Hot on the heels of multiple rapid-fire casting announcements, the Kristen Wiig starring Apple TV+ comedy series Mrs. American Pie has found its male lead. Deadline reports that Josh Lucas will join the cast and star as Douglas Simmons, the husband of Wiig’s Maxine Simmons. Lucas is just the latest in a slew of talent reveals that includes A-listers like Allison Janney, Leslie Bibb, and Ricky Martin adding their names to the production’s ever-growing call sheet. The series is also tied to Laura Dern who will be executive producing and will possibly be signing on in a leading role.
Acting as an adaptation of Juliet McDaniel’s book of the same name, Mrs. American Pie will find its characters living in the early 1970s. As women begin to take on more revered roles in society and sink their hands deeper into the workforce, Maxine Simmons (Wiig) is hoping to be seen in a different setting. For Maxine, that means pulling up a chair and schmoozing with the most notable and revered women in Palm Beach’s high society. But the rise to the top will not be so easy. Coming from a very different and less affluent background will hold her back in her quest to break in with those she so desperately wants to be seen by. Mrs. American Pie will be a deep dive into what high class truly means and what it takes to get there. Created and penned by Abe Sylvia (The Eyes of Tammy Faye) the project is under the directorial eye of Tate Taylor (Breaking News in Yuba County).
Along with his newest role in Mrs. American Pie, Lucas will soon begin production on the action thriller flick, Blood For Dust. In it, he’ll star alongside Kit Harrington and Scoot McNairy in the Rod Blackhurst directed feature. During the winter, Lucas wrapped filming on The Black Demon, an indie movie coming from Paul Struger, which is eying a release date in 2023. Lining up jobs left and right, Lucas will soon be getting to work on Rachel Feldman’s political thriller, Lilly, in which he’ll co-lead alongside Patricia Clarkson.
With the announcement of Lucas’ casting in Mrs. American Pie, we’re beginning to see the production take shape. Bringing in actors with a firm hold in drama-based comedies means the series will likely be an enjoyable mix of heartfelt and silly. As the filling out of the main cast continues, we’re hoping for the announcement of Dern’s appearance any day now. At this time, no release date has been set, but stay tuned to Collider for more information as it becomes available.