CBS' THE HUG MACHINE
- Malcolm Barrett will play the lead role in the comedy pilot written by Sam Laybourne. Michaela Conlin and Allison Guinn have also been cast today. Barrett previously starred for two seasons in NBC's Timeless, one season in AMC's Preacher and in the National Geographic limited series Genius: Aretha. Conlin starred for twelve seasons in FOX's Bones. Guinn recently recurred on Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- Barrett will play Dan, a loving, unrealistic father of two. His obsession with music has alienated the people he cares most about, namely his two amazing kids and his ex-wife. So, when he stumbles into playing music at his kid's sixth birthday (swapping out the inappropriate lyrics from his adult band for more kid-themed material), he finds a way to keep doing what he loves while also getting a second chance with his family.
- Conlin will play Tara, Dan's ex-wife. She is a playful, creative mom and refuses to be the cliché of a judgmental ex. She was a bookish teen who rebranded herself in college, experimenting with drugs, professors and ribcage tattoos. Now, Tara's a pediatric cardiologist who wishes Dan could have grown up when they were still together.
- Guinn will play Nikki, an impulsive daredevil. She has been Dan's bandmate since college, sticking with him through thin, thinner and (present day) thinnest. While Dan's glow-up as a musician helps him become more of an adult, punk-rock Nikki has no idea how to process mainstream success and is a ticking time bomb of bad decisions.
