EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Matt Czuchry (Cary Agos) of The Good Wife
 

Nick posted this on his twitter, which was followed by a cute pic ;)

Tom Wilkinson, Evan Rachel Wood, Kevin Kline and Alexis Bledel will join James McAvoy and Robin Wright Penn in the drama, which is being financed by the American Film Co., a venture headed by online brokerage entrepreneur Joe Ricketts.

Shooting began Monday in Savannah, Georgia.

Wright Penn plays Mary Surratt, the only female charged in the conspiracy to kill the president, and McAvoy plays Frederick Aiken, the war hero assigned to defend her. Wilkinson will play Reverdy Johnson, the former attorney general who as U.S. Senator is the mentor to the young lawyer, and sympathetic to Surratt. Wood plays Surratt’s daughter, Anna, and Kline plays Lincoln’s War Secretary Edwin Stanton. Bledel plays Aiken’s wife, Catherine Morgan.

Redford is producing with AFC’s Robert Stone, Webster Stone and Brian Falk and Kingsgate Films’ Greg Shapiro. Wildwood Enterprises’ Bill Holderman is exec producer.

Justin Long also plays a role.

James Solomon wrote the script.

Why did you decide to take the part?
LAUREN GRAHAM: It’s the best thing I’ve read. It’s was really that simple.

Any trepidation about signing another long-term TV commitment?
GRAHAM: Yeah. I’ve been out of that work for, I guess it’s been two-and-half years now. I did a Broadway show, I did three movies… I [enjoyed] working freelance like that. So, strangely, as much as I’ve been looking for a series almost since I ended that last one, it was almost like, “But wait… ” I’ve enjoyed [the variety] of projects I’ve done. That’s hard to think about giving up.

Why join an ensemble instead of continuing to pursue your own vehicle?
GRAHAM: Well, it’s just so good. As I said to [executive producer] Jason Katims, I’m used to seeing my character on every single page [of the script]. But my favorite dramas were ensembles like The West Wing and Studio 60… This was put in front of me and I responded instinctually. It was just something I really wanted to do.

Sarah shares some things in common with Lorelai.
GRAHAM: She’s a woman. She probably wears jeans. [Laughs]. She’s a single mom, yes, but I don’t think the tone of the show is the same. The sound of Gilmore Girls, that voice, is so unique to Amy [Sherman-Palladino]. This show has its own voice. It’s a grown-up show, too. It doesn’t have some of the more whimsical elements of [Gilmore Girls]. It’s more realistic.

You’ll probably have fewer lines of dialogue to memorize, too.
GRAHAM: [Laughs] Jason’s language is very elegant and economical — and that’s not to put [Gilmore Girls] down. Nothing will ever be like that. The thing that was most important to me is to have a writer who I feel can really write something that I’m dying to do, ’cause that’s what I had last time. And this is how that felt to me. So whether or not it seems like the logical next step, I just really responded to the material and that’s where I had good luck last time. [When I considered doing Gilmore], people were like, “Oh, it’s the WB” and “Oh, you’re playing a mom.” I’ve had good luck just following my instincts.

Will anything change about the character now that you’re playing her?
GRAHAM: I’m getting together to talk with Jason this weekend. That’s one of the key things [I liked] about this job was he was like, “I really want to hear what you want [this role] to be.” We’re still kind of working that out a little bit. What I said to him is I’m interested in the flawed part of her. For seven years I played someone who people come up and say, “I wish my mom was just like Lorelai.” That’s not this character. She’s not perfect. She’s funny and smart and she’s doing a pretty good job, but she’s struggling, and that’s what I’m drawn to. In my experience, it’s the less noble parts of someone that are the most interesting, especially over a long story.

Now for the big question: Does this mean you won’t have time to shoot the Gilmore Girls movie?
GRAHAM: [Laughs] Mike, [the movie's] in the can. It’s coming soon to a theater near you.

Amy Sherman-Palladino, the genius behind Gilmore Girls, has signed on to write and executive-produce a dramatic comedy on HBO and I’m really excited for her.  So many of the shows on that network are top-notch and I am hoping that she will get the chance to create another series that will not only entertain audiences but will also gain her the recognition she deserves.

The show will follow the lives of three adult sisters who, according to the Hollywood Reporter, are “all writers sharing the same upper east side apartment building, and their mother, a domineering literary lioness who reserves most of her affections for their ne’er-do-well brother.”

That could really set the tone for some intricate relationship dynamics between the characters!  "It’s a story of love, hate, family — and finding the perfect opening line," Sherman-Palladino said.

This is the first time Sherman-Palladino will be working on a show for a cable network

Lauren Graham replaces Maura Tierney on NBC drama, 'Parenthood'

A "Gilmore" girl is making the move to "Parenthood."

Lauren Graham, star of the now defunct fan-favorite CW series, "Gilmore Girls," will be stepping in to replace Maura Tierney on the television drama based off the 1989 Ron Howard film.

Tierney, best known for her run as Abby Lockhart on NBC's "ER," dropped out of the role because of her treatment for breast cancer.

The 44-year-old actress initially was given a two month break from the series, according to EOnline, but it was determined she would need more time and ultimately left the series.

Graham, 42, will play the role of Sarah Braverman. Her husband on the series is played by "Six Feet Under" star Peter Krause.

'Parenthood' exclusive: Helen Hunt out! Lauren Graham in?

Melissa McCarthy had joined the not-so-well-received sitcom Hank as a recurring guest star, Dawn, sister-in-law to the main character. Definitely not the main sidekick roles we have seen her do for shows likes Gilmore Girls or Samantha Who?. The role of Dawn will now be acted by Crista Flanagan (Mad Men).

Ausiello indicates that Melissa McCarthy dropped out of the role when she landed a supporting part in the romantic comedy Life As We Know It, a new movie starring Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel. There are no details yet about her role, but I think this is promising. Since critics hadn’t received Hank well in screening, I think it will do a great deal more for Melissa to be a part of a large film than a (potentially) sinking pilot!