Ashely D. Kelley and Anna Akana have been cast as series regulars in the NBC comedy pilot Hungry. The potential series also stars Demi Lovato, Alex Brightman, Jay Klaitz, and Rory O’Malley as series regulars.
Written and executive produced by Suzanne Martin, Hungry follows a group of friends who belong to a food-issues group helping one another as they look for love, success and the perfect thing in the fridge that’s going to make it all better.
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Kelley portrays Nicole, a divorce lawyer who is not fazed by anything — except a weight clause in a prenup, which gets her mad. She’s body positive but knows she’d feel better and live longer if she had some better habits. Akana will play Wednesday, who looks exactly like what she is – a trophy wife. Sustaining that takes a lot of self-control, but she’s so in control that it’s actually out of control, and it’s driving her and her husband crazy.
Brightman’s Cooper is so sweet, wry and self-deprecating that people are surprised when he tells them he’s a cop. He works for the LAPD’s Jumper Squad and spends his days talking people off ledges and bridges, often by offering pizza. He joined the group to lose weight for his wedding, but that gets complicated when he meets Teddy (Lovato) and is instantly smitten.
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Klaitz is Danny, a big guy with big appetites. Between food, drugs, alcohol and strip clubs, he lives in the moment and doesn’t worry about the future. Danny works in the family funeral home he grew up in, but it’s not sad or weird to him. It just reminds him that life is short – live it to the fullest.
O’Malley plays Linus, who is witty, smart and speaks in a way that suggests a lot of time watching RuPaul’s Drag Race. Tired of getting his heartbroken, he’s determined to lose weight and be the heartbreaker.
Hungry comes from Sean Hayes and Todd Milliner’s Hazy Mills, SB Projects and Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group. Lovato is executive producing the single-camera comedy. Hayes, Milliner & Scooter Braun, Scott Manson and James Shin are also executive producing. Hungry is produced by Hazy Mills and SB Projects in association with Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.