Natasha Rothwell joins Hulu’s Cable Guy pilot
Natasha Rothwell will play Gina in Hulu’s untitled Cable Guy pilot, joining Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans Jr. in the Sony TV project.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Natasha Rothwell is plugging into Hulu’s untitled Cable Guy pilot, with Deadline reporting that the White Lotus and How to Die Alone star has joined the cast of the Sony Pictures Television project.
The pilot takes its cue from the 1996 Jim Carrey film The Cable Guy, though this new version is built around a fresh setup for the streaming age. Deadline reported that Hulu and Sony Pictures Television are behind the project, which centers on the uncomfortable, comic edges of male friendship.
Who is Natasha Rothwell playing in the Cable Guy pilot?
Rothwell will play Gina, the sister of Steven Stephens, the character played by Damon Wayans Jr., according to Deadline. Gina is described as an offbeat woman with a dark comic streak who is living with her parents after an injury.
The pilot’s story follows cable technician Chip Douglas, played by Jake Johnson, as he drifts through a world dominated by streaming, binge-watching and recommendation algorithms. Deadline reported that Chip is pulled back toward a childhood connection when Steven asks to have his cable service restored.
That reunion gives both men something they have been missing, according to the project’s logline. The trouble arrives when Chip’s excitement over the friendship curdles into obsession.
Who else is working on Hulu’s Cable Guy pilot?
Johnson and Wayans Jr. are both starring in the pilot and also serve as executive producers, Deadline reported. Rob Rosell, Joe Piarulli and Luan Thomas are co-showrunners, with Rosell and Piarulli co-writing the pilot.
Neal H. Moritz and Pavun Shetty of Original Film are also executive producers. Deadline reported that Original Film is working under an overall deal at Sony Pictures Television, which is producing the project.
The pilot does not yet have a public title beyond its connection to The Cable Guy. A pilot is a test episode produced for a potential series, meaning Hulu can use it to decide whether to move forward with more episodes.
What else has Natasha Rothwell done?
Rothwell created, executive produces and stars in Hulu’s How to Die Alone. She is also known for playing Belinda Lindsey on HBO’s The White Lotus, a role Deadline noted has earned her two Emmy nominations.
Deadline reported that Rothwell recently returned as Belinda Lindsey in the third season of The White Lotus. Beyond acting, she has several projects in development through Big Hattie Productions, the company she founded in 2020.
Big Hattie Productions was created to develop, produce and create projects centered on marginalized voices in subversive ways, according to Deadline. Rothwell also has a genre-blending feature in development through the company.
Rothwell is represented by CAA, Untitled Entertainment and Jackoway Austen, Deadline reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.