Actor Simon Helberg has joined the illustrious cast of Peacock’s Poker Face, Variety has revealed. While Helberg’s character is being kept strictly under wraps, Natasha Lyonne is leading the series as a character who is working to solve different murders in each episode.
Helmed by filmmaker Rian Johnson, the series received a 10-episode order from the streamer in March 2021. Helberg joins a cast that already includes stars like Benjamin Bratt, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephanie Hsu, Jameela Jamil, David Castañeda, and Tim Meadows, among many others. In a previous statement, Johnson said,
I’m very excited to dig into the type of fun, character driven, case-of-the-week mystery goodness I grew up watching. It’s my happy place. Having Natasha as a partner in crime is a dream, and we’ve found the perfect home at Peacock.
Poker Face marks Johnson’s debut writing a television series. The filmmaker previously directed episodes of AMC and Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad and FX and Ted Griffin’s Terriers. Perhaps Johnson is best known for his Oscar-nominated screenplay for Knives Out, which he also directed. He’s currently working on the Knives Out sequel Glass Onion. He along with T-Street is also producing Three Body Problem, a series currently in the works at Netflix. Lisa Katz, president of scripted content for NBCUniversal Television and Streaming spoke of Johnson’s contribution to the upcoming series,
Rian Johnson’s distinct sensibility and talent for telling edge-of-your-seat mysteries is a massive gift for Peacock, and we can’t wait for audiences to delve into each case.
Helberg is best known for playing Howard Wolowitz in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He played the character all through 12 seasons of the show, gathering much appreciation for his portrayal. His feature film credits include As They Made Us, Annette, Florence Foster Jenkins, Good Night and Good Luck, and A Serious Man. He also bagged a Golden Globe nomination in the best supporting actor category for his work in Florence Foster Jenkins.
Poker Face is executive produced by Lyonne, Maya Rudolph, and Danielle Renfrew Behrens of Animal Pictures. Nora and Lilla Zuckerman serve as co-showrunners and as executive producers. Ram Bergman and Nena Rodrigue of T-Street also executive produce. MRC Television will produce.
Currently, the streamer has not revealed a release date for the upcoming series.