Ray Donovan

Episodes

Main article: List of Ray Donovan episodes

Cast and characters

Main

• Liev Schreiber as Raymond "Ray" Donovan
• Paula Malcomson as Abigail "Abby" Donovan, Ray's wife (seasons 1–5)
• Eddie Marsan as Terrence "Terry" Donovan, Ray's older brother. He is a former boxer, afflicted with Parkinson's disease.
• Dash Mihok as Brendan "Bunchy" Donovan, Ray's younger brother. He identifies as a sexual anorexic.
• Pooch Hall as Daryll Donovan, Ray's younger half-brother (son of Mickey and Claudette)
• Steven Bauer as Avi Rudin, Ray's right-hand man, a former IDF soldier and ex–Mossad agent (seasons 1–5)
• Katherine Moennig as Lena Burnham, Ray's investigative assistant
• Kerris Dorsey as Bridget Donovan, Ray's daughter
• Devon Bagby as Conor Donovan, Ray's son (seasons 1–6)
• Jon Voight as Michael "Mickey" Donovan, Ray's father
• Susan Sarandon as Samantha "Sam" Winslow, Ray's new boss (recurring season 5; season 6)
• Graham Rogers as Jacob "Smitty" Smith, Bridget's boyfriend turned husband (recurring season 5; seasons 6–7)

