Casting News - November 16, 2016
ABC's Modern Family; FOX's Empire; Hulu's Casual, Harlots, The Mindy Project & The Path; National Geographic's Genius; NBC's Chicago Fire; Showtime's Billions; TLC's Too Close to Home; and USA's Colony.
TLC's TOO CLOSE TO HOME
- The scripted drama from Tyler Perry will return for its 8-episode second season on Wednesday, January 4 at 10/9c. The new season stars Danielle Savre, Kelly Sullivan, Brock O'Hurn, Brad Benedict, Brooke Anne Smith, Trisha Rae Stahl, Alpha Trivette, Robert Craighead, Curran Walters, Annie Thrash, Justin Gabriel, Nick Ballard, Charles Justo and Heather Locklear.
FOX's EMPIRE
- Rumer Willis (Dancing with the Stars, Pretty Little Liars) has joined the drama's third season in a recurring role. She will play Tory Ash, an acclaimed singer-songwriter whose talent becomes integral to Jamal's (Jussie Smollett) most important musical project yet.
HULU's CASUAL, HARLOTS THE MINDY PROJECT and THE PATH
- The online streaming service has announced premiere dates for four of its original series today. The second season of The Path starring Aaron Paul, Michelle Monaghan and Hugh Dancy will begin on Wednesday, January 25. The second half of the fifth season of The Mindy Project will debut on Tuesday, February 14. The first season of drama Harlots starring Samantha Morton will start on Wednesday, March 29. The third season of Casual starring Michaela Watkins and Tommy Dewey will premiere on Tuesday, May 23.
SHOWTIME's BILLIONS
- Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds) and Danny Strong (Empire) will appear on the drama's second season. Parker will play George Minchak, a brilliant strategist. Strong will play Todd Krakow, a stylish and smooth hedge fund whale who becomes the latest conflicting heat to butt up against Axe (Damian Lewis).
ABC's MODERN FAMILY
- Saturday Night Live star Vanessa Bayer will guest star in the December 14 episode of the comedy's eighth season. She will play a pesky PTA mom who tries to persuade Gloria (Sofia Vergara) and Claire (Julie Bowen) to volunteer at the high school. Gloria and Claire then hatch a plan to fix her up with Principal Brown (Andy Daly) at the school's winter dance.
USA's COLONY
- William Russ (Boy Meets World), Keiko Agena (Gilmore Girls) and Paolo Andino (The Last Ship) have joined the drama's upcoming second season in recurring roles. Russ will play Hennessey, a seen-it-all ex-spy who always had more brains than brawn and now serves as a lateral bridge between the many Resistance cells. This privileged and dangerous position allows him to help Broussard (Tory Kittles) unravel one of the big mysteries surrounding the Los Angeles bloc's purpose. Agena will play Betsy, a co-worker of Will (Josh Holloway) and Jennifer's (Kathleen Rose Perkins) at Homeland Security. She is the one friendly face they can rely on, but as the politics of the Occupation take a dark turn, she finds herself placed in a compromising position. Andino will play Howard, a Redhat whose loyalties will be tested when he meets Broussard.
NBC's CHICAGO FIRE
- Rookie Blue alum Charlotte Sullivan has booked a recurring role on the drama's fifth season. She will play a patient in need of a bone marrow transplant who Severide (Taylor Kinney) decides to help.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC's GENIUS
- Shannon Tarbet, Claire Rushbrook and Robert Lindsay have landed recurring roles on the upcoming drama starring Geoffrey Rush. Tarbet will play Marie Winteler, a beautiful, bright and warm-hearted schoolteacher from a good Swiss family. Rushbrook will play Pauline Einstein, Albert's mother who is overly doting and opinionated but only wants what is best for her son. Lindsay will play Hermann Einstein, Albert's father who is old-fashioned, stern and wants his son to succeed in the traditional way.
