John Goodman to star in comedy pilot for Amazon

No lie, John Goodman is one of my all-time favorite actors. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him not give 100% to a role, so this news is fantastic, if you ask me. His resurgent film career and recent SAG win seems to finally indicate that he’s no longer being undervalued, and is getting the considerable respect he deserves. So psyched:

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Not long after the announcement that Roseanne Barr would be starring in a new comedy series, we now have word that her former TV husband is doing the same.

John Goodman has signed on to star in Alpha House, written by Academy Award nominee and Pulitzer-Prize winner Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury). One of Amazon Studios’ first six original comedy pilots, Alpha House tells the story of four US senators who live together in a rented house in Washington DC. Goodman is set to play North Carolina Senator Gil John Biggs, who is described as a large man with larger appetites and a stubborn sense of entitlement, owing to his years of success as a famed basketball coach. When the Duke basketball coach decides to run for office against him, Biggs comes to the horrifying realization that his Senate seat is in jeopardy.

The series is loosely inspired by the story of Democratic politicians Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, George Miller and Bill Delahunt, who shared a rented house together, a story that gained traction several years ago. Attempts have been made in the past to turn the situation into a TV series, most notably in 2010, when ABC ordered the pilot Freshmen, a comedy from Greg Malins about three members of Congress sharing a house together, with media mogul Arianna Huffington executive producing. The pilot wasn’t ordered to series, but the premise remained, presumably waiting for the right team to come along and adapt it.

The hiring of Goodman is part of an initiative by Amazon Studios to cast an eclectic mix of notable TV names and promising young talent. The studio recently cast Bebe Neuwirth, best known for her work on Cheers and Frasier, in one of its other five comedy pilots, Browsers.

Goodman comes to the series fresh off his SAG Award as part of the ensemble of the Oscar-nominated film, Argo.

Full story: Deadline