Jason Kempin/Getty Images
She joins a cast that includes leading man Justin Long as the coach.
Wanda Sykes is staying put at ABC.
The actress, who has recurred on the network's Black-ish, has booked a co-starring role in the family-comedy pilot Dream Team.
The single-camera comedy revolves around Marty Schumacher (Justin Long), who coached his last club-soccer team for 10 years, ultimately taking them to the national championships. He now has to start from scratch with a diverse group of 8-year-olds and their disparate parents.
Sykes will portray Leslie, a competitive ob-gyn who has a passion for sports. The character is excited to help her daughter, Miley, land a spot on a nationally ranked soccer team — and is upset that her wife, the artsy Michaela (Lindsey Kraft), doesn’t share her same enthusiasm and is trying to dissuade Miley from playing.
Will & Grace alums Kari Lizer and Bill Wrubel will pen the script for Warner Bros. Television and executive produce alongside Marc Buckland, who will direct the pilot.
Sykes joins a cast that also includes Michael Mosley, Michelle Buteau and Wynn Everett.
Sykes' credits include NBC's Last Comic Standing, Amazon's Alpha House and CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine. She's repped by UTA and attorney Roger A. Pliakas.
Keep up with all the latest pickups, castings and eventual series orders with THR's handy guide to pilot season.
Pilot Season
