Alvina August has been cast in a recurring role in Bob Odenkirk’s upcoming AMC dramedy series “Straight Man,” Variety has learned.
The series is based on the novel of the same name by Richard Russo. It was ordered to series at AMC in April. In addition to Odenkirk, previously announced cast members include Sara Amini, Diedrich Bader, Suzanne Cryer, Mireille Enos, Olivia Scott Welch, Arthur Keng, and Cedric Yarbrough.
Per the official logline, the show follows “William Henry Devereaux Jr. (Odenkirk), the unlikely chairman of the English department at a college in the Pennsylvania Rust Belt.”
August will appear as June Washington-Chen, described as “an English professor who is temperate and careful. She is as savvy and individually minded as her husband, English professor Teddy Washington-Chen (Keng).”
August currently stars as Detective Karen Hart in the CW series “Nancy Drew,” which is ending after its current fourth season. She has also appeared in shows such as “Woke” at Hulu, “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” at Netflix, and “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” at NBC. In features, she has been in films like “Noelle,” “Bad Times at the El Royale,” and “The Intruder.”
She is repped by Buchwald and Elevate Entertainment in the U.S. and Performers Management in Canada.
Aaron Zelman and Paul Lieberstein are adapting the novel for the screen and will serve as co-showrunners and executive producers on the series. Odenkirk will executive produce in addition to starring. Peter Farrelly is onboard to direct and executive produce. Russo, Naomi Odenkirk, Mark Johnson, and Marc Provissiero will also executive produce. TriStar TV and Gran Via produce. The show is slated for a 2023 debut. The first season will be eight one-hour episodes.