penn’s production of “Major Crimes” and Theatre Studio’s “Miss Julie” as well as in a production of “In Search of Strindberg” staged in Stockholm.

About Lt. Col. Gary Volesky
Lt. Col. Gary Volesky is the newly arrived commander of Camp War Eagle in Sadr City, Iraq. When Volesky’s 1st Cavalry Division Platoon is ambushed, he must launch and coordinate a massive rescue operation into a maze-like city entirely controlled by an enemy that, without mercy, attacks all incoming convoys with deadly results. In the ensuing hours, Volesky’s entire mission transitions from peace to war.

KATE BOSWORTH
“Gina Denomy,” wife of Capt. Troy Denomy
Kate Bosworth has made the seamless transition from a young Hollywood starlet to one of today’s leading ladies. She played the iconic Lois Lane in “Superman Returns” (Warner Bros.) for director Bryan Singer and graced the screen in Kevin Spacey’s “Beyond the Sea,” portraying screen icon Sandra Dee. Bosworth is currently starring with Sam Riley in the television period drama “SS-GB” on BBC ONE. Recently, she appeared in season two of “The Art of More” for Sony/Crackle with Dennis Quaid, which was released in fall 2016. On the big screen, she starred in the critically acclaimed drama “Still Alice” with Kristen Stewart and Julianne Moore. Most recognized for her strong-willed performance in John Stockwell’s hugely successful “Blue Crush,” Bosworth landed that first lead role after dedicating herself to a crash course in surfing.

About Gina Denomy
Gina Denomy is the wife of Capt. Troy Denomy, leader of the rescue convoy. Gina is a first-time mom with a newborn son, and a volunteer for Fort Hood’s Family Readiness Group. As chaos and tension engulf Ft. Hood following the news of the ambush, Gina must fight to put her doubts aside and rise to the occasion.

NOEL FISHER
“Pfc. Tomas Young”
Noel Fisher has become one of the entertainment industry’s most sought-after and versatile performers, bringing to life memorable characters on the big and small screens over the past few years. Fisher’s film and television credits include starring as Michelangelo in Paramount Pictures’ summer hit “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” playing Mickey Milkovich opposite William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum in the critically acclaimed Showtime series “Shameless” and portraying Vladimir in the final chapter of the worldwide phenomenon “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2.” Audiences may best remember Fisher from his breakout performance in the critically acclaimed FX series “The Riches,” portraying Cal, the conniving and clever son of Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver’s characters.

About Pfc. Tomas Young
Pfc. Tomas Young is a heroic 24-year-old soldier who joined the Army just a few days after Sept. 11, 2001, inspired by President Bush’s words from Ground Zero. But in the course of battle, before he can ever fire his weapon, Young is struck by an enemy bullet and severely wounded.

Sarah Wayne Callies
“LeAnn Volesky,” wife of Lt. Col. Volesky
Sarah Wayne Callies has made an indelible impression on audiences worldwide by portraying complex and unique women. Most notably, she starred as Lori Grimes in AMC’s critically acclaimed series “The Walking Dead” and as Dr. Sara Trancedi in Fox’s international hit drama “Prison Break.” Callies also co-stars in USA’s drama series “Colony,” playing Katie Bowman opposite Josh Holloway. On the feature side, Callies’ credits include “This Is Your Death,” alongside Josh Duhamel and Giancarlo Esposito; “Pay the Ghost,” directed by Uli Edel and starring Nicholas Cage; “The Other Side of the Door,” written and directed by Johannes Roberts; “Into the Storm,” directed by Steven Quale; “Black November,” with Kim Basinger, Mickey Rourke, Anne Heche, Akon and Wyclef Jean; and “Whisper” with Joel Edgerton.

About LeAnn Volesky
LeAnn Volesky is the wife of War Eagle commander Lt. Col. Gary Volesky; she is also the leader of the battalion’s Family Readiness Group, the support system for wives and families during the unit’s deployment. As news of the ambush and casualties breaks, LeAnn must bear the brunt of the families’ fear and anger over lack of information due to Army regulations.

