Jennifer Jason Leigh plays a key role in season 2 of High Potential.
Season 2 of the hit ABC series has continued to tease what happened to Morgan’s (Kaitlin Olson) ex Roman, with Soto (Judy Reyes) following a lead after arresting Eric Hayworth (John Pyper-Ferguson). The criminal pointed Soto to none other than Willa Quinn, who is a high-profile political fixer connected to Roman’s disappearance.
Soto traveled to New York to meet Willa — played by Leigh. The two have a back and forth while discussing Roman’s disappearance and Willa ultimately gets on the same flight as Soto back to Los Angeles where her intentions are unclear.
Before High Potential, Leigh, 64, appeared in an episode of All’s Fair and in season 5 of Fargo. She was also in Atypical, Lisey’s Story, The Affair, Patrick Melrose, the Twin Peaks revival and Weeds.
Which ‘High Potential’ Stars Are — And Aren’t — Returning for Season 2?
High Potential premiered in September 2024 and introduced Morgan, a high-potential intellectual who teams up with the LAPD to help solve murders. The season 1 finale confirmed that Morgan’s ex Roman was still alive after being missing for more than a decade. Morgan learned her ex worked as an FBI informant and doesn’t trust the LAPD.
“On set we would all talk about [who we think could play Roman]. I think Jesse Williams would be cool,” Amirah J, who plays Morgan’s daughter, exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2025 about her onscreen father. “We said Michael Ealy. Whoever they cast is going to be great. I’m just excited to see who it is.”
Reyes, 58, also weighed in on the possible casting, throwing Michael B. Jordan‘s name in the mix. While executive producer and showrunner Todd Harthan previously teased a “deepening mystery” about Roman, he remained tight-lipped about who could be cast.
“I think frustration is a good thing with an audience. It is a healthy frustration — don’t give them too much of what they want too soon,” Harthan told Us in February 2025. “I’d be totally lying if I said I have all the answers to that mystery. The wonderful thing about welcoming other brains to the room is how we make sure we don’t fumble this ball and we tell this story in the most satisfying way imaginable. There’s some cool stuff coming though.”
Who Should Play Roman on Season 2 of ABC’s ‘High Potential’?
Harthan discussed the casting process for a role like Roman.
“We’ve talked about it quite a bit like, ‘Wow, we have the time and hopefully now the show is a success and we could go and get this actor or that actor.’ But the truth is, I haven’t had a deep conversation with Kaitlin about it — and she’ll have a strong opinion. She’s very active and involved with casting and has incredible instincts,” Harthan told Us. “So, the short answer is no. We have some favorites and actors I really respect that would be great.”
Harthan was looking forward to bringing in more characters into the fold in season 2, adding, “Just the casting opportunities — not just for guest star roles — but recurring roles. We’ve never met Morgan’s mother and father either. We haven’t met anybody. So, Roman is a really important and amazing piece of casting. I fantasize about who it could be, but I haven’t zeroed in on a person yet.”
High Potential airs on ABC Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. The show is streaming on Hulu.
