Her?In an inspired bit of casting, ABC has snagged Mae Whitman for drama pilot Good Behavior. Written and executive produced by Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) and based on Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune, the plot revolves around the Wests, a Las Vegas family of thieves and low-lifes who are forced by their headstrong mother to become model members of society after their patriarch lands in prison with a five-year sentence. (For a more detailed look, here's my rundown of Thomas' hysterical pilot script.)
Whitman, best known perhaps for her star turn as George-Michael's devout girlfriend Ann Veal (a.k.a. Egg, Yam, and Ann-Hog) on Arrested Development, will star in Good Behavior's pilot as 16-year-old Roxy West, a plucky teen who creates a business out of selling the hall passes and excuse slips she has blackmailed from her high school's principal.
It's a role that Thomas would have undoubtedly cast Kristin Bell in a few years ago and I think Whitman will be absolutely perfect in this part. Those of us who saw her performance as Jamie Sommers' deaf sister in the original pilot of Bionic Woman know that Whitman can definitely pull off that chip on my shoulder the size of the Ritz sort of teen angst with ease and I think she'll be a good fit with the quirky comedy and soap antics of Good Behavior.
Also cast in the pilot: Patrick Adams (Lost, Friday Night Lights), who will play diametrically-opposite twins Van and Haden West (and, yes, their names' similarity to Van Halen is very, very intentional); one of whom is a sleezy lowlife and the other a successful lawyer who has tried to stay out of the family's, er, "business."
Still no news if Rene Russo has been cast in the critical role of West family matriarch Jackie. Fingers crossed that ABC does manage to lure Russo to television with this dynamic role... and that Good Behavior lands a series order.
Stay tuned.
Comments
Rob Thomas definitely was an "Arrested" fan as this makes the third time he's cast someone from that show in his own (Michael Cera and Alia Shawkat were on Veronica Mars). Maybe next we'll hear that Steve Holt has been cast in Cupid!