House of Lies to End After Five Seasons

On Sunday, June 13th at 9 p.m. ET/PT, our favorite corporate sharks will board their last flight, in grand, historic style, to Havana for the conclusion of the Showtime comedy series House of Lies. Shot entirely on location and directed by series creator and executive producer Matthew Carnahan, this final episode, “No Es Fácil,” marks the first time an American scripted series was shot in Cuba since the restoration of diplomatic relations. Don Cheadle (Miles Ahead) headlines the stellar cast, which includes Kristen Bell (“Veronica Mars”), Emmy winner Ben Schwartz (“Parks & Recreation”), Josh Lawson (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues), Donis Leonard Jr. (“Criminal Minds”), and Emmy winner Glynn Turman (“In Treatment”). The announcement was made today by David Nevins, President and CEO, Showtime Networks Inc.

“’House of Lies’ is a comedy that has frequently been ahead of the curve,” says Nevins. “Over the course of its five seasons, it has tackled such hot-button topics as gender identity, wealth inequality, white privilege, police brutality, interracial relationships, and code-switching with honesty and a biting sense of humor. Matthew Carnahan and Don Cheadle have been dream partners and impeccable leaders. The core cast of Don, Kristen, Ben and Josh are one of the best comedy teams on television. They have brought the series to an incredibly satisfying conclusion with this historic final episode shot in Cuba.”

“Creating and running ‘House of Lies’ has been a true dream gig, a creative apotheosis,” says Carnahan. “Working with the remarkable team that Jessika Borsiczcky, David Walpert and I were allowed to put together, along with the incredible cast and crew, coming to work every day was a joy. Getting to work with heroes like Don Cheadle, Kristen Bell and Glynn Turman, breaking out amazing performers like Dawn Olivieri and the shockingly funny Josh Lawson; seeing Ben Schwartz, already so well-known as a comedic actor doing a deep-dive into really complex work; watching great actors like Matt Damon be willing to skewer versions of themselves; and then going out on the high note that is shooting in Cuba — these are all the kinds of reasons I got into this business in the first place.”

For his brilliant work as Marty Kaan, series star Don Cheadle won a Golden Globe award, was nominated four times for an Emmy Award, and three consecutive times for a Golden Globe Award. He also took home two NAACP Image Awards (the series earned 13 nominations) and two NAMIC Vision Awards. And, Kristen Bell earned two People’s Choice Award nominations and one win.

Produced by Showtime, House of Lies is executive produced by Carnahan, Jessika Borsiczky, Don Cheadle and David Walpert and based on Martin Kihn’s book, House of Lies: How Management Consultants Steal Your Watch and Tell You the Time. The series’ critique of sacred cows and witty, provocative dialogue attracted a wealth of notable guest stars in sharply distinctive roles, including Griffin Dunne as Marty’s boss, aka The Rainmaker; rapper Tip T.I. Harris, and Mekhi Phifer as warring clothing line moguls; Adam Brody as a sex toy manufacturer; Jenny Slate as Doug’s loopy wife; Peggy Lipton as Jeannie’s mom; Lisa Edelstein as a political consultant; Larenz Tate as Marty’s militant moocher brother; Demetri Martin as a corrupt electric car mogul; Richard Schiff as a villainous consultant, and Tony Award nominee Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) as a neophyte Harvard Business School grad. Guest stars this season include Wanda Sykes, Keegan-Michael Key, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Donald Faison, Ken Marino, John Cho and Steven Weber.

For five seasons, fans traveled with Marty, Jeannie (Bell), Clyde (Schwartz) and Doug (Lawson) as they criss-crossed the globe manipulating hard-earned (well, usually inherited, sometimes stolen) bucks from powerful CEOs. Under Marty’s leadership, the Pod, as they became affectionately known, went from fleecing millionaire moguls to skewering billionaires with an unwavering eye on their end-state vision (or, ultimate goal for non-management rookies): global domination. Along the way, Marty and Jeannie went from business associates to lovers to adversaries and back again, ultimately landing on amicable co-worker/co-parents to their baby girl. All the while, wisecracking Clyde and insufferable yet sweet Harvard MBA Doug fought and squabbled over the number three spot (and, ultimately, for partnership) at Kaan & Associates. They frequently banded together against Marty’s ex-wife and business foe Monica (Dawn Olivieri) as she lurched between wanting to bed him, kill him and steal all his clients. On the home front, sage advice from live-in psychologist dad Jeremiah (Turman) helped Marty lead son Roscoe (Leonard Jr.) through the discovery and celebration of his gender fluidity and maturation into a self-assured, fashion-forward teenager. As we conclude the series, the Pod is assessing their personal portfolios: in their constant quest for the almighty dollar, how much is enough? How much money buys happiness and at what cost?

Filming in Cuba was done in compliance with the U.S. Department of Treasury pursuant to an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) license following all appropriate U.S. laws.