Tony Award winner Nikki James has been cast in the CBS summer comedy “BrainDead,” the network announced Thursday.
James won the 2011 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Nabalungi in the hit Broadway musical “The Book of Mormon.” She also starred as Eponine in the Broadway revival of “Les Misérables.”
Her feature film credits include “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby,” “Lucky Stiff,” “All is Bright” and “Caesar and Cleopatra.” On television, she will appear in a recurring role on “The Good Wife” this season. She has also appeared in “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “30 Rock.”
As previously announced, Mary Elizabeth Winstead will star as Laurel, a young, fresh-faced Congressional staffer whose first job in Washington, D.C. leads her to discover two things: The government has stopped working, and alien spawn have come to earth and eaten the brains of a growing number of Congressmen and Hill staffers.
James will play Rochelle, a medical resident whose father died as the result of a mysterious infection. She and Laurel team up to learn what happened to her father, and protect others from the same fate.
Also, Aaron Tveit will star as Gareth, the Legislative Director to a top Republican senator, who is smart, hard-working, and ultimately responsible for helping to save the world.
“BrainDead” is produced by CBS Television Studios. Robert and Michelle King, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Brooke Kennedy and Liz Glotzer will serve as executive producers for CBS Television Studios, Scott Free Productions and King Size Productions. Judy Smith will serve as co-executive producer.