Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Actor-comedian John Leguizamo has signed a development deal with ABC and ABC Studios. Under the pact, Leguizamo will star in and executive produce a single-camera comedy inspired by his professional, personal and family life in New York City. This would be the first comedy series for Leguizamo who previously co-starred on ER and The Kill Point and toplined the 2006 CBS drama pilot Edison. Search is underway for a writer to pen the comedy project, which will likely be developed off-cycle given the timing of the deal. Leguizamo will executive produce with his longtime manager Jeff Golenberg of the Collective as well as Mandeville’s David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman. Leguizamo is re-teaming with Mandeville after working with the company on Edison. He is not obligated to do an ABC pilot this season but will be exposed to some and could do one. Leguizamo is currently touring the country with his fifth one-man show, Ghetto Klown, following a successful summer run on Broadway. One of his previous stage shows, Freak, was televised by HBO and earned him an Emmy Award. Leguizamo, repped by UTA and attorneys Jason Sloane and Harris Hartman, recently completed the indie feature Fugly, which he wrote and starred in, and can be seen opposite Katherine Heigl in One for the Money.

TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.