The British musician will play newspaper editor Kolawale, a new role created for the six-part series.
Adapted for screen by Toby Whithouse (Being Human), Noughts + Crosses is set in an alternate reality where society is segregated by race, with a white underclass called ‘Noughts’ and a black ruling class called ‘Crosses.’
The six-part series will follow the love story between two teenage protagonists Sephy Hadley (Baduza) and Callum McGregor (Rowan) who are divided by the colour of their skin in a dystopian world.
Childhood friends Sephy, a member of the black ruling class the 'Crosses' and the daughter of the Home Secretary, and Callum, a member of the white underclass the 'Noughts', must overcome violent forces trying to tear them apart as their relationship becomes more complex and romantic as they grow up.
RTS Programme Award nominee Jack Rowan discusses Born to Kill, boxing and becoming a Peaky Blinder.
Yet playing a villain in his first leading role was perfect for the 21-year-old newcomer. “I love it because it’s so far removed from who you really are,” he tells the RTS.
His chilling portrayal of teenage psychopath Sam Woodford secured Rowan a nomination for an acting award at this year's RTS Programme Awards alongside “two kings” Stephen Graham and Sean Bean.
“Even to be in the same sentence [as them] is beyond me, I’m just kind of pinching myself.”
