‘Straight Man’: Diedrich Bader, Sara Amini, Cedric Yarbrough & Suzanne Cryer Join AMC Series

EXCLUSIVE: American Housewife alum Diedrich Bader, Sara Amini (Future Man), Cedric Yarbrough (Carol’s Second Act) and Suzanne Cryer (Silicon Valley) are set as series regulars opposite Bob Odenkirk, Mireille Enos and Olivia Scott Welch in Straight Man, AMC’s series adaptation of Richard Russo’s novel, from former The Killing writer-producer Aaron Zelman and The Office alum Paul Lieberstein.

In the dramedy, from TriStar TV, William Henry Devereaux Jr. (Odenkirk) is the unlikely and reluctant chairman of the English department in an underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt. His discontent is rooted in unresolved issues with his father, a mediocre and entitled student body, and in the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans.

Bader will play Tony Conigula, a philosophy professor at Railton and Hank’s closest friend. After the failure of his first marriage, Tony has fully committed to the life of a Bachelor. And it suits him. He’s a lover, not a womanizer. Generally well-liked on campus, he’s an affable, charming guy, and he takes his work as a philosopher and a professor seriously.

Amini will play Meg Quigley, an adjunct professor seeking tenure at Railton, where her mother teaches as well. She is very bright and a great teacher but hasn’t published much and has to pick up shifts at the local bar to make rent. She admires Hank, perhaps in part because he’s a better role model than her alcoholic mother. Hank also admires her, and the two have an easy, flirtatious, rapport.

Yarbrough will play Paul Rourke, a poetry professor at the college. He drives a shiny red Camaro and is on his third marriage. Or is it his fourth? All of his self-esteem comes from his perceived sexual prowess, his masculinity. He’s always the loudest person in the room, always needing the final word, but he’s more bark than bite. Rourke self-identifies as Hank’s rival, though Hank would tell him to get in line.

Cryer will play Gracie DuBois, a poetry professor at Railton. She identifies more as a poet than as an academic, someone whose love of language makes her feel both connected to the world and also proud of herself and her abilities, though her real skill may be teaching. As a result, she feels threatened when others don’t see the value of her poetry, and she is constantly at odds with Hank, who can’t help himself from tweaking her.

Zelman and Lieberstein executive produce with Odenkirk, Peter Farrelly, who directs, Russo, Naomi Odenkirk and Marc Provissiero. Sony Pictures’ Television TriStar TV and Mark Johnson’s Gran Via are producing.

Bader most recently starred as Greg Otto on the hit ABC series American Housewife, which has wrapped its fifth and final season. He recurred on FX’s Better Things and HBO’s Veep and his film credits include Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite and Miss Congeniality 2, among others. Bader is repped by Paradigm and Artists First.

Amini is currently recurring on the CBS series CSI: Vegas and previously had a season long recurring role on Hulu’s Future Man. She is repped by Gersh Agency, Vault Entertainment and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.

Yarbrough recently starred on the CBS series Carol’s Second Act. He also spent three seasons starring as Kenneth on ABC’s Speechless and continues to recur on ABC’s The Goldbergs. He also recently wrapped indie feature comedy The Donor Party, the Netflix feature Unfrosted, the Universal Pictures/Apatow Productions feature comedy Please Don’t Destroy and the new Reno 911! holiday special for Paramount+, It’s A Wonderful Heist. His film credits include Get Smart, The 40-Year-old Virgin, The House and The Boss. Yarbrough is repped by Gersh, Greenlight Management and Fox Rothschild, LLP.

Cryer is coming off a series regular role on the last four seasons of HBO’s Silicon Valley. She also recently recurred on The Fosters, All Rise and Shameless. Cryer is repped by A3 Artists and Essential Talent Management.

 

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