EXCLUSIVE: Meet the first new Charlie’s angel: I hear General Hospital co-star Annie Ilonzeh has landed one of the 3 leads in ABC’s Charlie’s Angels pilot. The project, from Sony Pictures TV and Drew Barrymore’s Flower Films, is a modern take on the Angels set in Miami and centers on a new trio of young and sexy private eyes – Kate, Abby and Marisa – working for a wealthy mystery man. Ilonzeh will play Kate, a very smart and very athletic ex-cop and a master of martial arts. She is the most serious of our 3 Angels but also knows how to let her hair down and have a great time. Ilonzeh, best known for her role as Maya Ward on General Hospital, recently did arcs on HBO’s Entourage and the CW’s Melrose Place.
ABC's 'Charlie's Angels' Casts First Angel
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I’m not knocking the actress, but who cares? I would bet the series will last as long as the Knightrider remake did.Seriously hollywood, after those awful Charlie’s Angels movies, I thought you would be finish with this concept.And not to sounds sexist, but I’m really getting tire of the 5’2 90 pound female cop taking down the 6 foot 200 pound man on these tv shows.I mean the little women in NBC Chase taking down bigger man all the time, the super skinny model type on NCIS:LA using her karate skills to subdue a supposedly elite marine, and I know Salt was a movie, but Angelina Jolie and her Laura Flynn Boyle anorexic frame was just ridiculous to watch.If Hollywood insist on making these type of shows, can they at least get women who look like they can do damage to a man, and I don’t mean to his walet.
Aw, you’re takin’ stuff too seriously…c’mon look at Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Were we REALLY supposed to believe they can take down 20 guys all at the same time?
Thank you. If a small man can take out half the population of a city, then so can a slender woman. It is all in the leverage, not the bulk.
Plus the women on this show will have the added protection of being on Television.
Women’s groups will b|tch like wet cats if they see men abusing women on T.V. So Charlie’s Angels will ALWAYS win and the men will be at the very least be milk toast wimps.
You guys are kidding, right?
LMAO at comparing this lady to Jet Li and Bruce Lee as though those guys were weaklings.
LMAO! dumbest comment I’ve read on Deadline for sure.
Hey SethJ, I’m trying to stamp out false equivalency in 2011. Comparing kung-fu guys with decades of training to a skinny model chick. RIIIIIIIIGHTT.
I repeat, one guy taking out twenty other guys
You do realize that all those guys you mentioned are real martial artist who can really fight right? Also the average man even if slender is still stronger than the average small slender woman. The Bruce lee comparison is really bad because he’s a guy who worked out all day and was considered to be very powerful and fast. The man was cut like a short Asian incredible hulk. These skinny skeletor looking females don’t compare to any of the guys you mentioned. And they could do a better job of getting a female who looks like she could kick a man’s ,butt.
Wow….tell that to the creators of Hawaii 5-0.
Dear redmenace,
I could take your review a bit more seriously if you had some semblance of a command for the English language and the ability to spell. Otherwise you are spot on but why waste your time. Do you realize that you are dealing with Hollywood liberals; a.k.a. the most reality-challenged people in the world?
Let me guess – Abby was once with the police department, but was framed for something she didn’t do. She has a chip on her shoulder and “something to prove,” but more to herself than to anyone else.
Marisa is flirty but can kick ass. She came from a wealthy family but prefers to hide her background, for fear that people will see her as “soft.”
Waiting to see how close my stereotypes are to what they actually release…
Ha! Great breakdowns. I was actually thinking along those same lines.
Don’t forget, this is set in Miami so there will have to be an obligatory “spicy Latina” angel, as well. Probably Marisa, whose “wealthy background” will turn out to be due to her father’s illegal cartel business and she’ll have to “do the impossible… choose between family… and doing what’s right”.
Pretty! Congrats to her for booking this role. I know that damn near everyone in this town auditioned. Great job. Make the Angels’ legacy proud.
The next announcement should be Katie Cassidy and Odette Yustman. That way you have a Blonde and a Latina who are both smoking hot and complete the “diverse” trio of hotness. Round it all out with Lucy Liu continuing her movie role but now acting as te new “Bosley”.
Why does this have to be about “diversity”? Why couldn’t they just hire her because they felt she was talented enough to play the role? Or are actresses of color only allowed to be given roles white actresses might want if someone is trying to be politically correct? Maybe you think one’s skin color determines their level of qualifications?
No you presumptuous fool. I only said “Diversity” because it seems to be where the casting is going. I couldn’t care less WHO is hired, as long as they are hot.
Katie Cassidy is HOT. Odette Yustman is HOT. And while Odette is Latina, she mainly plays Caucasian roles because she looks like a prettier Megan Fox.
