LOS ANGELES, April 24 ― The actor known for his roles on “Prison Break” and “Heroes” will join Bill Paxton, Ray Liotta and Olivier Martinez on the set of this eight-hour miniseries on the creation of the Texas Rangers in the 19th century.

Robert Knepper has joined the cast of “Texas Rising” in the role of Empresario Buckley, the sole representative of the law in Victoria, the Texas town where the historical fiction is set.

In 1836, before Texas was part of the US, the territory was controlled by Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna and was frequently subject to Comanche invasions. Led by General Sam Houston, Texan settlers rose up to claim their independence, leading to the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers. The new History miniseries will tell this chapter in American history in eight episodes.

Bill Paxton will headline the series in the role of Sam Houston, who became the first president of the Republic of Texas and its first governor once the state joined the US. The character's Mexican adversary will be played by French actor Olivier Martinez.

The project will feature a slew of other noted actors, including Ray Liotta in the role of a revenge-seeking survivor of the Texas Revolution, Brendan Fraser (“The Mummy”) as a Texas Ranger with ties to the Comanches, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (“Magic City”) as a deaf and greying Texas Ranger. “One Tree Hill” star Chad Michael Murray will play Mirabeau Lamar, Sam Houston’s vice president.

Thomas Jane (“Hung”) will play a colonist who lives in Comanche territory. Michael Rapaport (“The Heat”) and Max Thieriot (“Bates Motel”) will also join the action.

Roland Joffé (“City of Joy”) will direct “Texas Rising,” which was created by the producers of “Hatfields and McCoys.” Aired in 2012, the miniseries drew 13.7 million viewers, a record for History and for a cable network. ― AFP-Relaxnews