Author: Philiana Ng, Lesley Goldberg

AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

Sarah-Jane Potts

Fox’s Broadchurch adaptation Gracepoint has found a replacement for Georgina Rylance.

British actress Sarah-Jane Potts will now play attractive hotel owner Gemma, the role Rylance — who recently exited the series — was originally set to play, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

The 10-part series Gracepoint, which In Treatment’s Dan Futterman and Anya Epstein have been tapped to run, follows the events and investigation that unfold in the sleepy seaside town of Gracepoint after the tragic and mysterious death of a young boy.

Potts joins a cast that includes David Tennant, who also stars in Broadchurch; Anna Gunn; Jacki Weaver; Nick Nolte; and Michael Pena. Kevin Rankin, Virginia Kull, Jessica Lucas, Kevin Zegers, Madalyn Horcher, Stephen Louis Grush and Kendrick Sampson co-star.

Gracepoint, which began production in Vancouver in January, will debut during the 2014-15 season.

Potts starred in 2005’s Kinky Boots opposite Chiwetel Ejiofor and Joel Edgerton, and she most recently appeared in TV’s Holby City and Waterloo Road. She is repped by Pakula/King, Cole Kitchen Management, Precision and Meghan Schumacher.

Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

John Shea

TNT’s Agent X drama has found its president.

Gossip Girl alum John Shea has joined the drama project led by Sharon Stone, who plays the first female vice president, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

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Described as National Treasure meets The Bourne Identity, Agent X follows an unseen person who works to protect the country and its citizens from all manner of threats by any means necessary in times of extreme crisis when traditional law and government aren’t in a position to help. Created by the original founding fathers but hidden from the view of the public, there is an agent of unknown identity that is trained and ready to serve — deployed only at the careful discretion of Vice President Natalie Maccabee (Stone).

Shea will play President Eckhart, a Southern politician and a “salt of the earth” man, who gives Natalie the key to her new mansion and introduces her to Malcolm Millar, and later chairs the emergency Cabinet meeting after Missy Stanton is kidnapped.

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From The Bourne Identity‘s William Blake Herron, the action/adventure project hails from Turner Originals. Armyan Bernstein (Air Force One, Children of Men and Castle) is on board to executive produce. Mike Colter co-stars as  Speaker of the House Miles Latham.

Shea appeared on The CW’s Gossip Girl as Blair Waldorf’s gay father Harold and starred in Mutant X and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman as Lex Luthor. Recent TV credits include The Good Wife, Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He is repped by SMS Talent, Henraux Management and Shelter Entertainment.

Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube

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Goran Visnjic

CBS’ Extant has found Halle Berry‘s on-screen husband.

ER alum Goran Visnjic has joined the Steven Spielberg-produced summer series, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Dallas Buyers Club actor Michael O’Neill has also boarded the upcoming entry.

Extant is a futuristic thriller about a female astronaut named Molly (Berry) trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space. The character’s experiences lead to events that ultimately change the course of human history.

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Visnjic will play John Watts, Molly’s husband. O’Neill has been cast as Alvin Sparks, an ex-astronaut who is now the director of the privatized space program.

They join a cast that includes Looper breakout Pierce Gagnon, who will portray Berry’s on-screen son, and Camryn Manheim, playing Molly’s best friend.

Spielberg, along with Greg Walker and Mickey Fisher, who penned the script for the CBS Television Studios and Amblin Television effort, will executive produce the series with Brooklyn Weaver, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

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CBS Television Distribution will handle domestic distribution, while CBS Studios International will handle worldwide rights. Berry will co-exec produce.

Visnjic, best known as Dr. Kovac on NBC medical drama ER, starred in ABC’s Red Widow and recurred on Pan Am, Leverage; feature credits include Beginners, The Counselor and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He is repped by WME and Management 360. 

O’Neill’s previous credits include Transformers, J. Edgar, Traffic and TV’s Rectify, Necessary Roughness and Vegas. He is repped by Mitchell K. Stubbs and Innovative Artists.

Extant premieres July 2 at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Email: Philiana.Ng@THR.com; Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @insidethetube; @Snoodit