Lead Roles
Johnnie
A late-teen-to-young-adult cross between an Asher Angel and Liam Woodrum persona. He is a prodigy guitarist who is constantly pushing the limits of his musicianship, which goes far beyond that of the older musicians performing in bands along the Jersey Shore. He turns to music to cope with the grief he is experiencing following the recent loss of his mother to cancer. This emotional tug-of-war takes its toll on Johnnie, allowing his ego to interfere with the best thing that has ever happened to him. Over time, Johnnie finds inspiration in his evolving relationship with his childhood friend and next-door neighbor, Nicole. His relationship with Nicole becomes a double-edged sword, challenging the camaraderie between his bandmates, who can see that Johnnie’s musical aspirations are becoming increasingly conflicted by his growing affection for Nicole.
NICOLE
A late-teen-to-young-adult cross between Joey King and Billie Eilish. She is Johnnie’s loyal, lifelong next-door neighbor. Despite her naturally attractive and unique Irish-American appearance, she lacks confidence and struggles with her own self-image and self-esteem. Nicole has a deeply creative musical side that she keeps hidden, but Johnnie recognizes her talent and encourages her to share it with the world. She has taught herself to play the guitar and enjoys writing her own songs, which she is initially reluctant to share with Johnnie. As Johnnie’s band becomes more successful, she fears that he will move on and leave her behind, much like her father did. Near the end, she becomes pregnant and has a serious falling out with Johnnie, who, blinded by his own aspirations, tells her to end the pregnancy.
SUPPORTING ROLES
SAMMY
A forty-something cross between Mark Ruffalo and James McAvoy. He is a veteran music industry manager looking for his next, and possibly last, opportunity to connect himself to an emerging original band that he can catapult to stardom. He is twice divorced, a recovering alcoholic, and never had a family of his own, having spent the better part of the last twenty years of his life on the road. He also has a hidden temper that stems from his all-business personality, which he can turn on and off like a switch—yelling one minute and speaking softly the next.
TOMMY
A late-teen-to-young-adult Brady Noon persona. He is a very confident, often cocky, prodigy keyboardist who never runs out of positive energy. He started playing classical piano at the age of five and was performing in recitals by the age of ten. He is a high-IQ student who skipped a grade, which has led to a slight complex about looking younger than everyone else in his grade. He is a tried-and-true friend to Johnnie and is often able to talk his way out of potential physical confrontations using his quick, natural wit.
Dave
A twenty-something young adult and older brother to Danny with a Paul Mescal persona. Dave has been a drummer in bar bands for years before meeting Tommy and Johnnie at a kegger party. He has a much leaner physique than the rest of the band, complemented by tattoos and a Tom Selleck-style chevron mustache. He is 100% sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll personified, with an insatiable appetite for partying. Dave projects a “life in the fast lane” mystique, with a “no retreat, no surrender” approach to making something of his life.
DANNY
A twenty-something young adult and one year younger than his brother, Dave. He is an accomplished, self-taught bass player. He has a similar stature to his brother, although, unlike Dave, he is always clean-shaven. He is also all about sex, drugs, and rock ’n’ roll, with an appetite for partying that is second only to his brother, whom he looks up to as the patriarchal figure in his life. He is a ladies’ man and also projects a “life in the fast lane” mystique, with a “no retreat, no surrender” approach to making the most of his bachelor life.
BOBBY
A flamboyant cross between Mick Jagger and David Bowie who has ambitions of using his lead-singer frontman persona to launch a Hollywood acting career. He is a great singer with a serious vocal range and is often wrapping scarves or towels around his neck to protect his throat. Although he initially plays the role of a ladies’ man, it is all for show. He eventually confesses that it has all been an act, as he is gay, and his closest longtime friend is actually his lover and companion behind closed doors. Eventually, he leaves the band and heads west to pursue an acting career.
DJ
Another late-teen-to-young-adult character who is a highly knowledgeable sound and lighting geek. He works during the day at a music store while moonlighting as a sound technician for local bands. He has witnessed the transformation of both Tommy and Johnnie, who have been hanging out at the music store for years. DJ plays a major supporting role in the band’s success by delivering a highly professional and visually impressive stage show. His dream is to start a national sound and lighting touring company that provides services to major-label artists.
Joanne
An eighteen-year-old transitioning into young adulthood, with a persona reminiscent of Millie Bobby Brown and Mckenna Grace. She assumes the role of family matriarch after the passing of her mother from cancer and develops a closer bond with her younger brother, Johnnie. She is musically inclined and plays the piano. Her character evolves from an attractive, confident, and mature-for-her-age high school senior into a fashion-conscious young adult in college who knows how to play the dating game in her entertaining quest to find her continually changing version of Mr. Right. Ironically, she is a lifelong best friend of Nicole, Johnnie’s girlfriend’s older sister, who lives next door. In the final episode, we see Joanne and her friend Colleen as mid-forty-something parents who have maintained a long-distance relationship over the past twenty-plus years.
Colleen
An eighteen-year-old transitioning into young adulthood, with a persona reminiscent of Joey King and Sadie Sink. She has a naturally attractive Irish-American appearance. She exudes self-confidence and can be very spontaneous when taking control of almost any situation. Like her mother and younger sister, her working life is tied to waitressing at a diner, where she eventually meets her “knight in shining armor,” a young college graduate working on Wall Street. Her character is constantly giving her sister advice about staying friends and not getting into a serious relationship because she is so young and has her whole life ahead of her to find someone. In the final episode, a twenty-plus-year reunion between Joanne and Colleen reveals a secret that Colleen has kept from Joanne to protect her sister.
Joey
A twenty-nine-year-old with a Joe Manganiello-esque persona who is a Vietnam veteran and still lives at home with his mother. He is as rough and tough as they come, transitioning from an uninspiring construction job to becoming a soldier and union representative for his notorious uncle, Vincenzo “Vinny” Valzone, a capo in a crime family responsible for handling all of the Jersey Shore territory. Joey has a classic Italian mother-son relationship with all the familiar stereotypes wrapped into one.
Abbey
Tommy’s fantasy high school wannabe girlfriend, who was the valedictorian of their class and voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” She has a combination of good looks and brains, along with a very down-to-earth personality. She adds witty dialogue to her scenes, often providing much-needed humor to Tommy’s serious approach to running the band. When home from college, Abbey works for her father, who owns a local hardware store in Red Bank. Abbey has learned a great deal about common household repairs.
RECURRING ROLES
SUSAN (JOEY’S GIRLFRIEND/WIFE)
MRS. C (NICOLE & FRANNY’S MOTHER)
JIMMY VALZANO (JOHNNIE & JOANNE’S FATHER)
VINCENZO “VINNY” VALZANO (JOHNNIE & JOANNE’S UNCLE)