EXCLUSIVE: Former Smash star Jack Davenport is set as a lead opposite Lucy Liu in CBS All Access’ Why Women Kill, a darkly comedic drama from Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry, Imagine Television Studios and CBS TV Studios.
Created by Cherry, Why Women Kill details the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the ‘60s (Ginnifer Goodwin), a socialite in the ‘80s (Liu) and a lawyer in 2018 (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. The series will examine how the roles of women have changed but how their reaction to betrayal has not.
Davenport will play Karl. Seen in 1982. Karl is handsome, well-bred and “endlessly amused by his wife,” Simone (Liu), whose extravagance he indulges. He knows he’s a supporting player in his wife’s life but happy to play his part. Karl is devastated and defeated when Simone uncovers a part of his life that he has kept hidden from her.
Cherry will serve as executive producer alongside Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Francie Calfo, and Acme Productions’ Michael Hanel and Mindy Schultheis. Marc Webb will direct and also executive produce. Why Women Kill is produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios.
Davenport, who co-starred as James Norrington in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and appeared in Kingsman: The Secret Service, last was seen on television recurring opposite Jay Pharroah on Showtime’s White Famous. He soon will be seen opposite Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon in The Morning Show for Apple and on film in The Stolen, an adventure western starring Alice Eve. Davenport, whose series credits also include FlashForward and Swingtown, is repped by Gersh, Thruline Entertainment and Hamilton Hodell.
