New Metric Media, in association with Bay Mills Studios, announced Wednesday additional cast members for the previously announced satirical miniseries Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story, which is slated to debut simultaneously on Anthem Sports & Entertainment’s linear channel GameTV and on Paramount+ in Canada in early 2026.
Canadian actor Shamier Anderson (John Wick 4, Invasion) is set to star as Johnson, the Canadian sprinter who was stripped of the 100-metre gold medal he won at the 1988 Seoul Olympics after testing positive for steroids. Other Canadian cast members include: Andrew Bachelor (Coffee & Kareem, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Holidate) who will portray Johnson’s sprint rival, U.S. sprinter Carl Lewis; Mark McKinney (The Kids in the Hall) as lawyer Walter F. Essanpee; Karen Robinson (Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Schitt’s Creek) as Johnson’s mother, Gloria; Ennis Esmer (Children Ruin Everything, The Madness) as Johnson’s doctor, Jamie Astaphan; Kristian Bruun (The Recruit, Orphan Black) as Johnson’s coach Charlie Francis; and Malaika Hennie Hamadi (Bria Mack Gets a Life) as intern Khara.
The supporting cast also includes Ryan Belleville (Workin’ Moms), Darryl Hinds (Overlord and the Underwoods), Lisa Horner (Kim’s Convenience), Emma Hunter (Mr. D, Letterkenny), Suresh John (Mr. D, Last Frontier), Jonathan Langdon (Trap), Gita Miller (Workin’ Moms), Andrew Phung (Kim’s Convenience, Run the Burbs) and Dewshane Williams (Hello Tomorrow).
“Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is Canadian sprinter Johnson’s definitely-not-biased account of the doping controversy that rocked the 1988 Olympics when he tested positive for banned steroid use, going from hero to zero in 9.79 seconds in what some called ‘The Dirtiest Race in History’. The series takes a revealing and satirical look at the events surrounding the legendary race and the scandal behind the scandal. New Metric Media identified and put the project together, entering development on the series with Paramount+ in Canada in 2023,” reads a Paramount+ press release.
New Metric Media is producing the series in association with Bay Mills Studios, the production company founded by Anderson and his brother actor-producer Stephan James, and with participation from Johnson. The series is inspired by extensive research conducted by Canadian author and journalist Mary Ormsby, Paramount+ (Canada) said.
Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story is created by BAFTA-winning and Emmy-nominated writer Anthony Q. Farrell (The Office, Shelved, Run the Burbs), who serves as showrunner and executive producer. Other executive producers include Anderson and James for Bay Mills Studios, New Metric Media founder and CEO Mark Montefiore, and director R.T. Thorne.
Paramount+ (Canada) said the series is currently in production in Toronto.
Photo of (l-r) Shamier Anderson, Andrew Bachelor, Mark McKinney, Karen Robinson and Ennis Esmer, via IMDB.com and Paramount+ (Canada)
