 In February 2011 , Jason Isaacs obtained the role of Michael Britten , the central character of the series . Gordon summated the premise of the character : " He 's a guy who goes to sleep , wakes up , he ’ s with his wife , goes to sleep , wakes up , and he 's with his son . And so — and he 's a cop who sees clues and details that crossover from one world to the next , and he uses that insight to solve crimes . " Killen thought that the premise behind the series would be relatable to audiences , making it easier to broader his fanbase . " I think there were aspects of Lone Star that were more difficult to get a wider , broader audience interested in , " he articulated . " [ The main character ] was somebody that you couldn ’ t decide if you liked or hated , and I think that Britten 's dilemma is something that we ’ re not only sympathetic for , but somehow we want him to win . " The succeeding month , Laura Allen was approached by producers to play Hannah Britten . Michaela McManus initially received the role , but was later given the role of Tara , whom Allen originally auditioned to play . 
