Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Law & Order alumna S. Epatha Merkerson is returning to NBC with a recurring role on the network’s upcoming drama series Deception. The show, from writer Liz Heldens, Universal TV and BermanBraun, is described as an opulent soap in which detective Joanna Padget (Meagan Good) returns undercover to the wealthy and troubled Bower family she grew up in — as the maid’s daughter — to solve the murder of the notorious heiress Vivian Bower who was once her closest friend. Emmy winner Merkerson, repped by ICM Partners and Bob McGowan, will play Joanna’s mom Beverly Padget, who worked for the Bowers family when Joanna was a young girl.

Jere Burns (AMC’s Breaking Bad) is set for a recurring role A&E’s upcoming series Bates Motel. A prequel to Psycho, the series examines the twisted relationship between serial-killer-to-be Norman (Freddie Highmore) and his mother Norma (Vera Varmiga). Burns was cast as a mysterious character who will play a pivotal role on the show. Burns, repped by Innovative Artists and manager Devon Jackson, also is recurring on FX’s Justified.

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