One of the most anticipated TV shows dropping this year on Starz is Gaslit, a political thriller that’s set to feature some of the greatest actors in Hollywood right now. The show, which will premiere on Starz in April, is created by Robbie Pickering, based on the first season of Slow Burn by journalist Leon Neyfakh. It’s an addition to a long line of pilots that have been inspired by podcast episodes and series. Gaslit promises to feature a different take on the Watergate political scandal, featuring untold stories and depicting little-known figures from the period. Here are the actors expected to appear on the show.
Julia Roberts
Yes, Tinseltown royalty Julia Roberts is set to appear on Gaslit, playing the character of Martha Mitchell, the wife of the U.S. Attorney General during the time of President Nixon. Where do we even start with introducing Julia Roberts? The actress, often considered to be one of the world’s most bankable actresses, has appeared in some of the most successful movies in Hollywood history. Her breakthrough movies were the ’80s movies Mystic Pizza and Steel Magnolias, but Roberts truly gained worldwide stardom for her leading actress role in the romantic comedy Pretty Woman, alongside another superstar, Richard Gere. After Pretty Woman, she’s worked in Sleeping With The Enemy, Hook, The Pelican Brief, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, Erin Brockovich, and Eat Pray Love. For Erin Brockovich, she won a Best Actress award at the Academy Awards. Her most recent Oscars nomination is in 2014, as Best Supporting Actress, in the movie August: Osage County. Believe it or not, Gaslit isn’t Roberts’ first regular TV role. In 2018, she worked in the series Homecoming, a show she also executive produced.
Sean Penn
Almost unrecognizable in the trailer, Sean Penn portrays lawyer and convicted criminal John N. Mitchell in the series Gaslit. A close personal friend of Nixon, Mitchell, who served as U.S. Attorney General, was deeply involved in the Watergate affair, which would eventually lead to his conviction of multiple crimes. Sean Penn depicts him in the series, underneath what appears to be significant layers of makeup and undergarment. Penn is a two-time Academy Award winner, having won Best Actor for Mystic River in 2003 and Milk in 2008. He’s also played roles in Licorice Pizza, Flag Day, The Professor and the Madman, and All The King’s Men. Like Roberts, Penn hasn’t done a lot of TV projects. The few shows he’s worked on include Two and a Half Men, Family Guy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, all of which he played himself. On the series The First, a drama series about a group of astronauts traveling to Mars, he plays a character named Tom Haggerty for eight episodes.
Dan Stevens
Dan Stevens plays lawyer John Dean in Gaslit. Most people know Dan Stevens for his brief stint on the hit period drama Downton Abbey, but he’s actually appeared in high-profile projects since leaving the show. He’s worked in Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, Beauty and the Beast, Marshall, The Man Who Invented Christmas, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, and I’m Your Man. He’s also been busy on the small screen, playing roles in Legion, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Solos, and the animated adult comedy The Prince. In an interview with Collider, Dan Stevens talked about his role in the series, which stars Julia Roberts and Sean Penn. He specifically talked about the challenges of a real historical person who is still alive: “Yeah, there are challenges to that. What’s interesting with that story, and this is probably true of every role and project, is looking at the person, looking at the man, and looking at the people involved in this situation, and their motivations, and their flaws, and things like that. I’m trying not to think too much about the historical significance of that and just looking at the minutia and the inherent drama of being involved in that whole situation. It’s a fascinating story.”
Betty Gilpin
Betty Gilpin plays Mo Dean on Gaslit. Prior to joining the show, she had a regular starring role in GLOW, which has already sadly been canceled. She also played a regular role in Nurse Jackie, as Dr. Carrie Roman. Gilpin’s film credits include The Tomorrow War, Coffee & Kareem, The Hunt, The Grudge, Stuber, A Dog’s Journey, and Isn’t It Romantic. While Gilpin is now set to have a prominent role in the show Gaslit, she wrote in Vanity Fair that GLOW is the best show she’ll ever have, saying: “GLOW was canceled. I am sad. It was the best job I’ll ever have. Our business is a strange mix of attempting childhood dreams to a room full of asleep people and shirking dignity for awake tomato-throwers for rent. This was one of those extremely rare times where we got to do the dream for awake people. And it didn’t disappear in an audition room or unsent email. We did it on a show, recorded it all, I swear. Thirty episodes.”
Shea Whigham
Shea Whigham plays lawyer and FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy in Gaslit. A veteran actor, Whigham has played roles in various blockbuster movies over the years. Some of the movies listed in his filmography include Joker, Low Tide, First Man, Kong: Skull Island, The Wolf of Wall Street and Fast & Furious 6. Currently, he’s playing the role of David Rumsfeld in two upcoming Mission: Impossible movies. On TV, he’s worked on Modern Love, Perry Mason, Homecoming, Waco, Narcos, Fargo, Vice Principals, and Justified.
Darby Camp
Fourteen-year-old Darby Camp is also appearing in Gaslit as Marty Mitchell. She’s worked in Big Little Lies, Grey’s Anatomy, The Leftovers and Drop Dead Diva. The last film Camp appeared in is the cute movie adaptation of Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Aleksander Filimonovic
Aleksander Filimonovic will be playing the character of Zolton in Gaslit. Prior to the Julia-Roberts-starred show, Filimonovic has played roles in Dolemite is My Name and White Lions. On TV, he’s worked in Dream Team, Code Despot, and The Americans.
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