Designated Survivor adds Anthony Edwards and Julie White
Following its cancellation by ABC in May, Netflix swiftly revived Designated Survivor for a third season and has now added Anthony Edwards and Julie White to recurring roles for the next chapter in the series, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
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The former ER and Top Gun star will reunite with showrunner Neal Baer, the fifth for the series, as Mars Harper, the chief of staff who is likable and folksy and respected by both sides of the political spectrum. His character is set to clash with other members of the staff, namely new campaign manager Lorraine Zimmer (White), as he finds the president’s needs are not at the top of everyone’s priority list.
White, known for her roles in the Transformers franchise and short-lived Matthew Perry NBC sitcom Go On, will play Zimmer, who will be a force of nature with experience running successful campaigns and is wary to work with President Tom Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland, 24), but loves the challenge of shaping a campaign for a politician who’s never been in one before. Her drive to win may result in dirty tricks being played during the campaign, as well as some ulterior motives for the president’s agenda.
Designated Survivor follows Sutherland’s President Kirkman after he was thrust into the role by a devastating terrorist attack. According to Netflix, the new season will resume with Kirkman preparing to fight for reelection. “Campaigning, smear tactics, debates, campaign finance and fake news” will all be among the topics explored in season 3. And because every show needs a touch of melodrama, the description also said that “democracy, as we know it, will hang in the balance.”
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“The continuation of the show via Netflix is a win-win for all involved,” said executive producer Mark Gordon in a statement. “The story of President Kirkman and those around him has not been fully told and we look forward to working with our new partner in continuing the show for a global audience.”
Natascha McElhone, Adan Canto, Italia Ricci, LaMonica Garrett, Tanner Buchanan;Kal Penn, and Maggie Q co-star in the series. Designated Survivor will resume production later this year, with a 2019 debut.planned for Season 3.
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