Recurring

• Elliott Gould as Ezra Goldman (seasons 1–3)
• Peter Jacobson as Lee Drexler (seasons 1–3)
• Denise Crosby as Debra "Deb" Goldman (seasons 1–5)
• William Stanford Davis as Potato Pie (seasons 1–5)
• Ambyr Childers as Ashley Rucker (seasons 1–2, 4)
• Josh Pais as Stuart "Stu" Feldman (seasons 1–2, 4, 6–7)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph as Claudette (seasons 1–2, 7)
• Paul Michael Glaser as Alan (seasons 1–2, 7)
• Austin Nichols as Thomas "Tommy" Wheeler (seasons 1–4, 7)
• Brooke Smith as Frances Simpson (seasons 1–3)
• Michael McGrady as Frank Barnes (seasons 1–5)
• Craig Ricci Shaynak as Kenneth "Tiny" Benson (seasons 1–2)
• Octavius J. Johnson as Marvin Gaye Washington (seasons 1–2)
• Frank Whaley as FBI Agent Van Miller (season 1)
• Johnathon Schaech as Sean Walker (season 1)
• James Woods as Patrick "Sully" Sullivan (season 1)
• Rosanna Arquette as Linda (season 1–2)
• Kwame Patterson as Re-Kon (seasons 1–2)
• Mo McRae as Deonte Frasier (seasons 1–2)
• Jay Thomas as Marty Grossman (seasons 1–3, 5)
• Hank Azaria as Edward "Ed" Cochran (seasons 2–4)
• Sherilyn Fenn as Donna Cochran (season 2)
• Ann-Margret as June Wilson (season 2)
• Kip Pardue as FBI Agent Thomas Volcheck (season 2)
• Andrea Bogart as Megan Volchek (season 2)
• Wendell Pierce as Ronald Keith (seasons 2–3)
• Crispin Alapag as Pablo Ramirez (season 2)
• Vinessa Shaw as Kate McPherson (season 2)
• Jeryl Prescott as Cherry (season 2)
• Omar Dorsey as Cookie Brown (season 2)
• Jamie Donnelly as Peggy Shaugnessy (season 2)
• Eion Bailey as Steve Knight (season 2)
• Brian Geraghty as Detective Jim Halloran (season 2)
• Steph DuVall as Shorty (season 2)
• Heather McComb as Patty (season 2)
• Jayne Taini as Harriet Greenberg (seasons 2–5)
• Ian McShane as Andrew Finney (season 3)
• Katie Holmes as Paige Finney (season 3)
• Guy Burnet as Casey Finney (season 3)
• Jason Butler Harner as Varick Strauss (season 3)
• Leland Orser as Father Romero (seasons 3–4)
• Michael Hyatt as Detective Sheila Muncie (seasons 3–4)
• Christy Williams as Michelle (season 3)
• Nick Kent as Davros Minassian (season 3)
• Ken Davitian as Vartan Minassian (season 3)
• Grace Zabriskie as Mrs. Minassian (season 3)
• Shree Crooks as Audrey (season 3)
• Aaron Staton as Greg Donellen (seasons 3–4)
• Alyssa Diaz as Teresa (seasons 3–6)
• Lulu Brud as Lauren (seasons 3 and 6)
• Fairuza Balk as Ginger (season 3)
• Bronson Pinchot as Flip Brightman (season 3)
• Embeth Davidtz as Sonia Kovitzky (season 4)
• Richard Brake as Vlad (season 4)
• Stacy Keach as The Texan (season 4)
• Pasha D. Lychnikoff as Ivan Belikov (season 4)
• Ismael Cruz Córdova as Hector Campos (season 4)
• Lisa Bonet as Marisol Campos (season 4)
• Dominique Columbus as Damon Bradley (seasons 4–5)
• Tom Wright as Punch Hoffman (seasons 4–5)
• Derek Webster as Jackson Holt (seasons 4–5)
• Tara Buck as Maureen Dougherty Donovan (seasons 4–5)
• Raymond J. Barry as Dmitri Sokolov (season 4)
• Ted Levine as Little Bill Primm (season 4)
• Gabriel Mann as Jacob Waller (season 4)
• Paula Jai Parker as Sylvie Starr (season 4)
• C. Thomas Howell as Dr. Brogan (seasons 5–6)
• Donald Faison as Antoine A'Shawn Anderson (seasons 5–6)
• Rhys Coiro as Rob Heard (season 5)
• Lili Simmons as Natalie James (season 5)
• Michel Gill as Doug Landry (season 5)
• Brian J. White as Jay White (seasons 5–6)
• Kim Raver as Dr. Bergstein (season 5)
• James Keach as Tom (season 5)
• Jordan Mahome as Damon's father (season 5)
• Adina Porter as Vicki Delgatti (season 5)
• Ryan Dorsey as Duquesne "Dime Bag" Baker (season 5)
• Keir O'Donnell as George Winslow (seasons 5–6)
• Jake Busey as Acid Man/Chef Dave (season 5)
• Billy Miller as Todd Dougherty (season 5)
• Ryan Radis as Beckett (season 5)
• Domenick Lombardozzi as NYPD Sgt. Sean "Mac" McGrath (season 6)
• Gerard Cordero as Big Al (season 6)
• Tony Curran as NYPD Lt. Mikey "Rad" Radulovic (season 6)
• Lola Glaudini as Anita Novak (season 6)
• Yasha Jackson as K'Lei Hughes (season 6)
• Jacob Ming-Trent as Big Easy (season 6)
• Alexandra Turshen as Justine Smith (season 6)
• Kate Arrington as Amber McGrath (seasons 6–7)
• Sandy Martin as Sandy Donovan (seasons 6–7)
• Zach Grenier as Mayor Ed Feratti (seasons 6–7)
• Alan Alda as Dr. Arthur Amiot (seasons 6–7)
• Chris Tardio as Danny Bianchi (season 6–7)
• Quincy Tyler Bernstine as Detective Perry (season 7)
• Louisa Krause as Liberty Larson (season 7)
• Michael Esper as Adam Rain (season 7)
• Josh Hamilton as Kevin Sullivan (season 7)
• Kerry Condon as Molly Sullivan (season 7)
• Clay Hollander as Johnathan Walker Hanson (season 7)
• Keren Dukes as Jasmine (season 7)
• Peter Gerety as James Sullivan (season 7)
• Kevin Corrigan as Declan Sullivan (season 7)

Cancellation and feature-length film

On February 4, 2020, Showtime cancelled the series after seven seasons.

