Four-time Emmy Award winner Laura Linney (Ozark) has been tapped as the female lead opposite Kevin Kline and Jon Tenney in American Classic, MGM+’s upcoming half-hour comedy series from co-creators Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin and Fifth Season, with Mar-Key Pictures, Likely Story and Anonymous Content producing. American Classic centers on Broadway star and notorious […]Four-time Emmy Award winner Laura Linney (Ozark) has been tapped as the female lead opposite Kevin Kline and Jon Tenney in American Classic, MGM+’s upcoming half-hour comedy series from co-creators Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin and Fifth Season, with Mar-Key Pictures, Likely Story and Anonymous Content producing. American Classic centers on Broadway star and notorious
Four-time Emmy Award winner Laura Linney (Ozark) has been tapped as the female lead opposite Kevin Kline and Jon Tenney in American Classic, MGM+‘s upcoming half-hour comedy series from co-creators Michael Hoffman and Bob Martin and Fifth Season, with Mar-Key Pictures, Likely Story and Anonymous Content producing.
American Classic centers on Broadway star and notorious narcissist Richard Bean (Kline), who suffers a spectacular public meltdown and returns to his hometown and the family-run theater where he first became aware of his own brilliance. When he arrives, he is shocked to discover that his father, the former artistic director, has lost a step and that the once-respected theater, now run by his brother Jon (Tenney) and his wife Kristen (Linney) has become, by necessity, a low-rent dinner theater serving roast beef and murder mysteries. He decides to save the town, the theater, and the world by presenting a great American classic on the dinner theater stage, directed by and starring, of course, Richard Bean.
Linney’s Kristen Forrest Bean grew up acting in the Millersburg Festival Theater founded and run by the Bean family. She fell in love with Richard Bean at age 19 and ran off with him to try to make it in NY. Once there, Richard’s egotism served him better than Kristen’s quiet intensity and it was his career that took off. Kristen became increasingly frustrated and finally packed up and went home to Millersburg – where she eventually married Richard’s younger brother, Jon, and had their daughter Miranda. As the recently appointed Mayor of Millersburg, Kristen directs her passion as well as her strong practical side toward helping to keep the family theater alive.
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Production on the eight-episode American Classic begins in New Jersey this summer.
Linney recently starred in and executive produced the hit Netflix drama series Ozark, which earned her three acting Emmy nominations in addition to the Outstanding Drama Series one she shared in, and in the streamer’s Tales of the City revival. She won Emmys for The Big C, John Adams, Frasier and Wild Iris. In features, the three-time Oscar nominee most recently starred in the 2024 Suncoast, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Linney is repped by CAA, Lighthouse Management & Media, and Kevin Yorn.