Mamie Gummer has been cast as recurring guest star on National Geographic’s Leonardo DiCaprio-produced astronaut series “The Right Stuff,” TheWrap has learned exclusively.
An adaptation of Tom Wolfe’s iconic, bestselling book of the same name, the scripted series stars Jake McDorman (“Limitless”) as Alan Shepard, Patrick J. Adams (“Suits”) as John Glenn and Colin O’Donoghue (“Once Upon a Time”) as Gordo Cooper.
According to Nat Geo, “the eight-part series takes a clear-eyed, non-nostalgic look at the nation’s drive to be the first in space and the lives of the ambitious astronauts and their families, who gained instant fame in a competition that would either kill them or make them immortal. The first season takes place at the height of the Cold War in 1959, when the Soviets are dominating the space race. The public is in fear of a nation in decline, so the U.S. government conceives of a solution — NASA’s Project Mercury — creating the country’s premier astronauts from a handful of the military’s adrenaline-junkie test pilots. Seven individuals, known as the Mercury 7, are plucked from obscurity and soon forged into heroes long before they have achieved a single heroic act. Within the heart of this historic drama that’s populated by deeply human characters, two archrivals — John Glenn and Alan Shepard — jockey to be the first in space.”
Gummer will guest star on two episodes in the role of Jerrie Cobb. Here is the official description for her character:
Confident, strong physically and mentally, competitive, driven, personable, Jerrie is a seasoned pilot who wants to be an astronaut, and to start a female astronaut corps. Having passed with flying colors every test the male astronauts have taken, Jerrie meets with Trudy Cooper –the only pilot among the astronauts’ wives–to get her to approach Gordo about Jerrie’s plan. She argues reasonably and forcefully with Trudy, and is clearly a force to be reckoned with.
“The Right Stuff,” which premieres in 2020 on National Geographic, is executive produced by DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson of Appian Way, Mark Lafferty (“Halt & Catch Fire”) who also serves as showrunner, and Will Staples (“Shooter”).
Gummer’s previous credits include “True Detective,” “The Good Wife” and the 2012 film “The Collection.”
She is repped by Untitled Entertainment and CAA.