Emmy-nominated actor Sam Neill is set to star in Peacock’s “Apples Never Fall,” opposite Annette Bening. He will portray Stan Delaney, husband to Bening’s Joy, in the limited series adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s bestselling novel.
The drama series centers on the Delaneys, who from the outside appear to be an enviably contented family. Former tennis coaches Joy and Stan are parents to four adult children, and after decades of marriage, have finally sold their famed tennis academy and are ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. But after Joy disappears, her children are forced to re-examine their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh eyes.
“Apples Never Fall” hails from writer, showrunner and executive producer Melanie Marnich (“The OA”) and Oscar-nominated EP David Heyman (“Gravity”). Chris Sweeney (“The Tourist”) is set to direct multiple episodes, including the pilot. Moriarty, who has authored “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers,” will also serve as executive producer alongside Albert Page and Jillian Share.
The series will be produced by Universal International Studios’ Heyday Television.
Neill is twice Emmy-nominated, in the narrator category for Nat Geo Wild’s “New Zealand: Earth’s Mystical Islands” and for miniseries lead for NBC’s “Merlin.” He is best known for playing Dr. Alan Grant in “Jurassic Park,” “Jurassic Park III” and “Jurassic World: Dominion.” His other film credits include “The Piano,” “Thor: Love and Thunder” and upcoming “Assassin Club,” with Henry Golding. On the TV side, he’s appeared in “The Tudors” and “Peaky Blinders.”
