Bow Wow aka Shad Moss is taking over daytime and primetime television. The rapper-turned-“106 & Park” host has been cast as a series regular on CBS’ CSI spinoff “Cyber.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Moss will play 19-year-old hacker Brody “Baby Face” Nelson, who’s been ordered by a judge to work with Special Agent Avery Ryan (Patricia Arquette) to assist with a cyber case.
Growing up without any parental guidance, Nelson joined “hacktivist” groups to get a sense of family. His challenge will be working for the feds while trying to avoid his dark past, which included hacking into the stock exchange and wiring half a billion dollars to his bank account.
“Bow Wow is a gifted young actor who will have the responsibility, through his character, to set an example for young people who watch the show to ‘do what’s right’ even when you know ‘nothing but wrong,'” said Anthony E. Zuiker, creator of the CSI franchise. “It will be a redemption story and a cautionary tale all wrapped into one. The role of Nelson required someone with deep acting chops and off-the-charts smarts. Shad Moss is a unique talent that possesses both.”
Bow Wow will continue his hosting gig on BET’s “106 & Park.” He appeared in HBO’s “Entourage” for three seasons and has starred in films including Like Mike, Johnson Family Vacation, and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.
CSI: Cyber focuses on Avery Ryan as she heads the FBI’s Cyber Crime Division, which investigates online crimes with consequences that play out in the real world. James Van Der Beek and Peter MacNicol co-star.
The series will premiere midseason on CBS.