Gary Sinise Joins Final Season of 13 Reasons Why in Key Role

As audiences are still reeling from the twisty third season of Netflix’s hit young adult drama 13 Reasons Why, the cast is expanding for the upcoming fourth and final season of the series with CSI: New York and Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders vet Gary Sinise signing on for a key role, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Eight months after preventing Tyler from committing an unthinkable act at Spring Fling, Clay, Tony, Jessica, Alex, Justin, and Zach find ways to shoulder the burden of the cover-up together while helping Tyler move toward recovery. But when the aftermath of a tumultuous Homecoming game culminates in the disappearance of a football player, and Clay finds himself under police scrutiny, it’s up to a shrewd outsider to steer the group through an investigation that threatens to lay bare everyone’s deepest secrets. The stakes were raised in the riveting third season of 13 Reasons Why, as the consequences of even the most well-intended actions altered lives forever.

Sinise has signed on to portray Dr. Robert Ellman, an adolescent and family therapist who is compassionate while also using a no-nonsense approach to his work and is brought in to address the mental health of Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) and help him battle his anxiety, depression and grief in his senior year. As the character description reads, Elllman is “formidable, intense and deeply humane” and “is steadfast in guiding Clay to accept the help he needs so desperately, to come to terms with the trauma in his past and begin the process of healing.

“From the first moments we conceived of the role, I thought of Gary Sinise but hardly dared to dream it might happen,” series creator and showrunner Brian Yorkey said in a statement. “A consummate actor and first-rate human, Gary brings the exact combination of toughness, smarts and heart the character needs. We’re all thrilled and honored to have him join us for this pivotal role in our final season.”

Buy the book the Netflix series is based on here.

Season 3 stars Dylan Minnette (Goosebumps) as Clay Jensen, Brandon Flynn (True Detective) as Justin, Alisha Boe as Jessica, Christian Navarro as Tony, Miles Heizer (Love, Simon) as Alex, Ross Bulter (Riverdale) as Zach, Devin Druid as Tyler and Justin Prentice as Bryce.

RELATED: Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why Season 3 First Look Photos Released

Brian Yorkey returns as the series’ creator and showrunner, and will also return as an executive producer alongside Joy Gorman, Mandy Teefey, Kristel Laiblin, Tom McCarthy, Steve Golin, and Selena Gomez. The new season will be produced by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content for Netflix.

Season 3 of 13 Reasons Why will be available to stream starting August 23. The first two seasons of the series are currently available now on Netflix.

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