Apple Morning-Show Drama Adds Nestor Carbonell, Mark Duplass

The cast of Apple’s drama about a TV morning show, already dotted with big names, has added two more recognizable stars.

Nestor Carbonell (Lost, Bates Motel) and Mark Duplass (Togetherness, The Mindy Project) have joined the series.

The show, which has a two-season, 20-episode order, was one of Apple’s first big gets as it mounts a push into TV. The untitled series is toplined by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, who will star and executive produce.

Carbonell will play Yanko Flores, the morning show’s weatherman. Charming and with an artist’s soul, he thinks of meteorology as poetry. Carbonell will reunite with showrunner Kerry Ehrin on the series after working with her on Bates Motel.

Duplass will play the show’s executive producer, Chip Black.

The cast also includes Steve Carell as a news anchor struggling to maintain relevance; Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the show’s head talent booker; and Billy Crudup as the head of the news division at the network.

In addition to Witherspoon, Aniston and Ehrin, executive producers are Kristin Hahn, Lauren Levy Neustadter, Michael Ellenberg and Mimi Leder, who’s also directing. Brian Stelter’s book Top of the Morning serves as background for the series, and he is a consultant on the show.

Production on the show is set to begin next week.

The morning-show series is one of more than 15 scripted projects Apple has in development. The tech giant has yet to say how or when it will start bringing shows to viewers.

(THR)