Tag Archives: Paul McGuigan

Zabryna Guevara to Star in NBC’s Mystery Drama Pilot “Emergence”

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It’s an emergence-y moment for Zabryna Guevara…

The 47-year-old Afro-Latina American actress has landed a series regular opposite Allison Tolmanand Donald Faisonin Emergence, NBC’s mystery drama pilot.

Zabryna Guevara

The project hails from Kevin (Probably) Saves the World creators/executive producers Michele Fazekasand Tara Butters, director Paul McGuiganand ABC Studios.

Written by Fazekas and Butters and directed by McGuigan, Emergence is a character-driven genre thriller that centers on Jo (Tolman), a police chief who takes in a young child, Piper (Alexa Skye Swinton), she finds near the site of a mysterious accident who has no memory of what has happened. The investigation draws her into a conspiracy larger than she ever imagined, and the child’s identity is at the center of it all.

Guevara will play Abby, a pediatrician who is a longtime friend of Jo.

Guevara stars as Dora in NBC’s breakout drama series New Amsterdamand in CBS All Access’ Tell Me A Story. She will be seen next month opposite Ginnifer Goodwinand James Frainin CBS All Access’ The Twilight Zonereboot. She also co-stars in indie film Swallow, which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Alonzo to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “The Gospel of Kevin”

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Cristela Alonzo is preaching the gospel…

The 38-year-old Mexican American stand-up comedian/actress has been cast as the female lead opposite Jason Ritter in ABC’s The Gospel of Kevin, an hourlong drama pilot from ABC Studios.

Cristela Alonzo

Directed by Paul McGuigan, The Gospel of Kevin is a light one-hour about Kevin (Ritter), a down-on-his-luck man who is tasked by God with a mission to save the world. Kevin is a cluelessly self-serving jerk who’s on a dangerous path to despair. After a failed suicide attempt, he’s going home to stay with his widowed twin sister and niece for a time, only to be met with a crisis in the person Yvette (Alonso). Tough-talking but not without compassion, a “source of luminescence” and clearly divine, Yvette is a “warrior for God,” who explains to Kevin that he’s been “tasked with a sacred mission.”

Alonzo, the first Mexican American woman to create, produce, write, and star in her own US network show, has been courted to return to series television for awhile now.

Her 2014 sitcom Cristela was a Cinderella story, with a full pilot shot on a shoestring budget that beat the odds and landed on the ABC schedule, subsequently earning a full-season order. She appears regularly on Conan and The View, in addition to being featured on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham and Gabriel Iglesias Presents Stand Up Revolution. She most recently can be seen in her comedy special Lower Classy on Netflix.

Canto to Star Opposite Kiefer Sutherland in ABC’s Conspiracy Thriller Drama “Designated Survivor”

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Adan Canto is a survivor…

The 34-year-old Mexican actor will co-star opposite Kiefer Sutherland in ABC’s straight-to-series conspiracy thriller drama Designated Survivor.

Adan Canto

Canto, who emerged as one of the most sought after actors this pilot season, had been pursued for talent holding deals and received seven pilot offers since December until settling on Designated Survivor, signing a deal with the project’s leading studio, the Mark Gordon Company.

Designated Survivor, from ABC Studios, is building a formidable cast, with Canto joining previously cast Sutherland, Maggie Q, Kal Penn, Natascha McElhone and Italia Ricci.  Paul McGuigan is directing.

Designated Survivor, written by David Guggenheim and executive produced by Simon Kinberg, centers on Tom Kirkman (Sutherland), a lower level United States Cabinet member who is suddenly appointed President after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession. Canto will play the aggressive deputy Chief of Staff Aaron who advises Kirkman after the attack and guns for a promotion.

Canto has been working continuously on American television over the past couple of years, including playing the male lead in the NBC pilot The Curse of the Fuentes Women last year. His series credits include Narcos, Second Chance, Blood & Oil and The Following.