Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: In the biggest new addition to the cast of Nurse Jackie, Morris Chestnut (V) is set for a season-long arc on the Showtime comedy. Also joining the cast as a recurring guest star next season is stage actress Marcy Harriell. Chestnut will play Ike Prentiss, a new trauma doctor, a former Army medic who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is very good at his job but can learn a lot from Jackie (Edie Falco) about bedside care. Harriell will play Marta Rodriguez, a new nurse on the floor — a mother of three who takes extra shifts whenever she can.

Chestnut, repped by Gersh and KLWGN, is coming off a major arc on FX’s American Horror Story. He was recently seen in Screen Gems’ Think Like A Man and is completing three studio movies back to back: Fox Searchlight’s Kick Ass 2, Universal’s Identity Thief and Sony’s The Hive. He also is in negotiations to play the role of Graham Jackson in Fox Searchlight’s Baggage Claim. Harriell, repped by Talent House, is probably best known for her work on Broadway, including lead roles in Rent and In The Heights. Chestnut, Harriell and Betty Gilpin have filled the new roles for the upcoming fifth season of Nurse Jackie, which is getting a reboot under new showrunner Clyde Phillips.

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