JD Pardo (Mayans M.C., Road House) has joined the recurring cast of the MGM+ series Bosch: Start of Watch, a prequel series that expands the Bosch Universe into the past. He joins the previously announced leads Cameron Monaghan and Omari Hardwick, as well as Ariana Guerra.
Bosch: Start of Watch, from MGM+ Studios, is set in 1991 Los Angeles and follows 26-year-old Harry Bosch (Monaghan) during his earliest days as a rookie cop. The series will explore a city on the edge, teeming with racial tension, gang violence and a fractured LAPD. Amid routine calls and growing unrest, Bosch finds himself drawn into a high-profile heist and a web of criminal corruption that will test his loyalty to the badge and shape his future as the detective who lives by the code, “Everybody counts or nobody counts.”
Pardo will play Cory, a brilliant, disciplined professional thief whose calm precision was forged in the foster system, where he learned early how to read people, anticipate danger, and stay in control. Raised alongside his younger surrogate brother, Bosch, Cory developed a fierce loyalty to the family he chose. Confident, calculating, and methodical, he acts as provider and protector – every job is a step toward mastering the chaos that shaped him, and earning a way out of Los Angeles.
Hardwick plays Eli Bridges, a new character not in the books, who is Bosch’s training officer. Guerra portrays Rosa, also a rookie LAPD officer and native Angeleno who brings uncommon maturity and street smarts to the job. During her probationary year, a budding romance with Bosch threatens her credibility, forcing Rosa to prove she can finish what she starts.
There is no direct source material for Start of Watch since author Michael Connelly’s Bosch book series does not include a prequel. The story came together through bits and pieces from Harry’s early years, which are planted in various novels in the universe, with Connelly calling the prequel “uncharted character territory.”
Produced by Fabel Entertainment, the series is co-created and executive produced by Bosch: Legacy co-developer/executive producer Tom Bernardo and Legacy co-executive producer Brian Anthony, with Bernardo serving as showrunner. Connelly, Henrik Bastin, Jamie Boscardin Martin and Jasmine Russ also serve as executive producers. Theresa Snider co-executive produces for Hieronymus Pictures. Seth Yanklewitz is the casting director.
Pardo starred in FX’s hit series Mayans M.C., playing Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes, a role for which he received three Imagen Award nominations with one win in the category of Best Actor in a Television Drama. He also made his TV directing debut on the motorcycle drama and has two series in development at FX. Pardo recently wrapped production on the first season of Jed Mercurio’s upcoming series for Netflix, Trinity, and is currently shooting the independently financed series Recap.
Of late, he had a recurring role opposite Kaitlin Olson in ABC’s High Potential and alongside Eric Bana in Untamed for Netflix. Notable TV credits also include Fox series Drive, JJ Abrams’ NBC series Revolution, Hulu’s East Los High, for which he received an Emmy Award nomination, and Amazon’s The Terminal List alongside Chris Pratt.
His big screen credits include Prime Video’s Doug Liman remake of Road House, Guillermo Arriaga’s The Burning Plain, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, Robert Rodriguez’s Hypnotic, and a cameo role as Jack Toretto, Vin Diesel and John Cena’s father, in F9: The Fast Saga. Pardo is repped by UTA, TFC Management and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
