Sara Gilbert was a regular presence on the small screen for years thanks to her status as a co-host on The Talk, and then cast member of Roseanne and subsequently The Conners. She recently quit The Talk, but she's already picked up another show, and it will take her to Netflix. Gilbert is joining the cast of the streaming giant's unique dramedy Atypical.
On Atypical, Sara Gilbert will play a university ethics professor by the name of Judd. The professor is capable of compassion, but more often "irritable, strict and chronically underwhelmed," according to People. Gilbert is slated to appear in the upcoming third season, which will be comprised of ten episodes running a half hour each.
Atypical stars Keir Gilchrist as the 18-year-old Sam, who is on the autism spectrum and wants to continue his search for independence and love. He graduated high school in Season 2, so Sara Gilbert's character will presumably come into play as Sam moves into the next stage in his life. On top of Gilchrist and Gilbert, Atypical stars Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Rapaport, and Brigette Lundy-Paine.
Sara Gilbert took to Twitter to confirm her casting and reveal that she was a fan of Atypical even before landing the role:
News of Sara Gilbert's Atypical casting comes only weeks after she announced her intention to leave CBS' daytime talk show The Talk. As the creator and one of the original co-hosts, Gilbert's decision to depart was a very big deal, and she was emotional when she explained her reasons for the big move.
According to Sara Gilbert, her life was out of balance after acting on and producing The Conners while also contributing to The Talk, and she didn't have as much time for her family as she would have liked. While Gilbert landing a new role so soon after leaving The Talk might have seemed a bit rich, she did explain in her address to The Talk viewers that she's looking to do more producing and acting.
She may have had time to continue doing both The Conners and The Talk if she'd been so inclined, but it's unlikely she could have pulled off The Conners, The Talk, and Atypical even if she'd wanted to. Sara Gilbert has also said that she'll "come back" and "guest co-host" on The Talk, so she won't be gone for good now that she's exploring further acting opportunities.
There's no news of when Atypical Season 3 will premiere with Sara Gilbert on board. The first season premiered in August 2017, and the second in September 2018. If Season 3 follows the trend, it could debut in late summer/early autumn. There will be plenty of options on Netflix in the coming weeks, though. The Conners will likely be back for its second season in the fall as well.
