Minnie Driver is getting another shot at a co-starring TV gig thanks to Jason Katims’ About a Boy pilot. Driver has signed on to play Fiona in NBC’s comedy pilot. If you are familiar with Nick Hornby’s literary work, you’ll know that Fiona is the eccentric mother of Marcus, the titular boy in the series.
The Riches star has frequently hopped between acting gigs on the big and small screen, but it will be nice to see her take one of the lead roles in a pilot, and especially playing a character with super oddball style, ideas, and tendencies. If you’ve seen the film, Driver is taking on the same role Toni Collette portrayed in the movie adaptation. According to EW, Driver will co-star in the pilot alongside David Walton, who will play bachelor Will Freeman.
There’s a good chunk of pilots that just seem destined to fail from the get-go. About a Boy is not one of those projects. It’s based on a famous book and probably an even-more famous movie. Additionally, critical darling Katims is bringing the project to the small screen, and Revolution pilot director Jon Favreau is shooting the (albeit more subtle) pilot for About a Boy. The only concern I have would be fleshing out the story beyond the confines of its fictional and theatrical counterpoints, but if there is anyone who has the capacity to do a program like this with flair, it’s Katims—the man has four seasons of Parenthood to prove it.
