Vince Vaughn and Steve Byrne are headed into TV comedy together. This is not really a huge surprise, since Byrne has latched on to bit parts in several of Vaughn’s movies, including playing a drunk dude in Couples Retreat. However, Byrne is more known as an up-and-coming stand-up. If you are one of billions who didn’t bother to see Couples Retreat, you may still have caught him on Conan about a week ago.
Turns out, Byrne is about to head to TBS full time. TBS has ordered a half-hour comedy pilot from Vaughn’s Wild West Picture Show and Warner Horizon TV called Sullivan and Son. Deadline is reporting Byrne will play Steve Sullivan, a highly sought-after corporate lawyer who decides to drop the profession in favor of working at the Irish bar his father owns.
Apparently Byrne’s partial Asian-ness will be explained on the show via a Korean American mother. I’m less worried about the Irish bar explanation and a little more worried for Byrne, who hasn’t headed a scripted comedy before. We already know Byrne can be funny, and his team-up with Vaughn’s production company should solidify any questions people may have. His battle will be more about getting his name out there and pushing people to get on board with a brand new leading man.
You can start by checking out Byrne’s Conan performance, below.
