Tag Archives: Shonda Rhimes

Ferrer to Star in Shonda Rhimes’ ABC Comedy Pilot “Toast”

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Tessa Ferrer is the toast of the town…

The 29-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress and Grey’s Anatomy alumna, the granddaughter of José Ferrer, has been cast in Toast, ABC’s hybrid comedy pilot from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers’ Shondaland, Scott Foley and Greg Grunberg.

Tessa Ferrer

Written by Foley and Grunberg and directed by Gail Mancuso, the project revolves around engaged couple Max Leeds (Jono Kenyon) and Paige (not yet cast), who, over their wedding rehearsal dinner, have their eclectic family and friends give toasts recalling anecdotes about the couple — but flashbacks reveal that the toasts don’t always get it right, as we watch the true story of their complicated, funny and relatable road to marriage.

Kenyon’s Max is awkwardly handsome, charming and unassuming, and worried about what his bride-to-be’s family thinks about him. After all, they couldn’t be more different: Paige is a sorority girl from a close-knit wealthy Austin family, and he’s a college dropout with a questionable credit history and a father in prison.

Ferrer is Jules, an up-for-anything Texas tomboy who is Max’s closest friend, his biggest champion and business partner. Fiercely loyal and protective, she knows Max better than he knows himself, and worries that he is too focused on the wrong things when it comes to meeting the right woman.

Ferrer played Dr. Leah Murphy on Grey’s Anatomy on Seasons 9 and 10, and she recurred on CBS’ Extant and on Stephen Falk’s FX comedy You’re The Worst. 

Díaz Returning to “Weeds” For Three-Episode Arc

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Guillermo Díaz is about to get into the weeds…

The 37-year-old Cuban-American actor will be reprising his role as Guillermo Garcia Gómez in the final three episodes of Weeds, beginning with the Showtime series’ 100th episode, according to TVGuide.com.

Guillermo Diaz

“I love Guillermo,” says Weeds creator Jenji Kohan of Díaz, who forms part of the cast of ABC’s Scandal. “Shonda [Rhimes] called me and was like, ‘You want my boy back?’ I’m like, ‘I love him!’ and she says, ‘I love him too!’ She was generous enough to let us have him for a little while.”

Díaz’s character was last seen being arrested outside the airport in Season 6 when he planned to kill Nancy (Mary-Louise-Parker). But his return to the series shouldn’t be as dramatic; Kohan says the rocky relationship between Guillermo and his favorite Blanca may have turned around.

“I just think Nancy and Guillermo have circled each other for so many years,” she says. “It’s time that they just accept the fact that they’re going to be in each other’s lives.”

“Nancy Botwin has this power over Guillermo that he, once again, doesn’t kill her when he pops up in front of her again,” Diaz adds. “They just go right back to how they were. We see that Guillermo ends up being a friend.”

Meanwhile, the 100th will see the series head back to its roots.

“The 100th episode is a return to Agrestic,” Kohan teased. “It’s a visit. It’s now Regrestic.” Kohan also said the 100th episode will address Nancy and Andy’s perpetual will-they-won’t-they tension.

As for the final episodes, Díaz’s Guillermo may not be the only fan-favorite character returning for a last hurrah. “Everyone who came back was important to me,” notes Kohan. “Those we couldn’t get back, it was a big disappointment.”

Weeds airs Sundays at 10:00 pm ET on Showtime.

The two-part series finale airs Sunday, Sept. 16.