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John Cusack is poised to take a larger role in CBS’ Wall Street drama.
The actor, who co-wrote the story and serves as an executive producer on the project, also will have an onscreen role, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The drama from Justified writers Taylor Elmore and Ben Cavell is set in the world of Wall Street money and power. Boardwalk Empire’s Charlie Cox toplines as Jackson, a smart and sophisticated Wall Street hedge fund trader who served his country in Iraq and has the integrity and desire to do good. Lost‘s Maggie Grace also co-stars.
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Cusack will have a cameo in the pilot as Ted, a cynical former Wall Street trader who left the business. While the role was envisioned as a series regular, there are no deals in place for Cusack to have a larger role at this point in time should the drama be ordered to series. Worth noting: Cusack ranked as one of the most in-demand actors last pilot season, fielding offers to star in big-swing dramas from established showrunners. He declined all of them.
The drama is based on an original story from Elmore, Cavell, Cusack and Kevin McCabe. Elmore and Cavell penned the teleplay for the CBS Television Studios pilot. Justified‘s Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly will executive produce, while Niels Arden Oplev will exec produce and direct the pilot. David Morse, Sophie Okonedo and Joseph Lyle Taylor also co-star.
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Cusack, repped by CAA and Ziffren Brittenham, has a one-episode role in HBO’s Doll & Em and guest-starred in a 1996 episode of Frasier. His other small-screen role was in 1999’s HBO telepic The Jack Bull, which he also exec produced. On the big screen, his credits include 1408, The Butler, Hot Tub Time Machine and ’80s hits Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead, Stand By Me and Say Anything, among countless others.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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