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Brooklyn Nine-Nine breakout Terry Crews is adding a second gig to his résumé.
The actor, author, former NFL star and Old Spice pitchman has been named the new host of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Disney-ABC announced Wednesday.
Crews will take over the syndicated game show starting with its 13th season in the fall, replacing Cedric the Entertainer. Crews becomes the latest host of the franchise, which launched as a weekday game show in 2002 with Meredith Vieira, who remained host through 2013.
STORY: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s’ Terry Crews Talks Going Against Character, Working With the NFL
“Terry is engaging, endearing, smart, and quick on his feet — the perfect combination to lead one of the longest-running franchises in game show history,” said Janice Marinelli, president of Disney-ABC Domestic Television.
Before booking the co-starring role in Fox’s Golden Globe-winning cop comedy Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Crews was one of the most sought-after actors. His credits include Arrested Development and The Newsroom, among others. Crews told THR in October that he took on guest-hosting gigs on the Today show and Kris (Kris Jenner‘s talk show) to see if he enjoyed the format. “When I’m done acting, I might want to get into talk shows,” he said.
“Millionaire is such a beloved franchise, and I can’t wait to get started as the new host. In addition to my film projects including Blended, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and now being a first-time author, hosting has always been a dream of mine, and I couldn’t have asked for a greater opportunity.”
Rowley, meanwhile, most recently served as an exec producer on truTV’s Killer Karaoke and Lifetime’s Seriously Funny Kids. He co-created IFC’s Ultimate Film Fanatic and exec produced GSN’s Extreme Dodgeball. His credits also include Beat the Geeks, Cram, The Surreal Life, Strange Love and more.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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