Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Alfre Woodard will play the President of the United States on NBC’s “State of Affairs.”
With the casting, Woodard (“True Blood”) joins Katherine Heigl — who makes her return to the small screen — in the pilot.
Woodard will play President Roberta Payton, who hired Heigl’s character, Charleston “Charlie” Whitney Tucker — her late son’s ex-girlfriend — to be her legal briefer, according to media reports. Tucker is a key CIA attaché who counsels Payton on high-stakes incidents around the world while balancing her intense political responsibilities with a complicated personal life.
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Woodard has also been nominated for an Oscar (“Cross Creek”), two other Golden Globes (in addition to the one she won for “Miss Evers’ Boys”) and 16 total Primetime Emmys (she won four: “The Practice,” “Miss Evers’ Boys,” “L.A. Law” and “Hill Street Blues”).
The “State of Affairs” pilot was written by Alexi Hawley, directed by Joe Carnahan and produced by Hawley, Carnahan, Katherine Heigl, Nancy Heigl, Bob Simonds, Sophie Watts, Henry Crumpton, Rodney Faraon and Julia Franz.
The drama comes by way of Universal Television, Bob Simonds Company and Abishag Productions (Katherine and Nancy Heigl’s company).
