Starz has added Betty Gilpin and Dan Stevens, as well as Shea Whigham and Darby Camp, to the main cast of Gaslit, the network’s upcoming political thriller series about the Watergate scandal. Sean Penn and Julia Roberts have already been announced as the leads, playing President Nixon’s Attorney General, John N. Mitchell, and his wife Martha Mitchell, respectively.
Gilpin and Stevens will play John and Mo Dean. John Dean was also an attorney who served President Nixon. Whigham is slated to play G. Gordon Liddy, the chief operative in the White House Plumbers unit when Nixon was in office. Darby will play Marty Mitchell, the daughter of Martha and John.
Gilpin is known for her role in Glow as well as starring in last year’s controversial thriller The Hunt, while Stevens starred in FX’s Legion. Gaslit is created by Robbie Pickering and Sam Esmail, who both worked on Mr. Robot together. Matt Ross, who directed 2016’s dramedy Captain Fantastic and two episodes of HBO’s Silicon Valley, will direct the first two episodes of the series. Gaslit is said to tell the story of the Watergate scandal through perspectives that were never shared with the public until now.
Gaslit is actually based on the first season of Slate's acclaimed podcast Slow Burn, which explores controversial political and historical events from a unique point of view. While the first season covered Watergate, Slow Burn has explored the stories of Bill Clinton’s impeachment, the feud between Tupak Shakur and Biggie Smalls, and the rise and fall of David Duke in its following seasons. As it turns out, Gaslit is not the only screen adaptation of Slow Burn. Epix turned the podcast’s first season about Watergate into a 6-part documentary that aired on February 16, 2020. Leon Neyfakh, the creator of Slow Burn, is confirmed to consult on Gaslit.
Filming for Gaslit was originally set to take place in Australia, but plans seemed to have changed when production began at the end of April in Los Angeles. It’s not clear when Gaslit will premiere on Starz, but it seems likely that a late 2021 release date will be announced soon. Check out the official synopsis below:
“The story will center on Martha Mitchell, played by Roberts. A big personality with an even bigger mouth, Martha is a celebrity Arkansan socialite and wife to Nixon’s loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell, played by Penn. Despite her party affiliation, she’s the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon’s involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel. As Attorney General, Mitchell is Nixon’s most trusted advisor and best friend. Temperamental, foulmouthed and ruthless – yet hopelessly in love with his famously outspoken wife – he’ll be forced to choose between Martha and the President.”