Jake McDorman and Joe Dempsie will star in The Right Stuff!
The 32-year-old Shameless actor and the 31-year-old Game of Thrones star have both signed on for the National Geographic scripted series inspired by Tom Wolfe’s bestselling nonfiction novel, Deadline reports.
Jake and Joe will portray two of the seven astronauts who made up the famous Mercury Seven. The remaining five will be played by Suits‘ Patrick J. Adams, Narcos: Mexico‘s Aaron Staton, Underground‘s Michael Trotter, Escape at Dannemora‘s Micah Stock, and Castle Rock‘s James Lafferty. Leonardo DiCaprio is an executive producer.
The Right Stuff focuses on “what would become America’s first reality show, as ambitious astronauts and their families become instant celebrities in a competition that either will kill them or make them immortal in the quest to be a part of Project Mercury.”
Jake McDorman plays Alan Shepard, “one of the best test pilots in Navy history, who is furiously competitive”; Joe Dempsie plays Lt. Gordon Cooper, “the youngest of the seven who was selected to everyone’s surprise”; Patrick J. Adams plays Maj. John Glenn, “a revered test pilot and committed family man with unwavering principles”; Aaron Staton plays Wally Schirra, “a competitive pilot with a gift for pulling pranks”; Michael Trotter plays Gus Grissom, “a no-nonsense test pilot who eventually becomes the second man in space”; Micah Stock plays Deke Slayton, “a taciturn but incredibly intelligent pilot and engineer”; and James Lafferty plays Scott Carpenter, “a soulful man who was dubbed ‘The Poet’ by the other astronauts.”
Production will kick off this fall in Cocoa Beach, Fla., for a 2020 global premiere on National Geographic.
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