Tina Lifford, Dondré Whitfield, Timon Kyle Durrett and Nicholas L. Ashe have joined the cast as series regulars of the new original OWN drama series "Queen Sugar," from Ava DuVernay, produced by Warner Horizon Television.

The series, which kicks off production in Louisiana and Los Angeles this month, chronicles the lives and loves of the estranged Bordelon siblings – Nova (Rutina Wesley), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner) and Ralph Angel (Kofi Siriboe) – who come together after a family tragedy to run an ailing sugarcane farm in the Deep South.

Hew additions Lifford portrays Violet Bordelon, the aunt to the Bordelon siblings, described as a spunky woman involved in a long-term relationship with the younger Hollywood Desonier (Omar Dorsey); Whitfield portrays Remy Newell, a trusted friend working on the Bordelon land as a water irrigation specialist; Durrett portrays Davis West, a charismatic and respected professional basketball player married to Charley Bordelon West (Gardner) who becomes embroiled in a public scandal with his teammates; and Ashe portrays Davis and Charley’s 15-year-old son Micah, who, despite a privileged life, is grounded and has a great relationship with his parents.

The series is executive produced by Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay, who developed "Queen Sugar" for television, wrote its pilot episode and will direct multiple episodes of the show’s first season.