FX’s The Lowdown reintroduces viewers to Ethan Hawke in a brand-new light. The movie star has had a busy year, with The Black Phone 2 and Blue Moon also set to premiere this season. In The Lowdown, he plays a fictionalized version of late journalist Lee Roy Chapman and stumbles into chaos while unpacking the truth behind a Tulsa-based mystery. The dark comedy series was created by Sterlin Harjo.
Below, Hollywood Life has all the details you need to know about the release date, ensemble cast and more on The Lowdown.
What Is The Lowdown About?
Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, writer and self-proclaimed “truthstorian” Lee Raybon (loosely based on Chapman), investigates a local murder and learns how risky uncovering the truth really is.
According to FX’s official description of the series, “powerful forces want to prevent Lee from learning anything more” about the mystery in Tulsa.
“When the publication of Lee’s latest exposé – a deep dive into the powerful Washberg family – is immediately followed by the suspicious suicide of Dale Washberg, the black sheep of the family, Lee knows he’s stumbled onto something big,” the description reads. “Following a trail of breadcrumbs Dale has left behind, urging someone to dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding his death, Lee does just that. What Lee finds is that Betty Jo, the grieving widow, seems to be more interested in her brother-in-law Donald Washberg, a gubernatorial candidate, than in her dearly departed. And powerful forces want to prevent Lee from learning anything more.”
Who Is in The Lowdown Cast?
In addition to executive producer and star Ethan, who plays Lee Raybon, the rest of the cast features Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Francis, Kaniehtiio Horn as Samantha, Tim Blake Nelson as Dale Washberg, Jeanne Tripplehorn as Betty Jo, Kyle MacLachlan as Donald Washberg and Keith David as Marty.
Peter Dinklage also appears in the show, though details about his character haven’t been made public.
At the official season 1 premiere of The Lowdown, Ethan explained how relevant the show is today during an interview with Hollywood Life .
“At the moment we’re actually coming out [with this show], truth in journalism and courage that it takes for individuals to care about the truth, to tell the truth, despite great pressures from affluent people to just shut up … the story, while always interesting, is now acutely relevant,” the Sinister star pointed out. “Because journalism is under attack, and it’s really upsetting to all of us, but we don’t know what to do about it. But the only thing to do about it is [to] not stop telling the truth.”
How to Watch The Lowdown: Streaming & Cable Options
Episodes of The Lowdown will air on FX and will stream the following day on Hulu or Disney+ with Hulu. The show is set to premiere on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
