James Roday has landed a special (forces) role…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actor and former Psych star has been cast as the male lead opposite Melanie Griffith in ABC’s untitled Molyneux comedy pilot (aka The Brainy Bunch), from Imagine Television and 20th Century Fox Television.

As part of the deal, Roday has received a blind script commitment from 20th Century Fox Television to write and/or direct a future pilot.

The single-camera Molyneux project, written/executive produced by Wendy & Lizzie Molyneux and directed by Jamie Travis, is inspired by the book by Kip and Mona Lisa Harding. Through a combination of genetics and dynamic home schooling, Kip (Roday) and Mona Lisa Mitchell find themselves raising extraordinarily intelligent kids. Kip is a former Special Forces Operations sergeant, now a stay-at-home father to his seven brilliant children.

Griffith plays Kip’s mother-in-law who takes them into her Orange County home.

In addition to starring on Psych, Roday wrote and directed multiple episodes of the USA Network dramedy.