Casting news today brings the first official role cast for the David E. Kelley medical drama Chelsea General over at TNT, as well as an addition to the Kevin Spacey-led Netflix original series House of Cards. The two actresses to nab parts in these series are not strangers to television, and one is making a return to drama after a run in several comedies.
According to Deadline Jennifer Finnigan has been cast in Chelsea General as Dr. Tina Ridgeway. She’s a neurosurgeon and one of five surgeons the story will focus on. The drama is based on the book Monday Mornings by Dr. Sanjay Gupta, the chief medical correspondent for CNN. Finnigan is known for Crossing Jordan and most recently came off the comedy Better With You. She doesn’t seem to have been able to find a comedy niche, so this return to drama might be a smart move.
Kate Mara of American Horror Story was cast in House of Cards, the first original series from Netflix which already has Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright on board in leading roles, and is directed by David Fincher. This one comes from a novel by Michael Dobbs, and was already turned into a mini-series in the UK back in 1990.
It’s a political thriller in which a US House of Representatives member, Frank Underwood, gets to feeling bitter after losing out on the Secretary of State position and goes after the President. Kevin Spacey will play this lead role, while Robin Wright will play his wife. Mara has come in to play a reporter who will do just about anything to get a good scoop, and gets involved with Underwood. Of mild interest is the fact that Mara is the sister of Rooney Mara, star of the US Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, also directed by Fincher.
With Netflix recovering in the stock market, House of Cards is just one of the exciting projects coming from the streaming leader. We’re also waiting on the edge of our seats for the return of Arrested Development, which Netflix is bringing back to the air next year.
