Christopher McDonald Joins TNT’s Drug-Trade Pilot; David Costabile in ‘Billions’

Christopher McDonald (Boardwalk Empire) has joined the cast of TNT’s untitled Cocaine/Miami pilot, executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay. Written by Masters Of Sex creator Michelle Ashford, the serialized character drama is set in the wild and unpredictable world of the Florida drug trade in the 1970s. McDonald, repped by Gersh and Brillstein Entertainment, will play Corwin Barre, father of LuAnne (Kristen Hager) and owner of a fishing supply empire who lives with his wife in an affluent community and moves among Miami’s social elite. He next stars in History’s Texas Rising miniseries.

David Costabile (Suits) has been cast in the Showtime pilot Billions, written and executive produced by Brian Koppelman and David Levien and Andrew Ross Sorkin. The drama takes a forensic look at the world of high finance by tracking the approaching collision between two titanic figures – the hard charging, whip-smart U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades (Paul Giamatti), and the brilliant, ambitious hedge fund king, Bobby “Axe” Axelrod (Damian Lewis). Costabile, repped by Innovative, Gartner/Green and attorney Neil Meyer, will play Mike “Wags” Wagner, Chief Operating Officer for the hedge run by Bobby and is his right hand man. He just wrapped USA Network’s limited series Dig.