USA Network has found the lead for its drama pilot, “The Novice,” from “Hell on Wheels” creators Joe and Tony Gayton.
Shane Coffey will play Kyle, who’s desribed as a charming and highly intelligent recent college graduate who is forced to move back home with his parents and siblings when his job-search stalls. Somehow, his job search leads him to a position with a Korean crime organization.
Coffey played the recurring role of Holden Strauss on ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars” and Jimmy Nash on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” He also had a recurring role on TNT’s “Perception.”
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From Fox 21, “The Novice” follows Kyle as he strikes out in the corporate world and finds that a life of crime may be more up his alley. It is written by Joe and Tony Gayton, the creators of “Hell on Wheels,” and executive produced by the 21 Laps/Adelstein team of Marty Adelstein, Shawn Levy, and Becky Clements and New Wave Entertainment’s Matt Ochacher.
Coffey’s casting follows Thursday’s news that another USA pilot, an untitled project from Sean Jablonski, has also found its lead in former “Glades” actor Matt Passmore.
Currently, USA has several pilots in contention for series pickups, including “Complications” from “Burn Notice” creator Matt Nix, “Rush” from Jonathan Levine (“Warm Bodies”), and “Horizon” from Gale Ann Hurd (“Walking Dead”) and Bridget Tyler (“Burn Notice”).
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Coffey is represented by New Wave Entertainment and Pakula/King & Associates.