‘Party Down’s’ Ken Marino to Star in NBC Comedy Pilot ‘The Gates’

Ken Marino Headshot - P 2011

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Ken Marino

NBC's The Gates has added two leading men to its ranks.

Party Down's Ken Marino has been tapped to star, while The Last Airbender's Aasif Mandvi has also joined the cast of the British adaptation, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

Marino will play Mark, a lovable sweet and well-meaning puppy-dog of a guy married to type-A personality Helen (House of Lies' Kathleen Rose Perkins). He's described as a type-A -- or B, C or D -- personality who has his own construction business and has a more flexible schedule than his wife, meaning he'l be able to spend more time at the elementary school at the center of the comedy.

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Based on the British comedy of the same name, Gates revolves around the parents and staff who navigate the twice-daily social landmine that exists at the school drop-off gates of an elementary school.

For his part, Mandvi will play Trevor, a driven Yale-educated lawyer described as a "super dad" who's a super-driven father to two similarly competitive kids who gives Mark and Helen an inferiority complex. He's married to Christina Kirk's character, Sarah.

The King of Queens duo Cathy Yuspa and Josh Goldsmith will write and executive produce the 20th Television single-camera comedy.

Marino, whose credits include Childrens Hospital and Wet Hot American Summer, is repped by Paradigm, IFA and Principato-Young. Mandvi, whose résumé includes the upcoming Movie 43 and Jericho, is with ICM Partners and Sweet180.

Email: Lesley.Goldberg@thr.com; Twitter: @Snoodit

Lesley Goldberg