Up-and-coming actress Elvy Yost, who stars on ABC’s “The Catch,” has joined the ensemble cast of Netflix’s original movie “A Futile & Stupid Gesture,” which tells the tragic story of National Lampoon co-founder Doug Kenney, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Will Forte is set to play Kenney, who was the editor of the Harvard Lampoon before he helped create the popular humor magazine National Lampoon. He went on to co-write the comedy classics “Caddyshack” and “Animal House” before struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, eventually falling off a cliff in Hawaii under mysterious circumstances.
David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”) is directing from a script by Michael Colton and John Aboud, based on the book by Josh Karp.
The rest of the “Futile & Stupid” cast includes Domhnall Gleeson as National Lampoon co-founder Henry Beard, Joel McHale as Chevy Chase, John Gemberling as John Belushi, Rick Glassman as Harold Ramis, Jon Daly as Bill Murray, Seth Green as Christopher Guest, Thomas Lennon as Michael O’Donoghue and Paul Scheer as Paul Shaffer. Emmy Rossum, Martin Mull and Matt Walsh also co-star.
Yost will play Kenney and Beard’s assistant Mary Martello, who was known in the office as Mary Marshmallow. Karp’s book describes her as “the ultimate hippie chick — warm, gentle, sensual, and maternal, yet keenly aware of the power she held over men.”
“Gesture” is being produced by Peter Principato and Jonathan Stern are producing. Ed Helms is executive producing along with Wain, Colton and Aboud, as well as Sean McKittrick, Ted Hamm and Ben Ormand. Production starts this week.
In addition to starring on ABC’s “The Catch,” Yost recently wrapped James Ponsoldt‘s “The Circle” with Emma Watson, John Boyega and Tom Hanks. She has also appeared in Spike Lee‘s “Oldboy” remake, Walden Media’s “Bandslam,” the HBO miniseries “Mildred Pierce” and NBC’s “The Office.”
Yost is represented by ICM Partners and Impression Entertainment.