The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
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Adrien Brody as Leonard Chess
Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters
Gabrielle Union as Geneva Wade
Columbus Short as Little Walter
Cedric the Entertainer as Willie Dixon
Emmanuelle Chriqui as Revetta Chess
Eamonn Walker as Howlin' Wolf
Tammy Blanchard as Isabelle Allen
Eric Bogosian as Alan Freed
Norman Reedus as Chess Engineer
Yasiin Bey as Chuck Berry
Beyoncé as Etta James
Josh Alscher as Mick Jagger
Tim Bellow as Man in the Caddy
Tony Bentley as Lomax
Marc Bonan as Keith Richards
Douglas Crosby as Policeman (Little Walter beating)
Dexter Darden as Geneva's Teenage Son
Veronika Dash as Blonde Girl
Sean Shyboy Davis as Toothless Hillbilly Little Walter
Eshaya Draper as Charles Waters
Christopher Durham as Policeman (with Chuck Berry)
Shiloh Fernandez as Phil Chess
Jill Flint as Shelly Feder
Erik Frandsen as Engineer - Present Day
Gano Grills as Slick Pimp
Suzette Gunn as Minnie Ripperton
Jordan Haynes as Pot Strong
William Hill as Policeman (with the Stones)
Mike Hodge as Bartender
Tyler Humphrey as Muddy - Age 6
Osas Ighodaro as Maid
Kevin Jackson as Mysterious Black Man
Albert Jones as Hubert Sumlin
Rayan Lawrence as Harmonica Player
Chyna Layne as Pot's Girlfriend Juanita
Kevin Mambo as Jimmy Rogers
Aaron Munoz as Manager
Wade Mylius as Bouncer
Rebecca Pappa as Another Blonde
Jonathan Earl Peck as Man Who Rolled 7
Q-Tip as Hip Hop Artist
Ginnie Randall as Muddy's Grandmother
Ashlee Ray as Muddy's Floozy #1
Jake Robards as Producer - Present Day
Jay O. Sanders as Mr. Feder
Samuel Smith as Guitarist
Valence Thomas as James Cotton
Carmen Ziina Vasquez as Muddy's Floozy #2
Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Mississippi DJ
Kade Alexie as Guitar Player (uncredited)
Kandé Amadou as Little Walter's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Angelina Aucello as Teenybopper (uncredited)
Lawrence P. Beron as Overseer (uncredited)
Ryan Curtis as Picnic Boyfriend (uncredited)
Vincent D'Onofrio as Mississippi DJ (uncredited)
Seth Donavan as Chuck Berry Concertgoer (uncredited)
John Farrer as Etta's Violinist (uncredited)
Doug W. Goldman as Etta's Trumpet Player (uncredited)
Evan Hart as Young Lover (uncredited)
Tiffany M. Johnson as Girlfriend (uncredited)
Vianca Johnson as Field Worker (uncredited)
Andrew Kaempfer as Chicago Cop (uncredited)
Tony Lawson as Vendor (uncredited)
Rege Lewis as Bystander (uncredited)
Malikha Mallette as Little Walter's Girlfriend (uncredited)
Cerrone May as Muddy's Band Member (uncredited)
Adaku Ononogbo as Muddy Waters' Girlfriend (uncredited)
Catherine Pierce as Shocked Bystander (uncredited)