Christian Slater To Star In ABC Pilot ‘Influence’

Christian Slater will play the other lead opposite Steve Zahn in the ABC drama pilot Influence, from Awake creator Kyle Killen and 20th TV. The project is described as a provocative workplace ensemble centered on the complicated relationship between two brothers — Clark (Zahn), a bipolar genius in human psychology, and Ross (Slater), a slick ex-con — who head a unique agency designed to solve their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation. Ross is described as a brilliant schemer, recently out of prison after a two-year stint for fraud. Roiling with ideas, given to rationalization, high-wired, often charmingly persuasive, divorced three years ago, also an inveterate ladies’ man, Ross has come up with a business model that he believes can make him and his team millions. UTA-repped Slater was recently seen in Bullet To The Head and Fox comedy series Breaking In.