Giovanni Ribisi To Star In Fox Comedy Series ‘Dads’, Replaces Tommy Dewey

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday April 18, 2013 @ 10:45am PDT
Nellie Andreeva

EXCLUSIVE: Fox is re-conceiving one of the lead characters in Dads, its six-episode multi-camera comedy series from Ted‘s team of Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild and Seth MacFarlane. As a result, the role is being recast, with Giovanni Ribisi replacing Tommy Dewey as the co-lead opposite Seth Green. The decision was made after the taping of the show’s first episode late last week, which was expected to prompt some tweaking. Written by Sulkin and Wild, the 20th TV-produced Dads centers on two successful guys in their 30s, Eli (Green) and Warner (Ribisi), who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads (Peter Riegert, Martin Mull) unexpectedly move in with them. Ribisi’s casting likely stems from the actor’s relationship with MacFarlane, Sulkin and Wild. He co-starred in the trio’s blockbuster Ted and is also on board to star in their follow-up Western comedy feature, also co-written by the three of them and directed by and starring MacFarlane.

Dewey was the very first actor cast in Dads in early February, before the project took several turns during the casting process, including changing casting directors. Dewey has been a favorite of Fox brass — he played the co-lead in the network’s 2011 comedy pilot Tagged and did a major recurring role on Fox’s freshman comedy series The Mindy Project before getting the Dads co-lead. (Dewey also co-created the Fox/20th comedy series Sons Of Tucson.) This is the second recasting on Dads: Vanessa Lachey replaced Erin Pineda as Warner’s wife after the table read.

This marks a rare series gig for Ribisi, who has focused on features for the past 15 years. His biggest series stint over the last decade was a major recurring role on another 20th comedy, My Name Is Earl, which was developed at NBC by Fox chairman Kevin Reilly. It earned Ribisi an Emmy nomination. He is with CAA and Management 360.

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Vanessa Lachey To Co-Star In Fox’s Seth MacFarlane-Produced Comedy Series ‘Dads’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday March 28, 2013 @ 1:29pm PDT
Nellie Andreeva

Vanessa LacheyEXCLUSIVE: Vanessa Lachey has joined Fox’s six-episode multi-camera comedy series Dads as a regular in a recasting after the project’s table read. Dads, from Ted‘s Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild and Seth MacFarlane, centers … Read More »

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Kenneth Choi Joins NBC Pilot ‘Ironside’, Erin Pineda Added To Fox’s ‘Dads’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday March 25, 2013 @ 6:30pm PDT
Nellie Andreeva

In what would be his first series regular role, Kenneth Choi (Sons Of Anarchy, Glee, 24) has been cast in NBC’s drama pilot Ironside, a reboot of the 1967 series. Written by Mike Caleo and directed by … Read More »

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Seth Green Set As Lead In Seth MacFarlane Fox Pilot ‘Dads’

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Monday March 25, 2013 @ 1:00pm PDT

Annie AwardsSeth Green, who has voiced Chris Griffin in all but one episode of Seth MacFarlane’s animated series Family Guy, is teaming with MacFarlane again. He’s now been set as the other lead in Dads, Fox‘s … Read More »

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Luka Jones Joins NBC Pilot ‘Holding Patterns’, Fox Series ‘Dads’ Adds Actress

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Thursday March 21, 2013 @ 12:30pm PDT
Nellie Andreeva

Up All Night co-star Luka Jones has been cast in NBC’s comedy pilot Holding Patterns, an ensemble multi-camera comedy about a group of friends whose lives completely change after they survive a plane crash, caused … Read More »

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Martin Mull Books Lead In Fox Series ‘Dads’, Ryan Eggold Joins NBC Pilot ‘Blacklist’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Monday March 11, 2013 @ 11:26am PDT
Nellie Andreeva

Martin Mull, who recurs on Two And A Half Men, has been cast as a lead in Dads, Fox‘s six-episode multi-camera comedy series from Ted‘s Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild and Seth MacFarlane. Written by Sulkin and Wild, Dads centers on two successful guys in their 30s, Eli and Warner (Tommy Dewey), who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads (Mull, Peter Riegert) unexpectedly move in with them. Mull, repped by Gersh and Anonymous Content, plays Warner’s dad Crawford, a man who’s always been the bane of Warner’s existence. The casting comes shortly after producing studio 20th TV replaced casting directors on Dads, with Valko Miller taking over for Lisa Beach. Read More »

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Peter Riegert To Star In Fox Series ‘Dads’, Michael Weston Joins CW Pilot ‘Blink’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Friday February 22, 2013 @ 9:00am PST
Nellie Andreeva

Peter RiegertPeter Riegert (The Good Wife) has been cast as a lead opposite Tommy Dewey in Dads, Fox‘s six-episode multi-camera comedy series from Ted‘s Alec Sulkin, Wellesley Wild and Seth MacFarlane. Written by Sulkin … Read More »

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Tommy Dewey To Star In Seth MacFarlane-Produced Fox Comedy Series ‘Dads’

By NELLIE ANDREEVA | Tuesday February 12, 2013 @ 5:46pm PST
Nellie Andreeva

Tommy Dewey has landed a lead role in Dads, Fox‘s six-episode multi-camera comedy series from Ted co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild and co-writer/director/star Seth MacFarlane. Written by Sulkin and Wild, Dads centers on two successful guys in their 30s, Eli and Warner (Dewey), who have their lives turned upside down when their nightmare dads unexpectedly move in with them. Read More »

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