Nellie Andreeva

Matt Long, who played the lead in ABC’s short-lived legal drama The Deep End, is back at the network as the young male lead of period drama pilot Gilded Lilys. Also cast in the project, written/exec produced by KJ Steinberg and executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, are Army Wives co-star Brigid Brannagh and Maury Sterling (Homeland). Set in 1895, Gilded Lilys centers on the Lilys who are looking to revive their family’s fortunes by opening the most lavish hotel in New York history while their beautiful daughter Violet (Sarah Bolger), engaged to be married to a wealthy family friend, falls madly in love with charismatic lowly ship’s servant John Kidd (Long). Brannagh will play Violet’s mother Elizabeth who is married to Edwin Lily (Brían F. O’Byrne). Sterling will play the sharp-tongued valet of Edwin’s playboy brother. Long’s series credits also include an arc on Mad Men. Because of Lifetime’s recent order of 10 additional episodes of Army Wives, the series’ production schedule made it difficult for its co-stars to do pilots. Helping Brannagh’s case is the fact that Gilded Lily and Army Wives are produced by the same studio, ABC Studios, as well as an upcoming plot twist on the Lifetime series.

Erinn Hayes (Worst Week) has landed a co-starring role in another ABC pilot, the untitled Mandy Moore single-camera comedy directed by Shawn Levy. The project, written by Bob Fisher and Stacy Traub, centers on newlyweds Annie (Moore) and Ben who get the opportunity of a lifetime to run a hip, new restaurant in Annie’s hometown bringing her closer to her needy and high maintenance family. Hayes, repped by Innovative Artists and Sweeney Entertainment, will play Annie’s beautiful lesbian sister. Her recent series credits include Adult Swim’s Childrens Hospital and a recurring role on NBC’s Parenthood.

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