The Player is an American action thriller crime drama television series created by John Rogers and John Fox, starring Philip Winchester, Wesley Snipes and Charity Wakefield. NBC ordered the pilot to series on May 8, 2015, and the show aired from September 24, to November 19, 2015 for one season. Because of low ratings, the count of episodes was reduced to nine, with the production wrapping up after shooting the ninth episode. Before that, Sony sold the series' airing rights to 105 international territories.

Richard Arnold Roundtree was an American actor. He was best known for his portrayal of private detective John Shaft in the 1971 film Shaft and four of its sequels, Shaft's Big Score! (1972), Shaft in Africa (1973), its 2000 sequel and its 2019 sequel, as well as the eponymous television series (1973–1974). He was also known for featuring in several TV series, including Roots, Generations, and Desperate Housewives.