AceShowbiz -

Jada Pinkett Smith has joined the cast ensemble of FOX's much talked-about show "Gotham". The wife of actor Will Smith is cast as Fish Mooney, which is an original character on the Batman prequel series.

Fish is described as "a sadistic gangster boss and nightclub owner." She's "got the street smarts and almost extra-sensory abilities to read people like an open book. Imposing and hotheaded, she's not one to be crossed." She's also the boss of a young psycho named Oswald Cobblepot, who eventually becomes The Penguin.

Benjamin McKenzie has been tapped to tackle the lead role of Detective James Gordon, who would later be the city's commissioner. The upcoming series has also cast Robin Lord Taylor as Oswald Cobblepot a.k.a. The Penguin, Sean Pertwee as Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth, Zabryna Guevara as Gordon's boss Captain Essen, and Erin Richards as Gordon's fiancee Barbara Kean.

"Gotham" will explore the origin stories of Commissioner James Gordon and the villains who made Gotham City famous. More familiar faces such as the Joker, the Riddler and Catwoman are expected to be featured on the show, which has received straight-to-series order.

"The Mentalist" creator Bruno Heller is writing the pilot while Danny Cannon ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation", "Nikita") is on board to direct and executive produce the pilot.

Smith's last regular TV role is "Hawthorne", in which she played the lead character, Christina Hawthorne, before TNT canceled the medical drama series in 2011. The 42-year-old actress has also starred in numerous films like "The Nutty Professor", "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions".