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David Walton is set as the lead in About A Boy, NBC‘s single-camera pilot based on the Nick Hornby book and the 2002 movie. Written by from Friday Night Lights and Parenthood executive producer Jason Katims, and directed by Revolution’s Jon Favreau, About A Boy follows the relationship between a bachelor man-child (Walton) and the young boy who moves in next door with his kooky single mother. Michelle Lee, serves as producer on the pilot, from Katims’ True Jack Prods, Universal TV, Working Title and Tribeca Prods. Walton was among the most sought-after comedy actors this season, fielding multiple offers before settling on the role played by Hugh Grant in the 2002 movie. This marks his return to NBC where he starred opposite Amanda Peet in Bent last season. (He also toplined the network’s underrated comedy Perfect Couples.) Earlier this season, Walton was attached to star in a single-camera comedy project by Bent creator Tad Quill which was set up at CBS with a put pilot commitment. The project’s premise somewhat echoes that of About A Boy — it centered on a bachelor firefighter (Walton) who has to make the ultimate sacrifice of taking care of someone other than himself when a 9-year-old girl enters his life. Walton, who has been recurring on Fox’s New Girl, is with Gersh and Special Artists Agency.
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Based on his stint on New Girl, this guy does have lead potential.
Of COURSE he is.
Every single pilot season I always see news about him in a pilot. Every season either it doesn’t get picked up or it gets cancelled after 1 season! poor guy
is there a pool of 100 or so actors that CONSTANTLY get pilots? Is that a job or something? This guy has had more chances that just about anyone at this point. Every new show has the same old actors on them, it’s crazy.
Hope he has better lucky with this than Patrick Dempsey did ten years ago.
He is a good looking actor who is Just Not Funny
No comedic timing..wish him the best
You’re nuts. David is hilarious. Biggest problem is that he’s perpetually on shows that are too smart for their audiences.prune
Hmmm. If you are saying shows like Perfect Couples and Bent are too smart for their audience then you are on way too much coke.
Bent certainly was. Great show. Perfect Couples was just a bad fit for NBC at the time.
I wouldn’t say Bent was too smart for the audience, but it was really good and should have been treated better by NBC. It would have paired good with Go On this year.
I hope he breaks his losing streak of 5 one-and-done NBC series.
This guy is a GREAT TALENT! Tons of charisma and effortless comic timing. Perfect casting!
loved his arc on new girl recently….he is a talented guy who has had bad luck with shows. think this is finally gonna be his shot. great choice, can’t wait to tune in
For those of you in the know, Ty Burrell turned down the role of Chandler on Friends to “star” on Broadway. At some point, he must’ve regretted at least missing out on the cash, but he’s getting the last laugh now on a great show.
So, don’t count anyone out.
It appears you are not one of those “in the know”. Ty was in grad school until three years after Friends started.
Your probably thinking of Craig Bierko. And he turned it down to star in Madman of the People, which in theory was a much better choice at the time.
You’re thinking of Craig Bierko, who turned down the role to do a different pilot at NBC that ended up not going to series.
This Walton guy oozes unlikability. I was looking forward to this show, but no more.
That Ty Burrell story is absolute nonsense. His first sitcom experience was in 2005.
Will isn’t a likable character. He’s a douche. Walton will nail this (not saying he’s a douche, but this role is right up his alley).
Exactly. Read the script, people. Walton = Will.
I’ll watch anything he’s in. I still miss Bent (I bet NBC is regretting canceling that show right about now)
If I trust anyone to turn a perceived nobody into a star, it’s Jason Katims. I mean, look at Dax Shepard’s reputation before he became one of the most beloved characters of Parenthood. Katims knows how to craft amazing characters. Walton hit the jackpot here. This is going to be the show of his career.
YES! Totally true.
Sorry, I agree sort of and LOVE jason Katims and everything he does, BUT, I loathe Dax Shepard and watch Parenthood IN SPITE of him. ICK
Just glad Paul Weitz has nothing to do with this pilot.
This is his fourth show with NBC… anyone remember Bent, 100 Questions and Perfect Couples (I love this show… probably the only who does). And these shows were mid-season premieres. With the pedigree of the producers involved, maybe this is David Walton’s “dream project”, let’s just hope NBC picks it up and treats it right.
I never got Bent. Never laughed once. There’s no accounting for taste but it’s not like I think Two and a half Men was robbed of an Emmy for best comedy either. So, why did critics think it was so good?
It had a great cast, who were all performing well. I thought it was pretty funny. Not like laugh out loud funny, but smile and think “oh, that’s funny” humor.
Well I hate to say but this is dead.
I love this guy, he’s a stand out. Saw the comment about he’s in a pilot every year that fails…and it reminded me of another young TV actor that stood out years ago, also in a ton of failed pilots. But y’know he landed on a hit show and now he’s George Clooney…so ..those failed pilots didn’t seem to matter much. This guy is a STAR, you’ll see.
agree. he has it totally. star power it is.
I wish I could have had sex with this guy when I had the chance. this guy oozes movie star material hence why lowly mere TV crap hasn’t worked out for him. watch your back Ryan Reynolds, Walton is a coming.
My wife & I loved Perfect Couples and were very pissed it got cancelled. We had to watch the remaining episodes on the internet that NBC didn’t air. That said, I’m not sure he’s a leading man. He’s like the love child of Jim Carrey and Nicholas Cage when he acts and something doesn’t make you root for him. Maybe it’s been the material, but he really does feel like more of an ensemble supporting type than a lead. Knowing About A Boy very well (loved the book way before the film), he can handle the douchey parts of the character, but there’s a likability/sincerity to the character that needs to come across that Hugh Grant actually nailed. It’s vital to the central relationship. I’m just not sure the depth is there. We’ll see. He did a nice turn on New Girl but was much better when he was playing a heel than the dream date doctor he morphed into.
Glad to see this guy get(yet) another shot. Perfect Couples was a terrible show, but he was the lone bright spot. He was good in Bent too, that show deserved a better fate. Here’s hoping he breaks the string of one and dones.
I love Walton – he was fantastic in ‘Bent’ – shame the network didn’t treat it properly. I think this show will be fantastic for him. If the Tad Quill project goes ahead Jay Harrington is free!!
Another FLOP!