This article was updated at 5 p.m.
Stage and screen thesp Craig Bierko has landed the lead role in Michael J. Fox’s ABC laffer “Hench at Home,” while feature director Mark Pellington will helm the CBS drama pilot “Cold Cases.”
Also, Antonio Sabato Jr. and Al Santos have joined the cast of the WB’s comedy pilot “The Help,” while Theresa Russell has hopped on board the Frog drama “Chasing Alice.”
Bierko will play Terry Hench, a father of three and pro hockey player who’s forced to retire. Fox, who created and wrote the pilot, based the character on himself.
“I’ve been a Bierko fan for a long time, and Terry Hench gives Craig a chance to be warm, appealing and very funny,” Fox said. “Personally, I have a lot invested in this character, and I couldn’t feel better about the actor portraying him.”
Tony nom for ‘Music’
Bierko received a Tony nomination as the lead in the Broadway revival of “The Music Man” and recently starred in ABC drama “The Court.” His credits also include guest appearances on “Sex and the City” and “Ally McBeal.”
Thesp, who’s repped by CAA and Handprint, next appears in the feature “Dickie Roberts.” He also acted in the films “The Long Kiss Goodnight” and “The Thirteenth Floor.”
John Fortenberry (“Everybody Loves Raymond”) will direct the “Hench at Home” pilot, which is exec produced by Fox, Mitch Hurwitz and Danelle Black. Sitcom pilot comes from Touchstone TV and DreamWorks TV, as well as Fox’s Lottery Hill shingle.
Return to TV
Meanwhile, for Pellington, “Cold Cases” reps the feature director’s first foray into television series since he directed episodes of “Homicide: Life on the Street” in the mid-1990s.
The helmer, who’s repped by UTA, directed thriller “The Mothman Prophecies” as well as the feature “Arlington Road.” He also directed PBS series “The United States of Poetry” and was a prolific musicvideo helmer (he won the MTV Video Music Award for directing Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy”).
- Sabato (“Melrose Place”) and Santos (“Grosse Pointe”) have been tapped for the WB comedy project “The Help.” Scribe Ron Leavitt (“Married … With Children”) is exec producing the half-hour with Marty Adelstein for Warner Bros. TV and Original.
Show focuses on the domestic servants of some very rich people in the vein of “Upstairs/Downstairs.” Sabato is repped by Paradigm, while Santos is repped by Don Buchwald & Associates and Steven Fenton.
- Vet thesp Russell (“Wild Things”) has been added to the cast of the WB drama “Chasing Alice.”
“Alice” — about a female inspector from Scotland Yard who moves to Gotham to find her missing sister — is inspired by the “Alice in Wonderland” mythology. Show comes from Warner Bros. TV and First Move.
Comicbook scribe Scott Lobdell penned the project, which comes from Michigan J. Prods. and Suzanne Daniels’ First Move Prods. Russell, whose credits also include the recent series “Glory Days,” is repped by Innovative and Untitled Entertainment.
- Geoffrey Lewis (“The Way of the Gun”) has joined the cast of the ABC comedy pilot “My Life With Men.” He’ll play Paul in the Touchstone project. He’s repped by WMA. Also, Richard Gunn (“Dark Angel”), has been added to the cast of the Alphabet web drama “The Partners.” Gunn is repped by Thruline and Metropolitan.
- UPN’s untitled Nanobots show (formerly known as “Weapons X”) has found much of its cast. Chris Gorham (“Popular”) will star, along with Marina Black (“Six Feet Under”) and Matt Czuchry (“Young Americans”).
Czuchry is repped by ICM and 3 Arts, Black by Paradigm and Gorham by SMS.
(Melissa Grego contributed to this report.)
