Samba Schutte is getting a much bigger seat at the table on Pluribus. The actor behind fan favorite Koumba Diabate has been promoted to series regular for season 2 of the Apple TV drama, Deadline reported on Friday, November 13. Production on the new season is already underway.

It's a big jump. Schutte appeared in just two episodes of season 1, but Mr. Diabate turned into one of the show's most talked-about characters almost right away. He's one of only 12 people on Earth who are immune to the event at the center of the story, and while Rhea Seehorn's Carol Sturka spends her time fighting it, Diabate decides to enjoy himself. Luxury travel. A white tuxedo. A poker table surrounded by admirers. He even strikes up a friendship with John Cena, who plays himself.

That performance earned Schutte a Best Guest Actor nomination at the Saturn Awards.

Mr. Diabate Is Staying a While

As a series regular, Schutte joins a core cast led by Seehorn, Karolina Wydra as Zosia and Carlos-Manuel Vesga as Manousos. Nobody is saying what the promotion means for the plot, and Schutte may not know either. Creator Vince Gilligan said back in September that some of his actors would rather not hear the full season in advance. "Sometimes the actors like Karolina and Samba, sometimes they don't necessarily want to know," Gilligan said, according to Gizmodo.

Filming on season 2 kicked off in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the Emmy-winning series is based. Apple ordered the second season before the first one even premiered in November 2025. There's no return date yet.

From the Sahara to a Vince Gilligan Set

Schutte's road here is not the usual one. The Dutch-Mauritanian actor, comedian and writer was born in the Sahara Desert and grew up in Ethiopia until he was 18. American audiences first got to know him as Hakim on NBC's Sunnyside, then as Roach, the ship's cook, on Our Flag Means Death.

He works behind the scenes too. Schutte wrote for the video game Battlefield V and has performed in big titles like Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

Now he's a full-time part of one of the most decorated shows on television, from the man who made Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

Season 1 of Pluribus is streaming on Apple TV.