There’s been another great addition to the downright stellar cast being assemble for USA’s Greg Berlanti project, Political Animals. Ellen Burstyn, a multiple Oscar nominee with a win for Best Actress under her belt, has joined the cast to play Sigourney Weaver’s mother. This should be an interesting family dynamic.
Deadline reports that Burstyn has signed on for the six-episode series that will air on USA this summer. The story revolves around Elaine Barrish, played by Sigourney Weaver, a former first lady and current Secretary of State who is struggling with the recent dissolution of her marriage as well as a failed bid at the Presidential nomination. Meanwhile, she has to contend with the lives of her two sons, one who is her Chief of Staff and hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps (he’ll be played by Lone Star’s Jimmy Wolk, and the other something of a drifter plagued by addictions (Sebastian Stan of Gossip Girl has been cast).
Burstyn will play Margaret Barrish, Elaine’s mother. She’s a tough former Vegas showgirl who hails from Chicago and comes with an attitude and a penchant for the bottle. She’s spent some time on TV recently, recurring in Big Love, and has taken on some interesting roles over the years, including her memorable (and Oscar-nominated) role in Requiem for a Dream. This puts two very strong female actresses in two equally strong female roles, a must for a project like this that revolves around a woman in a position of power. Casting is looking good in general; I’ve got high hopes for this one.
