Barry Pepper is set to join Jeremy Strong in 9/12, Paramount+'s upcoming six-episode limited series about the legal battle to secure compensation for 9/11 first responders. Pepper will play Coach, a former NYPD police officer who developed leukemia from his work at Ground Zero. He is initially reluctant to pursue legal action but ultimately becomes the public face of the lawsuit to help other victims.
Strong plays Jason Smith, a class-action attorney who led the legal fight. According to the series description, 9/12 "follows the human fallout from the September 11 attacks," exploring how students, teachers, New Yorkers, and volunteers were affected in the years after. Both characters are based on real people.
Tobias Lindholm directs from scripts he co-wrote with Frank Pugliese. Both serve as executive producers alongside Strong. Production is set to begin in Summer 2026.
Pepper brings considerable weight to the role. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for portraying Robert F. Kennedy in The Kennedys in 2011, and remains known for his work in Saving Private Ryan and The Green Mile. For a story built around overlooked heroism, the casting reads like a statement.