Book of Mormon Tony Winner Nikki M. James to Join Aaron Tveit in CBS Comedy BrainDead
(© David Gordon)
Tony winner Nikki M. James (Les Misérables) has been announced to join Broadway's Aaron Tveit (Next to Normal) in the new CBS comedy BrainDead, according to The Wrap. The series, which has received a 13-episode order, will premiere in summer 2016.
BrainDead will star Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) as a young Congressional staffer in Washington, D.C. who discovers that aliens have been eating the brains of politicians and their staffs. James will play a medical resident who teams with Winstead's character to find the source of a mysterious infection. Tveit will take on the role of an aid to a Republican Senator.
The series, which will be produced by CBS Television Studios, will be executive produced by Robert and Michelle King, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy, and Liz Glotzer.
Nikki M. James won a 2011 Tony Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for the role of Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon. Her other Broadway credits include The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, All Shook Up, and most recently, Les Misérables.
Aaron Tveit is known for playing the role of Enjolras in the 2012 feature film version of Les Misérables. On Broadway, he originated the role of Gabe in Next to Normal and has also been seen in Hairspray, Wicked, and Catch Me If You Can. He is set to play Danny Zuko in the upcoming live TV version of the musical Grease.
