Melissa Leo To Star In Showtime Pilot ‘I’m Dying Up Here’

Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Louie), Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The Winter Soldier) and Clark Duke (Hot Tub Time Machine) are set for Showtime’s dark comedy pilot I’m Dying Up Here.

Written and executive produced by Dave Flebotte and executive produced by Jim Carrey, I’m Dying Up Here is set in L.A.’s infamous stand-up comedy scene of the 1970s and delves into the inspired and damaged psyches that inhabit the complex business of making an audience laugh.

Leo will play the lead role of Goldie, a brassy comedy club owner who rules over her business with an iron fist and nurtures her comedians with tough love. In his first TV series gig since his arc on Once Upon A Time, Stan will play the recurring role of Clay, a funny, charming comedian on the rise, who declares irrelevancy as his biggest fear. He is idolized by his ex and fellow comedian Cassie (Ari Graynor). Duke is a regular, playing Larry, a ballsy young comedian from Boston who moves to L.A. with the hopes of making it big. They join previously cast RJ Cyler, Erik Griffin and Stephen Guarino.

The pilot, based on the nonfiction book of the same name by William Knoedelseder, will be directed by Jonathan Levine. Also executive producing are Michael Aguilar and Christina Wayne for Endemol Shine Studios and Assembly Entertainment.

The Oscar- and Emmy-winning Leo’s upcoming film projects include Oliver Stone’s Snowden portraying documentarian Laura Poitras, The Fixer, The Most Hated Woman In America, London Has Fallen and The Big Short opposite Brad Pitt and Christian Bale. On TV, she can next be seen opposite Bryan Cranston in HBO’s All The Way portraying Lady Bird Johnson.

Stan has been busy in features, making him virtually unavailable for TV. (He was courted by ABC to headline its Once Upon A Time In Wonderland spinoff based on his standout performance as the Mad Hatter on the mothership series.) The Captain America actor currently co-stars in Ridley Scott’s The Martian.

Duke is best known for his roles in the films Hot Tub Time Machine and Hot Tub Time Machine 2, as well series regular roles in Greek and The Office.