It was just over 20 years ago when Katie Holmes first hit it big with TV audiences on the teen drama Dawson's Creek, and she's now set up to potentially take on her biggest TV role since portraying Joey Potter for six seasons. (No, not in a reunion.) Holmes has been cast as the lead for an in-development drama at Fox hailing from Empire and Person of Interest writer/producers.
The currently untitled project sounds like Homeland through the prism of Shonda Rhimes, and it will see Katie Holmes playing FBI Special Agent Hazel Otis during a time of major crisis. While she's neck-deep in a terrorism investigation, Hazel is further burdened by the public discovering she is also in the "other woman" in a relationship with a married, high-level general. Her life takes a downward turn as she gets labeled "the mistress" by the outside world, and she then must struggle to claw back the life and relationships she once had, both personally and professionally.
There's the potential for some majorly meaty material there, and Katie Holmes does know a thing or two about having her personal life picked apart by onlookers. Her marriage with Tom Cruise is still making headlines after all these years, and her current relationship with Jamie Foxx is getting publicized for the lack of publicity it has received. So the actress, who also serves as executive producer for the pilot, will likely bring some firsthand motivation to the role of Hazel.
According to TVLine, the pilot will be written by Ilene Chaiken, the Empire scribe who also created beloved drama The L Word, and Melissa Scrivner Love, who has worked on Person of Interest, Rosewood, CSI: Miami and more. (With Chaiken involved, perhaps it's no coincidence that The L Word vet Rose Rollins was also cast in the pilot following the Holmes announcement.) The duo will executive produce alongside Holmes, Scandal's Judy Smith and The Mick's Oly Obst.
Katie Holmes made a sweet turn in last year's Logan Lucky on the big screen, and she'll soon be seen opposite Michael Caine and Odeya Rush in the comedic satire Dear Dictator. On the small screen, Holmes most recently reprised her portrayal of Jackie Kennedy for the follow-up miniseries The Kennedys: After Camelot. Other than a recurring role on Ray Donovan's third season, though, this new project will be her first big role in an ongoing series since Dawson's Creek.
We'll be on the lookout for more news about Katie Holmes' potential return to TV, and we're optimistic good things will come. IN the meantime, head to our midseason premiere schedule to see all the new and returning shows that'll be here soon.