The series was cancelled without any advance warning, leaving fans and showrunner David Hollander in shock. Season 8 was supposed to have been the final season, and Hollander already had a plan in place creatively for the story.

A week later, Liev Schreiber wrote on his Instagram account that due to fans' support and activity in media, there was a possibility for Ray Donovan to return. On August 19, Schreiber commented on his Instagram that "an RD finale/movie" was being written.

On February 24, 2021, Showtime announced a feature-length film to conclude the storyline, to premiere in 2022, with David Hollander directing it and co-writing with Schreiber. The network brought them the idea of a film after fans' outrage. The two-hour format gave them an ability "to work in very cinematic language". Beside the original cast returning, Chris Petrovski, AJ Michalka, David Patrick Kelly and Chris Gray had joined the film.

On November 22, the official trailer and poster for the film, titled Ray Donovan: The Movie were released, with a premiere date of January 14, 2022 and tagline "You can't outrun your legacy".

Home media

Paramount Home Entertainment (under the Showtime label) released the first season on DVD and Blu-ray on June 10, 2014. The second season was released on both media on May 26, 2015, and the third season released on December 29, 2015. Further seasons were released only on DVD. The fourth season saw a release on December 27, 2016, the fifth season on January 30, 2018, the sixth season came out on April 9, 2019, and the seventh season on May 5, 2020.

Remakes

In 2021, Netflix India announced that it would broadcast a remake of the series, titled Rana Naidu with starring Rana Daggubati and his uncle Venkatesh. The series was produced by Locomotive Global and the format rights are licensed by ViacomCBS Global Distribution Group (now Paramount Global Content Licensing), with Karan Anshuman as showrunner and director and Suparn Verma as co-director.

In 2023, Ronan Bennett created a British spinoff series for Paramount+ originally titled The Donovans, while Guy Ritchie would direct and executive produce the series. In October 2024, it was reported that Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan were in final negotiations to star in the project. The series was reworked into a standalone series titled MobLand, with plans to release on March 30, 2025.

Reception

Critical response

Ray Donovan has received positive reviews from critics. Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season a rating of 77% based on reviews from 43 critics, with the site's consensus stating: "Ray Donovan moves quickly between genres and tones, with Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight's performances making the whiplash worth it". Metacritic gives the first season a weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "generally positive reviews".

Tim Goodman, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, said that "Showtime has another gem on their hands" and the casting of Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight was "gold".

