Casting News - TV Fanatic

More Pilot Casting News: Who is Going to ShondaLand?

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:07:09 EST

It's time for another round of pilot casting scoops, as the following names have landed roles in the following new projects...

Blythe Danner, Madeline Zima and Sarah Bolger will all play roles in the next drama from Shonda Rhimes. It's titled Gilded Lilys and it will center on a luxury hotel in 1895.

Becki Newton, who guest stars this Monday on How I Met Your Mother, will play one of three siblings in The Goodwin Gaes, a single-camera comedy from HIMYM executive producers Carter Bays, Craig Thomas and Chris Harris that features three children who must come together in order to inherit their father's fortune.

James Wolk has joined the cast of USA Network’s six-episode drama Political Animals, which will air this summer, center on life in D.C. and comes from former Brothers & Sisters and Everwood boss Greg Berlanti.

Michael B. Jordan will re-team with Friday Nights Light producer Jason Katims on Country, an NBC medical drama also starring Jason Ritter.

Ryan Phillippe to Anchor CBS Police Pilot

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:46:49 EST

Ryan Phillippe is about to be the man in charge on CBS.

The movie star has signed on for his first extended television role, as he'll come on board the untitled Nick Wootton/Greg Berlanti drama that centers around a young police officer and his meteoric rise to police commissioner.

As outlined in our recent pilot casting notes, Phillippe joins Kevin Alejandro and Chi McBride on the series.

The actor will also play a major role on the final season of Damages, which airs this summer.

Eric Stonestreet Introduces Modern Family Fans to Cam's Father

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:15:17 EST

Our favorite Modern Family is about to get even bigger.

And a bit more country.

Eric Stonestreet posted a photo today of him and Barry Corbin at a table read for the ABC sitcom, confirming that the veteran actor (The Closer, One Tree Hill) will guest star later this season as Cam's father, Merle.

What will bring Merle Tucker to town in May? We don't know. But we bet there will be a lot of tractor talk between father and son.

Stephen Root Cast on Boardwalk Empire As...

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:08:07 EST

In his ever-evolving quest to appear on every primetime show on television, Stephen Root has signed on to Boardwalk Empire.

The actor (NewsRadio, Justified, True Blood, Fringe, The Good Wife) will recur next season as Gaston Means, an ex-murder suspect who is now a Special Investigator for the United States Department of Justice under Attorney General Harry Daugherty.

Root will pop up on multiple episodes of the HBO drama, while Bobby Cannavale will come on board as a series regular, playing a gangster rival to Nucky.

Homeland Season 2 Scoop: Who Got Promoted?

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:13:32 EST

Homeland has promoted a pair of actors to series regular status, one of whom is especially intriguing.

According to TV Line, David Marciano will receive more screen time on season two as Virgil, Carrie's most reliable, occasionally criminal partner in surveillance.

Moreover, Navid Negahban has also been made a full-time cast member. And who does this actor portray? Abu Nazir, the infamous terrorist who - based on the second season finale - will supposedly be pulling Brody's D.C.-based strings. Hmmm...

Homeland resumes production in May and will premiere season two some time this fall.

Bradley Whitford to Guest Star on West Wing-Inspired Episode of Parks and Recreation

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:01:09 EST

With Louis CK on his way back to Pawnee next Thursday night, we have some more exciting Parks and Recreation casting news:

Bradley Whitford will guest star on an upcoming episode as a councilman who bears more than a slight resemblance to the actor's most famous character, Josh Lyman on The West Wing.

In fact, Executive Producer Michael Schur tells The Huffington Post that the title of the March episode - "Live Ammo" - is based on a line of dialogue from a West Wing episode, one actually uttered by Parks regular Rob Lowe during his stint on that Emmy-winning drama.

Sadly, though, Lowe will not share any scene with former co-star Whitford.

As for the election itself, Schur said the results will be revealed on the season four finale.

"Since we came up with the idea to have [Leslie] run, we’ve spent a part of every single week discussing the pros and cons of having her winning and her losing," Schur said. "And there are many to both situations. And so we’ve chosen a path that I think maximizes the pros and minimizes the cons."

Pilot Casting Scoops: Autumn Reeser, James Purefoy and More!

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:37:39 EST

This is shaping up to be a very exciting pilot season.

With numerous projects already given the green light across the television dial, networks have moved on to casting for their upcoming new projects. Among the roles that have caught our attention this week:

Andre Braugher and Autumn Reeser will both star in Last Resort, the ABC drama created by The Shield scribe Shawn Ryan and focusing on a U.S. nuclear submarine crew who set up came on their own island.

James Purefoy will join Kevin Bacon on the untitled Kevin Williamson drama that will air on Fox and feature a serial killer (Purefoy) who takes advantage of technology to create his own cult of murderers.

Chi McBride and Kevin Alejandro will play partners on CBS pilot set in the world of cops and centering on a questionable new Police Commissioner.

Alona Tal will come on board Cult, the next CW series from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, which already features Jessica Lucas as the employee of a show on which some fans appear to be basing their own real-life crimes.

Alfred Molina will star as Chief of Surgery on David E. Kelley’s TNT medical drama pilot Chelsea General.

Ben Falcone will anchor a CBS sitcom produced by his wife, Melissa McCarthy. He'll portray a man forced to live with his parents again after losing a fortune in real estate.

Look Who's Returning to The Good Wife...

matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:50:36 EST

A trio of fan favorites will make their way back to The Good Wife later this season.

As first reported by TV Line, viewers can look forward to new appearances by...

Michael J. Fox (pictured) as Louis Canning, who will take on Lockhart/Gardner in a case involving a NHL player.
Jill Flint as FBI agent Lana Delaney, who - we have to assume - will flirt it up with Kalinda once again.
Elizabeth Reaser as Tammy, Will's ex, back from her overseas assignment.

The Good Wife returns with a new episode on February 19, but which of these return has you most excited?

Jonathan Banks to Guest Star on Ringer

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:53:32 EST

Best of luck, Agent Machado. You may need it.

Zap2It confirms that Jonathan Banks - best known for playing very tough guy Mike on Breaking Bad - will guest star on Ringer in April in the role of Tobias, a criminal described in casting notes as "weathered, sarcastic and confident." Expect him to cause major problems for the show's number-one FBI agent.

The character has the potential to recur.

Ringer, meanwhile, airs a new episode on Tuesday. Check out the official promo for "It's Easy to Cry, When This Much Cash is Involved" now:

Ringer Promo: "It's Easy To Cry, When This Much Cash Is Involved"

Justin Kirk Lands Lead in Animal Kingdom

matt@tvfanatic.com (TV Fanatic Staff) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:41:02 EST

Justin Kirk has been placed in charge of an Animal Kingdom.

The Weeds star will anchor this upcoming comedy pilot on NBC, taking on the role of Dr. George Coleman, described in casting notices as a veterinarian with a far greater fondness for animals than humans.

Kirk has guest-starred a couple times as Mitchell's boss on Modern Family, but is best known for his hilarious turn as Andy on Weeds. It's unknown whether or not this new role will affect his standing on that show's final season.