NEW YORK, NY – January 15, 2015 – In recurring roles for a potential series, actors Luis Guzman (Traffic, Boogie Nights) and Finesse Mitchell (Saturday Night Live) have been cast as guest stars in the new SHOWTIME comedy pilot ROADIES. The project follows the day-to-day life of a successful rock tour as seen through the eyes of music’s unsung heroes – the crew members who get the show on the road. Luke Wilson (Old School, The Royal Tenenbaums), five-time Emmy® Award nominee Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Imogen Poots (The Look of Love), Rafe Spall (One Day), Colson “MGK” Baker (Beyond The Lights), Peter Cambor (NCIS: Los Angeles) and Academy Award® nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider) were previously announced as stars of the ensemble cast. Guzman has been cast as “Gooch,” the band’s cherished tour-bus driver, filled with stories and late-night wisdom. His easy-going manner belies a troubled home-life. Mitchell will play “Harvey,” the charming tour accountant, who has been known to dabble in side businesses that are not completely legal. The one-hour comedy pilot will begin production in Vancouver later this week.
ROADIES follows a hot-ticket tour, but with a simple twist: the band is in the background and the roadies take the spotlight. It’s an inside look at the reckless, romantic, funny and often poignant lives of a committed group of characters who live for music and the de facto family they’ve formed along the way. Oscar® winner Cameron Crowe wrote and will direct and executive produce the pilot (for a potential series). Emmy and Tony® nominee Winnie Holzman (My So-Called Life, Wicked, Huge), will executive produce and serve as showrunner, along with executive producers Emmy winners J.J. Abrams (Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest) and Bryan Burk (Lost, Fringe, Person of Interest). Kathy Lingg (Person of Interest, Fringe) is co-executive producer. ROADIES is produced by Bad Robot Productions, Vinyl Films and Dooley & Company Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television.
A beloved actor of television and film, Luis Guzman has been honored with three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations and one win for his work as part of the ensemble casts of Traffic, Magnolia and Boogie Nights. His other feature film credits include Carlito’s Way, Out of Sight, Top Five, We’re The Millers, Anger Management, The Count of Monte Cristo, Turbo, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Arthur, Old Dogs, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, He’s Just Not That Into You, Punch-Drunk Love and The Limey, which earned him an Independent Spirit Awards nomination for Best Supporting Male. His television credits include Oz, How to Make It in America, Community, John from Cincinnati and NYPD Blue.
Actor and comedian Finesse Mitchell is best known to audiences for his work on Saturday Night Live, and for his role as “Darryl” on the Disney show A.N.T Farm. Mitchell also serves as the host of B.E.T. Centric’s According To HIM and HER. His additional television credits include Tyler Perry’s Meet The Browns and Single Ladies. His feature film work includes Mad Money, Who’s your Caddy, The Comebacks, and the upcoming film Barely Lethal, which also stars Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Alba.
