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EXCLUSIVE: Minnie Driver is set to star opposite Andrea Anders in Kari Lizer’s NBC comedy pilot Lady Friends. The Warner Bros. TV-produced project is about two life-long female friends who are living very different lives but couldn’t live without each other. Nicole (Anders) has everything going for her. Her best friend, Jen (Driver), has parents who have no faith in her, terrible instincts that led her to a 17-day marriage to a guy who dumped her, and she gained 15 pounds on the cabbage soup diet. And yet, somehow, she is Nicole’s rock.
Lady Friends landed Driver in a nail-biter, after a month-long pursuit. The producers cast the other lead, Anders, at the beginning of February when they also identified Driver as the choice for Jen. The problem was that Driver was under a talent deal at ABC, which would not release her. Executives and agents tried persuasion, which didn’t work. Then the network, NBC, used gamesmanship in the form of some good old horse trading. ABC wanted Kal Penn, who had a talent deal at NBC, to star in its comedy pilot Prairie Dogs. NBC offered to release Penn from his deal if ABC would let Driver go so she could do Lady Friends. That didn’t work either. (Penn did end up doing Prairie Dogs.) In the end, patience and perseverance paid off. ABC finally released Driver and she quickly closed a deal with Warner Bros. for Lady Friends. The Oscar-nominated former Riches star is with CAA and Untitled.
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Yay Kari! Yay Minnie! Go Go Go!
Anders? Again? How many unsuccessful shows are they going to put her on? Yes better Off Ted was awesome but not because of her. Can’t they just cast her on whatever show Matthew Perry will get cancelled and make it easier?
IMO, on Better Off Ted she was initially kind of bland, but by the end she became my favourite character (bar Veronica). The episode where they try to take down the Veridian Foundation was awesome.
Deesaster
When are people going to learn about casting Andrea Anders? She’s very talented, but she has a track record like no other in this town- she’s been on FOUR new shows in the last eight years, and every single one of them has bombed. Of the four, Joey is the only one to even get renewed for a second season (and it was cancelled shortly thereafter,) and she’s also had two other pilots that haven’t been picked up.
BAD. NEWS.
Andrea is a funny, talented actress that has not yet had the right role. Does anyone need to be reminded about how many failed pilots, series and firings George Clooney experienced before finding his success? Its a miracle that anyone ends up on a successful series. Give the girl a break. I wish her and the pilot all the luck it will take to get on the air.
LOVE Anders. She was a standout on Ted. Have been hoping she’d land on something this year.
And Driver was so fun on The Riches. Look forward to seeing what happens here …
Andrea and Minnie on the same show? Ought to be AWESOME!
Better Off Ted had a second season.
You’d swear that the shows she’s been on have been cancelled all because of her. She’s a talented actress, being on a few shows that haven’t taken off won’t be a reason for people not tuning in.
Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate instead of Minnie Driver to have hired Paula Marshall?
How bitchy of you! LOL
Andrea Anders is a very beautiful, funny and talented actress. I love that she keeps popping up, eventually the right role will come along, hopefully this one, that will really spotlight her. And she was great on Better Off Ted, a very underrated show. Her and Minnie should be great together. Looking forward to this one!
doesnt anyone remember when NBC had good TV, its like there not even trying anymore. Come on minnie driver when was the last time anyone cared about her as someone people wanted to see, NBC should really take the shows from there cable networks and move them to the home station