Shane Paul McGhie and Dasan Frazier Set to Lead Issa Rae’s Untitled HBO Male Friendship Comedy Pilot — Prentice Penny Attached as Showrunner
Shane Paul McGhie and Dasan Frazier are set as the leads in Issa Rae’s new untitled half-hour comedy pilot at HBO, Deadline reports exclusively. Written and executive produced by Rae, the pilot follows Menzel (McGhie), a 28-year-old barber and aspiring sports manager, and JB (Frazier), a 27-year-old up-and-coming boxer, as the two best friends navigate ambition, insecurity, and the pressures of professional boxing in Las Vegas.
The casting comes after HBO had already ordered the pilot, marking Rae’s return to the network following her move earlier this year to a three-year first-look deal with Paramount. Prentice Penny, Rae’s longtime Insecure collaborator, is attached as showrunner, executive producer, and pilot director, reuniting the two just as they’re both set to appear at an Insecure 10th anniversary event in Inglewood, California. Jax Clark executive produces for Hoorae, alongside Jonathan Berry and Dave Becky of 3 Arts Entertainment.
The casting places two actors with steady supporting and guest credits into lead roles on a project backed by one of the industry’s more established showrunner-creator pairings, the kind of jump that often depends less on individual auditions and more on who already has relationships inside a creator’s orbit.
McGhie’s credits include guest roles on Poker Face, Abbott Elementary, and Grey’s Anatomy, along with a lead role in the feature The Last Shift. He’s repped by Innovative Artists Entertainment and Josiah Akinyele at ColorCreative. Frazier most recently appeared in A Different World, recently renewed by Netflix for a second season, and will next appear in a recurring role on Delphi, Prime Video’s new series set in the Creed universe from Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society. He’s repped by Paradigm Talent Agency, Tassell Talent Group, and Fox Rothschild.
With leads now attached, the next marker to watch is whether HBO moves the pilot to series, and how it fits alongside Rae’s expanding slate at Paramount.