Accolades

References

References

1. "Showtime(R) 2013 Original Series Premiere Slate". The Futon Critic.
2. (2022-01-09). "Ray Donovan Season 8: Will it be renewed or is it officially cancelled?".
3. Littleton, Cynthia. (June 11, 2012). "Showtime gives series orders to 'Donovan,' 'Sex'".
4. Ausiello, Michael. (February 24, 2021). "Ray Donovan Lives! Showtime Orders 'Feature-Length Film' In Wake of Surprise Cancellation — Who's Back?".
5. (April 2, 2018). "'Ray Donovan': Graham Rogers Upped to Series Regular for Season 6".
6. (January 21, 2015). "Ian McShane Joins Showtime's 'Ray Donovan'". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
7. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. (January 27, 2015). "Katie Holmes Joins 'Ray Donovan' Season 3". [[Variety (magazine).
8. Petski, Denise. (February 10, 2016). "Ted Levine & Ismael Cruz Cordova Join 'Ray Donovan' In Recurring Roles".
9. Wagmeister, Elizabeth. (February 10, 2016). "'Revenge' Alum Gabriel Mann Joins Showtime's 'Ray Donovan' (EXCLUSIVE)".
10. Andreeva, Nellie. (February 4, 2020). "'Ray Donovan' Canceled By Showtime After 7 Seasons; Won't Get Final Season 8".
11. Tallerico, Brian. (February 5, 2020). "Ray Donovan's Showrunner Has a Few Things to Say About That Surprise Cancellation'".
12. Bucksbaum, Sydney. (February 5, 2020). "'Ray Donovan' boss baffled by cancellation, says season 7 was 'in no way a series finale'".
13. Nemetz, Dave. (February 12, 2020). "Ray Donovan Un-Cancelled? 'There Will Be More,' Liev Schreiber Says".
14. Buffa, Dan. (September 28, 2020). "According to Liev Schreiber, Showtime's 'Ray Donovan' finale will be a movie".
15. Tallerico, Brian. (February 26, 2021). "Ray Donovan's Showrunner Credits Fan Outcry for the Show's 'Very Ambitious' Wrap-up Movie".
16. Petski, Denise. (June 3, 2021). "'Ray Donovan': Chris Petrovski Joins Showtime's Follow-Up Movie".
17. Petski, Denise. (June 18, 2021). "'Ray Donovan': AJ Michalka Joins Showtime's Follow-Up Movie".
18. Andreeva, Nellie. (June 25, 2021). "'Ray Donovan': David Patrick Kelly Joins Showtime's Follow-Up Movie".
19. Petski, Denise. (July 15, 2021). "'Ray Donovan' Casts Chris Gray As Young Ray In Follow-Up Movie; Saad Siddiqui Joins 'From Scratch'".
20. Parlevliet, Mirko. (November 22, 2021). "Ray Donovan: The Movie Trailer, Art and Premiere Date".
21. Lambert, David. (March 10, 2014). "Ray Donovan – 'The 1st Season' of the Showtime Series on> DVD and Blu-ray". [[TVShowsOnDVD.com]].
22. Ingham, Alexandria. (March 22, 2020). "Ray Donovan Season 7 heading to DVD in May 2020". [[TVShowsOnDVD.com]].
23. Wiseman, Andrea. (September 21, 2021). "Netflix India's 'Ray Donovan' Adaptation With Rana Daggubati; Endeavor Content Puts 'Cash In The Attic'; Pluto TV In Italy — Global Briefs".
24. (February 28, 2024). "'Ray Donovan' Offshoot Series Set At Paramount+ From Guy Ritchie & 'Top Boy' Creator Ronan Bennett".
25. Cordero, Rosy. (October 9, 2024). "Tom Hardy, Helen Mirren & Pierce Brosnan In Final Negotiations To Star In 'Guy Ritchie's The Associate'".
26. (February 26, 2025). "Guy Ritchie's ''MobLand'' — Starring Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Helen Mirren — Sets March Premiere on Paramount+". [[Penske Media Corporation]].
27. "Ray Donovan: Season 1 (2013)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
28. "Ray Donovan: Season 1".
29. "Ray Donovan: Season 2 (2014)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
30. "Ray Donovan: Season 2".
31. "Ray Donovan: Season 3 (2015)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
32. "Ray Donovan: Season 3".
33. "Ray Donovan: Season 4 (2016)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
34. "Ray Donovan: Season 5 (2017)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
35. "Ray Donovan: Season 6 (2018)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
36. "Ray Donovan: Season 7 (2019)". [[Rotten Tomatoes]].
37. Tim Goodman. (June 12, 2013). "Ray Donovan: TV Review".
38. [http://www.criticschoice.com/television-awards/the-btja-announces-icon-award-recipient-and-most-exciting-new-series-honorees/ The BTJA Announces Icon Award Recipient and Most Exciting New Series Honorees] {{Webarchive. link. (October 6, 2014 (June 10, 2013). criticschoice.com. Retrieved June 29, 2013.)
39. "18th Satellite Awards Winners".
40. "Critics' Choice TV Awards 2014: And the nominees are...".
41. "Ray Donovan Golden Globes Wins".
42. "Ray Donovan Emmy Awards".
43. "66th Writers Guild Awards Winners".
44. Kilday, Gregg. (December 2015). "Satellite Awards Nominees Unveiled".
45. "CSC Awards 2017".