The final suggestion of Lucy Liu wasn’t because I wanted to represent every ethnicity. It’s because if Drew is producing it, her casting ties the new show to the movies. The movie “Angel’s” are the only “Angels” the target audience for this TV Reboot is going to remember. Not the Farrah version.
Cameron D. is too big of a star for this. Drew is too busy. And Lucy had a TV deal with ABC previously, so she has shown that she is unafraid to be on TV. Plus she still looks great.
In closing, I couldn’t give a crap ethnicity the women cast in a remake of a TV show from the 70’s are. Just as long as they live up to the “Jiggle Television” moniker the original got.
But with casting a woman of color as the FIRST casting news with this project, you can tell it’s going to be about diversity.
Can’t explain yourself without being insulting can you? Oh well, maybe you will learn to eventually. I was not being presumptuous, I was just stating a view different from yours. I guess you haven’t matured enough to the point where you are able to handle that. As for my comment, I repeat, why not consider that a black actress was the first one announced because she was the most talented? Is it unbelievable to you that a black actress would be picked before a white actress based solely on her qualifications and not due to some “mission of diversity”? You still can’t seem to wrap your mind around that possibility and therefore must result to using insults. Did I strike a nerve?
Can’t explain yourself without insulting others can you? Well, maybe you will learn to eventually. I was not being presumptuous, I just offered a perspective that was different from yours. I guess you are not mature enough to handle the fact that not everybody sees things exactly the way you do. As for my comment, I repeat, why is it so unbelievable that they would announce a black actress instead of a white actress as their first pick based solely on her talent and not due to some “mission of diversity”. You still can’t seem to wrap your mind around this possibly and therefore must resort to using insults. Did I strike a nerve? I think I did.
Maybe seeing a black actress as the lead character on a show with mostly white characters is new to you, but isn’t to me. In fact two of my favorite shows are mostly white casts with black female leads. Therefore, I don’t automatically conclude that a “diversity plan” is at work. Maybe they had color-blind casting and the best actress got the job, regardless of race. Imagine such a thing happening in the year 2011!
well, the original breakdowns for this project i believe called for a white or latino girl, black girl, and asian girl; so yes, i would say this pilot IS making an effort to have a diverse cast. there is nothing wrong with that. you can find plenty of talented actresses in each category. (although i am hearing now that they were unable to find an asian actress that fit well, which is why they opened it to other ethnicities. also fine.)
Well, if you say so. However the other two actresses are white and I find it hard to believe that they could not find talented Latino and Asian actresses in Hollywood. That seems like an excuse to keep the cast mostly white. They probably weren’t really looking.
However, “diversity plans” would be totally unnecessary if Hollywood was more open to hiring actresses of color. Hopefully, at the end of the day, they got the most talented actresses for the roles and did not use skin color as a qualification, because in the long-run these kind of “diversity plans” do little to accomplish real equality for actresses of color in Hollywood because people don’t see them as equally talented or valuable as white actresses and instead are only getting jobs because of the color their skin. I would rather see more shows like Southland where the lead female role was not written for a black woman but actress Regina King got the role because of her acting talent and ability and her skin color had nothing to do with it. Maybe more shows should engage in color-blind casting as well and let the best actress get the role regardless of skin color. Like I stated earlier, “imagine such a thing happening in 2011.”
Well she’s not horrible on GH, but she’s not exactly great either. Nor would she have ever been someone I would have invisioned in the role. Ah well. I guess if they want mediocre acting and a campy vibe (again) then it’s an ‘ok’ choice…
She hasn’t had a storyline on GH that will allow anyone to fully assess the extent of her acting skills. It’s not like they’re writing for her in the manner they are for an established soap star like Vanessa Marcil. And besides, when Farrah Fawcett debuted in the original CA she wasn’t exactly channeling Dame Judith Anderson in Medea.
Annie will be just fine for the one or two seasons that this remake manages to hang around. It will be wonderful exposure for her.
A Charlie’s Angels’ reboot…a Lethal Weapon reboot…it’s all so fuckin’ depressing.
What? They went with a soaps alum instead of, oh, I dunno, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who’s proven to be both a talented actress AND good at action?
Hilarious. Gugu just played this role and not very well. She was boring as all get out on Undercovers. She’s a beautiful woman, but all surface and no depth.
I was thinking the same thing. Gugu is gorgeous, but she couldn’t act her way out of a paper bag. I blame Boris for a large part of her flat performance, as it’s not like his wooden figure was giving her anything to really work off of, but even her scenes with other actors were just lifeless, and that’s being exceptionally kind.
I won’t be watching this hot mess either way, but I think they made a wise choice going with someone other then Gugu.
