HBO has found Danny McBride's other vice principal.
Justified star Walton Goggins has nabbed the co-lead in HBO's straight-to-series comedy Vice Principals, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Additionally, Boardwalk Empire alum Shea Whigham — currently co-starring on ABC's Agent Carter — will return to HBO with a supporting role in the comedy.
Created by Eastbound & Down duo McBride and Jody Hill, Vice Principals tells the story of a high school and the people who almost run it, the vice principals. McBride stars as Neal Gamby, the divorced vice principal in charge of discipline at the school.
Goggins, who is currently wrapping the final season of FX critical darling Justified, will co-star as Lee Russell, the vice principal of curriculum at Lincoln High who is a conniving politician that enters into an unholy alliance with Gamby.
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Goggins — who earned an Emmy nomination for his role as Justified's Boyd Crowder, has also recurred on FX's Sons of Anarchy. Vice Principals will mark his first series regular gig in a comedy series. His upcoming feature slate includes The Hateful Eight and This Is All of Us, which he also exec produces. He's repped by ICM Partners and Darris Hatch Management.
Whigham is set as Ray Liptrapp, the new husband of Gamby's ex, and frequent target of his hostility — despite being a genuine and supportive guy. Whigham, who played Eli Thompson on Boardwalk, is recurring on ABC's midseason Marvel drama Agent Carter. He also recently did two episodes of HBO's True Detective and has feature credits including The Wolf of Wall Street, American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook. He's repped by CAA, DBA and Morris Yorn.
They join Busy Philipps — whose Cougar Town is also wrapping its run this season. She portrays Gale, Neal's ex-wife and Ray's new bride.
McBride co-created the series and will exec produce alongside Hill, fellow co-creator David Gordon Green and Stephanie Laing, who all exec produced Eastbound. HBO picked up the long-in-the-works comedy with a massive 18-episode straight-to-series pickup in May.
A premiere date for Vice Principals has not yet been determined.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
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