JEREMY SISTO
“Staff Sgt. Robert Miltenberger”
Jeremy Sisto currently stars in the Vince Gerardis/Antoine Fuqua series “ICE” for DirecTV, directed by Robert Munich. Sisto is probably best known for playing Billy Chenowith on Alan Ball’s “Six Feet Under” for five years, a role that Ball wrote for him. He was recently seen in ABC’s “Wicked City” opposite Erika Christensen and Ed Westwick. He also recently finished a three-year run on “Law & Order” as Detective Cyrus Lupo. Sisto was the lead in the short-lived but critically acclaimed show “Kidnapped,” from Jason Smilovic. Sisto played the title role in the two miniseries “Jesus” and “Julius Caesar” and recently finished his starring run in the single-camera ABC comedy “Suburgatory.” He was very recently on screen, starring in A&E’s new drama “The Returned,” created by Carlton Cuse and based on the hit French series “Les Revenants.”

About Staff Sgt. Robert Miltenberger
Staff Sgt. Robert Miltenberger is a career soldier on the cusp of retirement who has been stop-lossed for this deployment. Shortly before deployment, he has a strong premonition that he will die in Iraq; he is so certain, in fact, that he has already said goodbye to his wife and two children. When the call arrives to launch a rescue to save the ambushed platoon, Miltenberger heads in with a fatalistic calm. 

JON BEAVERS
“Sgt. Eric Bourquin”
Jon Beavers is a California-based actor, writer and musician originally from Iowa City. He has appeared in numerous films and television series, including “NCIS,” “Gotham” and Nickelodeon’s music education program “The Fresh Beat Band.” On stage, Beavers has performed with EST West in Los Angeles, Seattle Shakespeare Company and Les Dechargeurs in Paris. Beavers co-wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed musical “The Unfortunates,” which played to sold-out audiences at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and The American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.

About Sgt. Eric Bourquin
Sgt. Eric Bourquin arrives in Iraq wary of the locals, including the interpreter Jassim al-Lani with whom he clashes several times — even before the ambush. However, over the course of the battle, Bourquin learns profound lessons of trust and forgiveness.

E.J. BONILLA
“Lt. Shane Aguero”
E.J. Bonilla’s first full-length feature, the 2009 Sundance Film Festival favorite “Don’t Let Me Drown,” was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at Sundance and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 2009 San Francisco International Film Festival. Continuing his momentum, Bonilla starred in the coming-of-age drama “Mamitas,” which earned him an Imagen Award nomination for Best Actor. Bonilla also starred in the romantic tale “Musical Chairs” by Susan Seidelman and most recently played the title character in the Bronx-based crime indie, “The House That Jack Built.” In addition to his film work, Bonilla was last seen as a series regular in the fourth season of A&E’s “Unforgettable” and is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Nolan Ross in the ABC series “Revenge.”

About Lt. Shane Aguero
When the 1st Cavalry Division Platoon is ambushed, it is forced to seek shelter inside a house somewhere in the middle of a darkening, maze-like city, hunted by a militia 2,000 men strong. Lt. Shane Aguero is plunged into a harrowing trial by fire: he has to constantly make life-and-death decisions and fight to keep morale up among his men as the situation grows increasingly desperate. In the harrowing hours that follow, Aguero will survive three brushes with death.

DARIUS HOMAYOUN
“Interpreter Jassim al-Lani”
Homayoun trained at the Experimental Theatre Wing (NYU-Tisch) and with Terry Knickerbocker at William Esper Studio. His past television work includes a lead role in FX’s “Tyrant” and the television movie “Stanistan.” Homayoun’s feature film work includes “After the Dark” and “Affluenza.” He was born in Dubai, U.A.E., and resides in New York City.

About Jassim al-Lani
Jassim al-Lani is the novice interpreter for the platoon. Al-Lani is already a survivor: he is part of the Shia community of Sadr City, long repressed under Saddam Hussein. A devout Muslim, Al-Lani is not trusted by all of the soldiers.

 

SOLDIERS

ERIC BOURQUIN
Production Consultant, U.S. Army Veteran and Soldier Involved in the April 4, 2004 Battle
Born in Dallas, Eric Bourquin was raised all over central Texas. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in College Station, Texas, in winter 1998 and went on to train as an infantryman while completing basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

Arriving at Fort Hood, Texas, in April 2001, Bourquin went on to serve in the 1st Cavalry Division and 1st Infantry Division in various leadership positions and completed three Army combat deployments in support of the global war on terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.