Yup, another toothpick-thin female “martial arts expert” who would snap in a stiff breeze. Just like the skinny Asian girl on Hawaii 5-0.
How are they going to do it better than Pam Anderson did in VIP? :)
An hour long test pattern would be more engaging and have a more believeable plot line then V.I.P. ever did.
Aaaaand…cue the “Anti-PC” Police…
Katie Cassidy needs to get cast as the blonde angel. She is perfect for this show.
I have nothing against the series, but I hope it fails. NO TO REMAKES!
Nikita star Maggie Q would have been perfect in the charlies angels reboot..too bad..but katie cassidy..if.available..would ne perfect for the farrah fawcett role..good luck!!..
Woo! Woo! Woo! Anti-PC Police, here!
But, seriously – this is very predictable. The “one of each” rule starts to look silly. We will, no doubt, see several races represented with the show, as always. Even the old James Watt list (remember that guy? He was vilified for that comment) doesn’t apply any more. It’s too short. The Middle Eastern/Indian representation seems to be leapfrogging over the Latino and Asian representation, so we’ll see.
Yes, I am old enough to remember James Watt, and how his “a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple ” comment sort of represented a watershed event. (and remember Ronald Reagan, the conservative icon, fired him for it)
Here’s the thing though: Have you seen the latest census reports on the racial makeup of America? Why shouldn’t there be something approximating equal representation on TV?
I had more diversity in my department. We had a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple and they all enjoyed Charlie’s Angels.
@Sorry
Do you have some inside information on the casting process of this show? Who told you they were trying to be politically correct in the first place? Does it not occur to you that there are talented black actresses in Hollywood who want to work? But according to you they should not be allowed to be given jobs on shows with white actresses because that is being politically correct or something? So tell me, what shows should hire talented actresses of color? Should they have their own shows? I guess you prefer the whole “separate but equal thing” because it poses no risk of the “races mixing” or being “politically correct”. Too bad the Civil Rights Movement ruined all of that of you.
PC or Anti-PC aside, it all comes down to dollars. Network TV needs eyeballs. At a certain point it just doesn’t make economic sense to not cast other ethnicities. The pursuit of green wins out.
But I do agree, middle eastern/indian has seriously leapfrogged black, asian and latino. USA network anyone?
completely agreed. as someone who has worked in a casting office (as nothing special, but seen the process, nonetheless), i can say that mid-eastern/indian is a way huger commodity than asians and possibly latinos. my guess is the bollywood crossover.
And the utterly clueless and talentless continue to run Hollywood. oh this is no knock on the actress, but you gotta ask yourself, when is Hollywood gonna think rebooting Sponge Bob Square Pants is a wonderful idea?
The worst part of all this is you’d think Drew Barrymore would know better.
Don’t care. Won’t be watching.
God. Are there no original ideas anymore? If Hollywood has to recycle, go back to the 40’s and update some great movies. No more iffy TV series….no one cares about this stuff.
While it’s nice to see an actress of ‘color’ cast, who really cares about another Charlie’s Angels. Some originality, people. PLEASE!!!
Everyone in town did audition for this, so congratulations to the actress. She should be commended.
But the reality is, this show will have to be impeccable to survive the scrutiny of today’s television viewers, who don’t automatically flock to a show simply because of a brand. Case in point: LOLA. Bionic Woman. Countless others.
Having read the Angels’ pilot, I can say (without implicating anyone because the writers are very talented) this tired concept is no longer relevant or fresh, and anybody would lack the ingenuity to revive it.
Since film has been eclipsed by brand names gone bad (cough, Iron Man) television is the only medium to deliver what its viewers want: Originality. Write it down, future producers. Tape it to your foreheads and remember it.
I’m just hoping this means she’s leaving GH!! Omg can’t stand her! Maybe she’ll do better on Angels….
Charlie’s Angels Fans would like to have Mike Pingel as Bosley!
What was her role in Melrose Place? I can’t remember, guess she didn’t really make an impact.
Farrah is rolling in her grave.
Because Charlie’s Angels was the pinnacle of high quality, innovative television? Rest in peace to Farrah, but don’t kid yourself.
Suggestion: one of them should be an expert with knives — and they should work in a joke for her every episode.
Because her grandfather, an old vaudevillian, taught all his old jokes.
I can’t believe this remake got greenlit??? But then again Cougar Town got the green light 2 years ago, so nothing surprises me anymore.
The only way I’d watch an ANGELS reboot would be if it starred Meryl Streep, Helen Mirren and Emma Thompson, with Nathan Lane as Bosley and James Earl Jones as Charlie, written and produced by David E. Kelley.
Huh? Wha..? Oh, sorry, I must have nodded off and was dreaming.
Now that would be awesome.