“The League” alum Paul Scheer has been cast as Paul Shaffer in Netflix’s original movie “A Futile & Stupid Gesture,” which tells the tragic story of National Lampoon co-founder Doug Kenney, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
Will Forte is set to play Kenney, who was the editor of the Harvard Lampoon before he helped create the popular humor magazine National Lampoon. He went on to co-write the comedy classics “Caddyshack” and “Animal House” before struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, eventually falling off a cliff in Hawaii under mysterious circumstances.
David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”) is directing from a script by Michael Colton and John Aboud, based on the book by Josh Karp.
The rest of the “Futile & Stupid” cast includes Domhnall Gleeson as National Lampoon co-founder Henry Beard, Joel McHale as Chevy Chase, John Gemberling as John Belushi, Rick Glassman as Harold Ramis, Jon Daly as Bill Murray, Seth Green as Christopher Guest and Thomas Lennon as Michael O’Donoghue. Martin Mull and Matt Walsh also co-star.
Shaffer was a member of the house band on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” from 1975 to 1980 and regularly appeared in the show’s sketches — most notably as the pianist for Bill Murray‘s recurring character Nick the Lounge Singer.
“Gesture” is being produced by Peter Principato and Jonathan Stern are producing. Ed Helms is executive producing along with Wain, Colton and Aboud, as well as Sean McKittrick, Ted Hamm and Ben Ormand. Production starts this week.
Scheer recently co-created Fox’s net sketch comedy series “Party Over Here,” which airs on Saturday nights. He’ll soon be seen in the Lonely Island’s summer comedy “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping,” and he’ll also appear in the second season of Netflix’s “Grace & Frankie,” which returns on May 6.
Scheer, who recently wrapped James Franco‘s “The Disaster Artist,” is represented by UTA, Principato-Young Entertainment and Schreck, Rose, Dapello & Adams.