After medically retiring in 2013 with 15 years of service, Bourquin has spent his time focusing on his wife, Leslie, and his children — healing, helping others and enjoying new experiences.  

AARON FOWLER
Production Consultant, U.S. Army Veteran and Soldier Involved in the April 4, 2004 Battle
Born in San Diego, California with a childhood spanning Colorado, Massachusetts, and Arizona. Aaron Fowler enlisted into the US Army in Tucson Arizona in October of 1997 as an Infantryman and completed basic training and advanced individual training at Fort Benning, Georgia.

His first duty station in Mannheim, Germany saw him participate in NATO training deployments to numerous European nations and a real world deployment to Albania in preparation and support to the crisis in Kosovo.

Next serving the Army at Fort Lewis, Washington during the initial fielding of the Stryker combat vehicle before arriving at Fort Hood, Texas in April of 2003 to serve in the 1st Cavalry Division and complete 3 deployments to Baghdad, Iraq totaling 39 months of combat.

Upon medically retiring in 2012 with 15 years of service, Aaron has spent his time focusing on his family and enjoying the outdoors, and occasionally working in television.

 

PRODUCTION

MARTHA RADDATZ
Author and ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent
Martha Raddatz is chief global affairs correspondent at ABC News and co-anchor of “This Week With George Stephanopoulos.” She has covered national security, foreign policy and politics for decades, reporting from the Pentagon, the State Department, the White House and conflict zones around the world. Raddatz is the author of “The Long Road Home—A Story of War and Family,” a highly acclaimed book about a battle in Iraq, which made both The New York Times and The Washington Post best-seller lists. The Washington Post described the work as “a masterpiece of literary non-fiction that rivals any war-related classic that has preceded it.” She is also on the board of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, which supports wounded veterans and their families.

MIKE MEDAVOY
Executive Producer; Chairman and CEO, Phoenix Pictures
From agent to studio chief to producer, Mike Medavoy has been involved with over 300 feature films — of which 17 have been nominated for and seven have won Best Picture Oscars® as well as numerous international film festival awards. Medavoy is chairman and co-founder of Phoenix Pictures, founder of Orion Pictures, former chairman of TriStar Pictures and former head of production for United Artists. Medavoy’s credits include “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” “Rocky,” “Annie Hall,” “Apocalypse Now,” “Platoon,” “The Terminator,” “Dances With Wolves,” “Silence of the Lambs,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” “The People vs. Larry Flint,” “Shutter Island,” and “Black Swan.”

MIKKO ALANNE
Showrunner, Screenwriter and Executive Producer
Mikko Alanne is a screenwriter, producer, and documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Before The Long Road Home, Alanne wrote the Chilean miner rescue drama “The 33,” starring Antonio Banderas and Juliette Binoche, released by Warner Bros. Alanne has numerous projects in development at major studios and networks, including “West With the Night” for Angelina Jolie at Warner Bros. and the Chilean dissident thriller “The Dictator’s Shadow” at Phoenix Pictures. Alanne also wrote an adaptation of John Meacham’s New York Times best-seller “Franklin and Winston,” slated to star Sir Anthony Hopkins as Winston Churchill. Alanne’s documentary films include the upcoming “The United States v. SHAC USA” and “Voice of Dissent,” which caused The Los Angeles Times to call for a reopening of the Robert Kennedy assassination case. Alanne also co-wrote and produced the History Channel’s acclaimed “Terror Strikes Moscow” about the infamous theater hostage siege in the heart of the Russian capital.

JASON CLARK
Executive Producer
Jason Clark is an established and innovative producer in the world of live-action films, CGI feature films and television. By working with a remarkable community of esteemed directors, writers and artists, Clark has helped bring to life many engaging stories and characters. Clark currently serves as the president of production at Seth MacFarlane’s Fuzzy Door, where he oversees all areas of production and development for its current film and television slate. Alongside MacFarlane, Clark produced the comedy mega-hits “Ted” and “Ted 2.” He also executive produced the successful military drama “Act of Valor.” On the small screen, Clark served as co-executive producer for Fox and National Geographic’s award-winning series “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” and serves as an executive producer on Fox’s “The Orville.”

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