Nahnatchka Khan is drawing from the Apartment 23 talent pool to cast her Fox comedy pilot Fatrick.
The writer/executive producer behind the comedy about a former fat kid has tapped Apartment 23 alum Ray Ford to co-star in the single-camera vehicle, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Fatrick centers on Patrick, a 30-something man who realizes that his life isn't quite where it should be. The former fat kid is forced to face the damage caused by years of being "Fatrick" -- a cubby little kid just trying to survive. The comedy will take place both in the past -- showing "Fatrick" at school and at home -- as well as in the present.
STORY: Nahnatchka Khan Comedy 'Fatrick' Gets Pilot Order at Fox
Ford will play Maurice, Patrick's best friend from childhood to the present day. He's the only one of Patrick's friends who knows "both Patricks." Present-day Maurice serves as a therapist for Patrick. He points out the fact that they both experienced delayed adolescence. "Think about it, you didn’t lose weight until college. That’s when I came out. So the two of us, we missed out on that whole high school, hormones raging part of our lives. We never went to the cool parties, never went to prom, we spent the formative years of our lives in our rooms playing World of Warcraft, yanking it to Scott Wolf and Tiffani Thiessen, respectively. So at 30, we’re really emotionally 21. We’re a good nine years behind our peers.”
Meanwhile, Dante Hoagland (30 Rock) will portray the 12-year-old version of Maurice, who was the unabashedly gay kid and Patrick's only and best friend. He doesn't apologize for who he is and is teased for being different -- only Maurice doesn't let it get to him. He's unafraid and is confident in who he is. Neither Maurice nor Patrick is very athletic but Maurice still gets picked for the kickball team first, even though he isn’t even playing. He’s sitting on the playground, setting Barbie’s hair in curlers: “Don’t pick me, I am not playing.” Patrick: “I am, I’m playing, I’m available to be picked!” The kids are like, uh, we’ll take Maurice."
Ford is repped by Amsel, Eisenstadt, Frazier & Hinojosa and Rectangle Entertainment. Hoagland is with SGM and Stone Meyer.
Khan and Apartment 23 co-EP Corey Nickerson penned the pilot, which will be directed by Oscar winners Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Descendants, The Way Way Back). Fatrick hails from 20th Century Fox Television, where Khan is under an overall deal. Kevin Walsh (The Way Way Back) and Jeff Morton will also exec produce alongside Khan, Nickerson, Faxon and Rash.
Ford played James Van Der Beek's snarky assistant Luther on ABC's short-lived comedy Don’t Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. He was promoted to series regular during the comedy's its second season.
E-mail: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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