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EXCLUSIVE: Greek alumna Amber Stevens has landed the female lead in the CW drama pilot Joey Dakota. Based on the Israeli format Danny Hollywood, the romantic-time-travel-musical centers on Maya (Stevens), a documentary filmmaker who travels back in time to the 1990s where she meets and falls in love with the rock star subject of her film. When she unexpectedly returns to present day, she must find her way back to the past to reunite with her love and 
prevent his untimely death. Also cast in the pilot, written by Bert Royal, is Leah Renee as Kelsey, a beautiful young movie star and one of Maya’s best friends. CBS TV Studios and Harmon/Tannenbaum are producing the pilot. Stevens is with ICM and Red Baron Management; Renee with Paradigm and Intellectual Artists Management.
The Sopranos and Entourage alumna Jamie-Lynn Sigler has joined NBC’s Jimmy Fallon comedy project aka DILFs. The multicamera comedy, written by Charlie Grandy, centers on three 30-something guys enjoy the adventures of parenting despite the fact they haven’t grown up themselves. Sigler, repped by Paradigm and manager John Carrabino, will plat the cute, bubbly wife of one of them (Zach Cregger).
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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LOVE Amber Stevens!
Great get!!!
LOVE Amber Stevens!
Great get!!
Whoa Amber Stevens is awesome. Wonderful, charming, funny. I can’t believe they got her. The CW is actually attracting talented people to their pilots. And even more miraculous they are having a good pilot season.
Amazing, two black actresses landed leads at the CW! That makes 4 African-American leads on network drama pilots. A record?
It’s great, but at the same time discouraging that The CW has chosen 2 mixed race(black/Caucasian) actresses.I’m not saying anyone should be denied a job, but if you’re going to hire black leads, how about some actual diversity instead of the same light skin actresses?
I mean, look at the few black actresses they’ve had on that network in the last few years.The Vampire Diaries’ Katerina Graham, Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szohr, Secret Circle’s Jessica Parker Kennedy and Melrose Place’s Jessica Lucas.All of them are light skin and mixed.
Now we have Jessica Lucas again and Amber Stevens.The only time you get non-light skin black characters is when they are male.
Why is that?
Because they let the ‘light brights’ get the crumbs like CW and network tv. With the exception of Halle and Diana Ross, everytime I watch the Oscars, all I can think is “What in the – dark skinned Hattie McDaniel Gone With the Wind Gaborey Sidibe fried chicken Octavia Spencer cleanin floors maid hell is this??????”
Granted, Im bi-racial…so Im a bit biased to the plight of my light skinned sisters lol…but seriously, I worry when I watch TV and film, that if you arent dark, big, and whats considered by many (not all) in mainstream to be “less attractive or non-sexualized” then you can work a lot. When you REALLLLLLY look at tv (even network) there are more DARK skinned females than light. Bc they dont distract from the leads w their competing beauty and desirability (or so ‘the higher ups think.’ since these are the same ppl who think that dark does not equate to beauty w the rare exception of a naomi campbell–but ask naomi and she will still tell you the hellish racism shes dealt with her whole career.)
My point is, despite what it ‘appears’ to be the truth is from true blood to southland to the oscars you’re going to see more dark skinned women period.
So misguided with an axe to grind. What kind of careers have Octavia, Gabouree, and even Viola had in comparison to Halle? Hollywood favors light-skinned black women, only opting for their darker counterparts in grittier fare. Take a look at all the young, “hot” black actresses running around town; with the exception of Dana Davis (who isn’t so young anymore) and Jazz Raycole, they’re all light-skinned.
I have much love for Amber Stevens; she is a charming and talented woman with actual talent (as opposed to Paul Patton or Rochelle Aytes). I have no horse in the light-skin/dark-skin debate but I know which side always comes out on top.
Tanner…you are asking real questions. No one wants to answer real questions.
Does Tika Sumpter count when she guest starred in Gossip Girl? I believe how dark or how light an African-American’s skin tone is irrelevant. Certainly a lot of casting directors don’t choose African-American actresses on the basis of how dark or how light they are for leading roles nor do they even care about this said issue.
And there’s this thing we call suspension of disbelief so that we enjoy watching shows without being too sensitive to few details that make us irate.
Peace!
Tika was not the lead of the show. The bi-racial observation is valid. I am a Black woman. I work in the business. I see what Tanner sees. Maybe the networks feel it is safer to hire a bi-racial Black as the lead because they feel that everyone will relate to her. And, by everyone, I mean White people.
Is it a huge deal though? This may be the hottest issue for probably 20-30 years ago but I don’t think it’s as much of a big deal now as it is then.
If I’m a casting director, I’ll judge someone based on his acting abilities and less so to his/her physical appearance.
You’re incorrect. Skin tone should NOT be relevant but unfortunately it is in America and Hollywood. Is a light-skinned actress or a Black actress of mixed origin automatically going to get a role over a dark-skinned one? No. But it absolutely gives them an advantage in most cases, particularly when it involves younger roles and roles that will heavily involve romantic pairings. The 30 below scene is very tough for darker actresses.
That’s not to say that light-skinned women shouldn’t be given roles. To do the reverse and deny them roles or place them at a disadvantage simply based on their skin tone would be no better, but it’s surely more than a mere coincidence that so many of the chosen actresses are very light or mixed etc. It’s an unfortunate and disturbing trend/practice that needs to cease. A Black woman shouldn’t be at a disadvantage or turned down for a Black role just because she looks “too Black.” Black women, beautiful ones, come in various shades and the casting should be more reflective of that.
It’s absurd that anyone would complain about the COMPLEXION of a minority lead. Especially when most people don’t know or care if an actor is biracial. It says more about you than the evolving producers when you nit-pick over such trivialities.
Amber Stevens stole the show in ‘Greek’, I’m so exited to see her in this! Way to go CW.
Nellie,nice picture of jamie-lynn. Wish her only the best on this comedy.Have always enjoyed her work. Even though it will be an Nbc project-I’ll be positive & wish her the best-she deserves it.Thank you.
Thank you Tanner. Thank you.
Way to go AMBER!
Be that STAR that you ARE!!
I hope this show is up to Amber’s growing talents. Forget how pretty she is, she has a great reputation on sets and is very easy to get along with. Take note diva actors, this is how to behave and consistently get work…
So excited for Joey Dakota! Plot is incredibly intriguing. And I LOVED Easy A, so excited to see what Bert V. Royal has in store for us!!