Jackie Tohn, whose credits include “Jem and the Holograms” and Showtime’s “House of Lies,” has been cast as Gilda Radner in Netflix’s original movie “A Futile & Stupid Gesture,” which tells the tragic story of National Lampoon co-founder Doug Kenney, the company announced Thursday.
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, Elvy Yost as Mary Marshmallow, Matt Lucas as Tony Hendra, Matt Walsh as Matty Simmons, Emmy Rossum as Kathryn Walker, Natasha Lyonne as Anne Beatts, Camille Guaty as Alex Garcia-Mata and Martin Mull as older Doug Kenney.
Radner was Doug Kenney’s friend who performed on National Lampoon radio and went on to star on “Saturday Night Live.”
“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.
“A Futile & Stupid Gesture” started production on Thursday, and Netflix will release the film in 2017.
Tohn has appeared on numerous TV shows, including “House of Lies” and “Castle.” She also appeared in Universal’s “Jem and the Holograms” as well as “Sisters” with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. She’s represented by TalentWorks and One Entertainment.