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ABC has enlisted the services of another Dexter alum.
Desmond Harrington has booked a co-starring role on ABC’s summer drama Astronaut Wives Club, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Astronaut Wives Club hails from Fake Empire’s Stephanie Savage, who will pen the script and executive produce the ABC Studios vehicle via the banner she runs with Josh Schwartz. Fake Empire president of TV Len Goldstein and Schwartz will executive produce alongside Michael London‘s Groundswell.
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The 1960s-set drama tells the real story of the women who stood beside some of the biggest heroes in American history during the height of the space race. The drama marks the first pilot Savage has written since she co-created The CW’s long-running Gossip Girl with Schwartz. The project is based on Lily Koppel‘s best-selling novel published last summer. Janice Williams brought the project to Groundswell. Nick Cassavetes will direct the first entry in the 10-episode summer drama.
Harrington will play Alan Shepard, one of the Mercury Seven astronauts and the first American in space. He’s competitive, steely and has a wry sense of humor. Despite his playboy reputation, he and his wife, Louise, have been married for years.
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Harrington recently wrapped Showtime’s Dexter, which ended its eight-season run last year. He boarded the drama as series regular Detective Joey Quinn — a love interest for Jennifer Carpenter‘s Debra Morgan — in season three. Astronaut will mark a reunion for the actor with Savage, for whom he played Jack Bass on Gossip Girl. His credits include Dragnet, Rescue Me and The Dark Knight Rises. He is repped by UTA and Untitled.
Harrington joins a cast that also includes JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Azure Parsons, Zoe Boyle and Odette Annable. The role of Alan’s wife, Louise, has yet to be cast.
Harrington joins Dexter alum Carpenter at the network, with the actress set as the female lead in cop drama Sea of Fire. Fellow Dexter grad Aimee Garcia also has a pilot lined up with a co-starring role in CBS’ terror drama Red Zone.
Email: Lesley.Goldberg@THR.com
Twitter: @Snoodit
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