David Schwimmer is back on the small screen, having been cast alongside Jim Sturgess (21, Cloud Atlas) as lead in an upcoming drama from AMC called Feed the Beast, reports Variety. Schwimmer, of course, is best known for playing the quirky Ross Geller on popular ‘90s and ‘00s sitcom Friends.
In this new show, which is based on a Danish series called Bankerot (which translates to “Bankrupt”), Schwimmer will play Tommy Moran and Sturgess Dion Patrats, two best friends who finally get around to fulfilling their dream of opening up a restaurant. Joel Stillerman, President of Original Programming and Development for AMC and SundanceTV calls it a “layered character piece.”
Certainly, the description doesn’t exactly make the plot sound riveting. That said, knowing that Clyde Philips, who worked on both Dexter and Nurse Jackie, will serve as executive producer and showrunner puts some serious muscle behind it. Also executive producing alongside Philips is Henrik Ruben Genz, Malene Blenkov, and Piv Bernth.
In addition to Schwimmer and Sturgess, the show has cast a number of other players, including Michael Gladis (Mad Men, House of Lies), who will play a soft-spoken mobster known as “The Tooth Fairy” (you can guess why he got the nickname); Christine Adams (Batman Begins, Agents of SHIELD) as Tommy’s late wife (flashbacks, perhaps?); John Doman (The Wire, The Affair) as Tommy’s ruthless and racist father; and Elijah Jacob (Spot On) as Tommy’s son.
Since Friends wrapped in 2004, Schwimmer has been relatively absent from the TV scene, appearing instead in a number of plays, including The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial on Broadway. He also did some directing, including the 2007 comedy Run Fatboy Run and the 2008 off-Broadway play Fault Lines. He has also lent his distinctive voice to the Melman character in the animated franchise Madagascar, and has appeared as himself in former Friends co-star Matt Leblanc’s show Episodes (2015). He also appeared on Web Therapy, another show starring a former Friends co-star, Lisa Kudrow.
It seems these days, Schwimmer is back in the saddle full force. In addition to starring in this new show for AMC, he will also be playing Rob Kardashian in the intriguing series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, which is currently in production.
London-born Sturgess, meanwhile, is best known for his work on the movie 21, in the crime drama Crossing Over alongside Harrison Ford, Ray Liotta, and Ashley Judd, and in the sci-fi film Cloud Atlas. His breakout role was in 2007’s Across the Universe, the Beatles-based jukebox musical. He most recently appeared in Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (2015), and is also a cast member of upcoming British TV mini-series Close to the Enemy, which will be broadcast in the U.S. on Starz.
Produced by AMC Studios and Lionsgate in association with Clyde Phillips Productions, Feed the Beast is set to premiere in May. Filming in New York City, there will be 10 hour-long episodes in the first season.
