Melissa Fumero to Star in NBC Drama Pilot “Grosse Pointe Garden Society”

Melissa Fumero is entering Society

The 41-year-old Cuban American actress and former Brooklyn Nine-Nine star has been cast as a lead in Grosse Pointe Garden SocietyNBC’s drama pilot from Jenna Bans, Bill Krebs and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Melissa FumeroFumero will star opposite AnnaSophia Robb and Ben Rappaport in the pilot.

The drama follows four members of a suburban garden club — three of them played by Fumero, Robb and Rappaport — all from different walks of life, who get caught up in murder and mischief as they struggle to make their conventional lives bloom.

Fumero plays Birdie. Entitled, rich, swathed in Chanel, a smoker, a drinker, self-destructive at times, toxic at others, but not without real pain beneath her facade, Birdie is a successful author whose memoir, “Digging for Gold: Dancing Through Divorce,” is a bestseller.

Robb plays Alice, your favorite high school English teacher, a dreamer whose best dreams are crashing down on her. She’s a longtime member of the Grosse Pointe Garden Society.

Rappaport plays Brett. Cool in a threadbare kind of way, Brett put his own dreams of starting a car restoration business on hold so his wife (now ex-wife) could finish law school. He continues his job as a manager of a garden store so he can take care of the kids.

Maggie Kiley is directing the pilot.

This marks Fumero’s return to NBC. She’s best known for her role as Amy Santiago in the critically acclaimed Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which ended its eight-season run on NBC. She won the Imagen Foundation Award for her work on the show.

Fumero recently was a voice cast member on Comedy Central’s adult animated series Digman! from Andy Samberg as well as Max’s Velma from Mindy Kaling.

She also starred opposite Randall Park in Netflix’s comedy series Blockbuster and in the IFC comedy film Barfight! with Rachel Bloom.

Marquis Rodriguez to Star on Season Two of Amazon’s Anthology Series “Modern Love”

Marquis Rodriguez has found a new love

The Latino actor has been cast in Season 2 of Amazon’s anthology series Modern Love.

Marquis Rodriguez

In addition to Rodriguez, Season 2 of the series will feature episodes starring: Minnie Driver, as previously announced, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Susan Blackwell, Lucy Boynton, Tom Burke, Zoe Chao, Maria Dizzia, newcomer Grace Edwards, Dominique Fishback, Kathryn Gallagher, Kit Harington, Garrett Hedlund, Telci Huynh, Nikki M. James, Aparna Nancherla, Larry Owens, Zane Pais, Anna Paquin, Isaac Powell, Ben Rappaport, Milan Ray, Jack Reynor, Miranda Richardson, James Scully, Zuzanna Szadkowski, Lulu Wilson, Don Wycherley, and Jeena Yi.

“We’re so excited to bring a second season of this series to life, and give an opportunity to really shine a light on what matters most,” said series showrunner John Carney. “With so much uncertainty in our current world, these stories bring truth and love to people everywhere, and I’m so appreciative to be a part of making that happen.”

Carney also serves as writer, director and executive producer. John Crowley, Marta Cunningham, Jesse Peretz, and Andrew Rannells will also direct episodes of this season, with Celine Held and Logan George co-directing an episode. The episode Rannells will direct is based upon a personal essay that he penned for the New York Times column.

The series is produced by Amazon Studios, Storied Media Group, Likely Story, and The New York Times.

Rodriguez’s previous credits include When They See Us, Chicago Fire and Definitely, Maybe.