Olivier Martinez to Appear Opposite Maya Rudolph in New Apple Comedy Series

Olivier Martinez is bringing the laughs…

The 55-year-old half-Spanish French actor has landed a heavily recurring role opposite Maya Rudolph in Apple’s untitled half-hour comedy series from Emmy winners Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.

Olivier Martinez

Created and written by Yang and Hubbard, the series follows Molly (Rudolph), a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but $87 billion.

Martinez will play Jean Pierre, a handsome, charismatic, romantic billionaire. Jean-Pierre comes from a philanthropic, old money family in France and wants his family’s charitable foundation to collaborate with Molly. Although he intends to keep it strictly business, there is an undeniable connection between Jean-Pierre and Molly.

MJ Rodriguez also stars.

Martinez first became known in his native France for his Cesar-nominated performance in IP5: L’ile aux Pachydermes. He went on to star opposite Juliette Binoche in The Horseman on the Roof and in the features Before Night Falls and Unfaithful.

MJ Rodriguez to Star Opposite Maya Rudolph in Apple TV+ Untitled Comedy Series

MJ Rodriguez is taking a bite of the Apple(TV+)

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress, currently appearing in the third and final season of FX’s Pose, will star alongside Maya Rudolph in Apple TV+’s untitled half-hour comedy series created by Emmy winners Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard.

MJ Rodriguez

Created and written by Yang and Hubbard, the series follows Molly (Rudolph), a woman whose seemingly perfect life is upended after her husband leaves her with nothing but $87 billion.

Rodriguez will play Sofia, the hard-working executive director of the non-profit funded by her absentee billionaire boss, Molly.

Yang and Hubbard executive produce alongside Rudolph through her production company, Animal Pictures, with the company’s Natasha Lyonne and Danielle Renfrew Behrens also executive producing.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, will serve as the studio.

Rodriguez stars as housemother Blanca in Ryan Murphy’s Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe and Peabody Award-winning series Pose.

Rodriguez made history in becoming the first trans woman to win Best Actress in Television for her role in Pose at the 2019 Imagen Awards. She was most recently nominated for a Critics Choice Television Award and an MTV Movie + TV Award, and she won two Gold Derby Awards for her performance as well.

On the film side, Rodriguez starred in indie film Saturday Church, which earned her a Tribeca Film Festival nomination for best actress.

Her other television credits include Nurse Jackie and Marvel’s Luke Cage

Javier Veiga Receives NBC Pilot Order for English Remake of His Hit Spanish Series “Pequeñas Coincidencias”

Javier Veiga is getting a second chance to remake his Spanish hit series…

NBC has given another pilot order to the romantic comedy Someone Out There, which will be executive produced by 48-year-old Spanish writer and actor.

Javier Veiga

The network had originally ordered the project to pilot last year, but plans were halted due to the pandemic.

Someone Out There is a single-camera romantic comedy about two set-in-their-ways adults who are challenged by very unexpected strangers to become the best versions of themselves in order to find love and possibly each other.

Based on the Spanish format Pequeñas Coincidencias, created by Veiga, the English version comes Matt Hubbard and writing team Josh Siegal & Dylan Morgan. Produced by Universal Television, it is executive produced by Veiga and Emiliano Calemzuk, the former president of Fox Television Studios who was also CEO of Shine Group Americas.

The pilot was originally set to star Ryan Hansen and Aimee Carrero, but producers will look to recast.

Amazon Gives Straight-to-Series Order to a Comedy Starring Fred Armisen & Maya Rudolph

Fred Armisen is pairing up with a former SNL costar…

Amazon has a given straight-to-series order to a comedy starring the 50-year-old half-Venezuelan actor/comedian and his former Saturday Night Live costar Maya Rudolph.

Fred Armisen & Maya Rudolph

The Armisen-Rudolph single-camera comedy was created by Master of None co-creator Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, reuniting after working together on Parks & Recreation.

The logline is being held under lock and key, but Deadline.com is reporting that Armisen and Rudolph will play a married couple.

The duo will also serve as executive producers on the project.

This marks Armisen’s follow-up series to Portlandia, which is finishing its eight-season run on IFC.