“So You Think You Can Dance” winner and “Grey’s Anatomy” regular Jeanine Mason has been cast as the lead in The CW’s “Roswell” reboot, Warner Brothers said Friday.
The casting news comes shortly after The CW announced Julie Plec will direct the pilot. If the network picks up the series, Plec — who co-created “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals” — will stay on to executive produce.
The pilot will follow Liz Ortecho, a biomedical researcher and the daughter of undocumented immigrants, who returns to her touristy hometown of Roswell, New Mexico, where she discovers that her high school crush-turned-police officer is actually an alien who has been hiding his other-worldly abilities for years. She agrees to keep his secret and the two reconnect, but a violent attack stands to expose him and disrupt their growing love.
Carina Adly MacKenzie wrote the pilot, based on the “Roswell High” book series by Melinda Metz that also inspired the Jason Katims show that ran from 1999-2002 on The WB and UPN. Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank, Lawrence Bender and Kevin Kelly Brown will also executive produce alongside Plec. Brown was an executive producer on the original series.
Mason’s other credits include “Criminal Minds,” “You’re the Worst,” “Major Crimes” and “Of Kings and Prophets.” She currently stars as new intern Dr. Sam Bello on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy,” and she won “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 5. You can read more about her journey from dancer to actress right here.
Mason is repped by WME, 3 Arts Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown.
“Roswell” is one of nine pilots The CW ordered this season, a new high for the network.