Soccer, sex, love and race in new CBC drama 21 Thunder
New drama about under-21 soccer team set to air next summer
When Emmanuel Kabongo came to Canada from Congo at 11, he dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player.
The Toronto native is now acting out his dream in the new CBC series 21 Thunder, playing star midfielder Junior Lolo, who is recruited from the Ivory Coast to play in Montreal.
He comes to Canada for two reasons: to play soccer and to search for a missing relative.
"A role like this is a dream come true," says Kabongo. "It's like two for one: I get to play soccer, which is what I love."
Kabongo has a long list of TV shows on his resume, including HBO's Call Me Fitz, CBC's Murdoch Mysteries and ABC's Rookie Blue and Quantico.
21 Thunder, an eight-part drama series filmed entirely in Montreal, follows the players of an under-21 soccer team.
The show dives deep into the characters' backgrounds, as they attempt to balance life's ups and downs while trying to make it to the big league.
The creators say more than a sports drama, 21 Thunder is also a show about love, crime, sex and race.
RJ Fetherstonhaugh plays Nolan Gallard, a kid from Pointe–Saint-Charles whose father was a gang leader.
People from Gallard's old life try to draw him back in, while he's trying to focus on a fresh start as a soccer star. Fetherstonhaugh's past roles include the CW's Supernatural and FOX's Wayward Pines.
"It's just an exciting experience. This is the biggest set I've ever been on, the biggest role I've ever had," says Fetherstonhaugh.
It may look like a boys' club, but there is one tough woman among all this testosterone.
Stephanie Bennett plays Christy Cook, a professional soccer player who retires and finds herself the team's assistant coach.
"It's an interesting dynamic being the only woman," says Bennett. "It's definitely a fight that I think all women can relate to … especially with sports."
Bennett is best known for her role on CBC's The Romeo Section, her lead on Grave Encounters II and the CW's IZombie.
The creators say the inspiration for the series comes from their own love of soccer. They say Canadians love the sport, and there are so few dramas about soccer. They hope the show also reflects the country's diversity, which they say is evident on any soccer pitch in Canada.
"What we're trying to do is tell stories of millennials with huge dreams," says Kenneth Hirsch, the executive producer and co-creator of 21 Thunder. "We're doing it, in a way, through high-adrenaline, high-octane stories in a serialized dramatic fashion, and we think we're going to draw new audiences to the CBC."
21 Thunder is set to air next summer on CBC.