*resumes work on pilot spec*

Late Pass, if necessary... and I don't believe the producers' statement for one second...

And damn, the female lead is HOT:

http://www.shadowandact.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/bwaytv_58579158networkglobal1014200952239pm-1.jpg


shadowandact.com:

>Black British Actress Cast Opposite Boris Kodjoe In J. J. Abrams “Undercovers” (TV)

By Tambay, on January 13th, 2010

Last month, I posted an entry on the surprise casting of Boris Kodjoe in wunderkind director J.J. Abrams’ pilot for NBC, titled Undercovers – a planned hour-long prime-time TV series that was described as Mr & Mrs Smith meets The Bourne Identity, and revolves around spouses Mr & Mrs Steven and Samantha Bloom, a domesticated husband and wife who are re-activated as CIA agents after years in retirement, with Kodjoe set to play Mr Bloom.

Naturally, the question many of us had was whether Abrams and NBC would have the guts to cast a woman of African descent to play Mrs Bloom in the program, and, well, we now officially have our answer!

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, after a lengthy search, British actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw has landed the female lead opposite Boris Kodjoe in Undercovers.

Who, you ask?

Mbatha-Raw, a graduate of London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, broke through during the summer when she was cast as Ophelia opposite Jude Law in the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet, which had successful runs in London’s West End and on Broadway.

The daughter of a black South African doctor and an white British nurse, Mbatha-Raw hasn’t appeared on American TV but has done arcs on several popular British series including Spooks and Doctor Who.

So… yes, both characters are bi-racial. Let’s just get that out of the way! And I’m sure there’ll be some of you who’ll undoubtedly have problems with that. Colorism issues abound, and we can certainly go on forever debating the choices. However, when was the last time we saw a pair of actors in lead roles, on an hour-long, prime-time TV series, on a major network, created by a major talent, that weren’t white? Especially in a show like this, that isn’t pure comedy, or drama.

So it goes…

THR does state that although Kodjoe and Mbatha-Raw are both biracial, producers of the show stated that “casting on the leads for the pilot was done color-blind,” as they looked for the actors who best fit the characters and had the best chemistry.

Abrams also will direct, marking the first pilot he has helmed since Lost in 2004.
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