Apple has signed up some new talent for its upcoming television series, Are You Sleeping .
Octavia Spencer ( The Shape of Water ) and Lizzy Caplan ( Masters of Sex ) were previously announced as stars of the drama, and now Deadline is reporting that Basketball Wives star Tami Roman is joining the cast as a series regular, and Annabella Sciorra ( The Sopranos ), Molly Hagan ( iZombie ), and Nic Bishop ( Body of Proof ) will have recurring characters.
The thriller from Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, and is based on author Kathleen Barber’s best-selling novel of the same name. The story “provides a unique glimpse into America’s obsession with true-crime podcasts and challenges its viewers to consider the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage,” according to Deadline .
Spencer plays Poppy Parnell, an investigative journalist with a podcast seeking answers about a decades-old murder, and Caplan plays the twin daughters, Josie and Lanie, of the murder victim: their dad.
Meanwhile, three of the series’ latest additions will play members of the twins’ family. Bishop and Sciorra will portray their parents, Chuck and Erin Buhrman, in flashback scenes, and Hagan is their aunt, Susan Carver.
Last month, Deadline reported that Poppy’s father, Leander “Shreve” Scoville, will be played by This Is Us standout Ron Cephas Jones, and Roman will be playing Poppy’s stepmother, Lillian Scoville.
According to Variety , other actors taking part in the Are You Sleeping star-studded ensemble include: Aaron Paul ( Breaking Bad ) as the convicted murderer, Warren Cave; Elizabeth Perkins ( Sharp Objects ) as Warren’s mother, Melanie Cave; Mekhi Phifer ( ER ) as former detective and longtime friend to Poppy, Markus Knox; Michael Beach ( Dynasty ) as Poppy’s lawyer husband, Ingram Rhoades; Tracie Thomas ( UnREAL ) as Poppy’s older sister, Desiree Scoville; and Haneefah Wood ( Baskets ) as Poppy’s other sister, Cydie Scoville.
Macworld recently reported that Apple is said to be spending as much as $1 billion this year on original television programming. Those wanting to view these programs can access them through Apple Music.
In 2017, the company launched Carpool Karaoke: The Series , based on James Corden’s popular late-night sketches, and Planet of the Apps , a Shark Tank -like series for app developers judged by Will.i.am, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, and Gary Vaynerchuk.
Since then, Apple has been building up its TV lineup. In June, Oprah Winfrey signed a multi-year deal with the tech giant to produce exclusive original programming and content, and the company also has a deal with Sesame Workshop, the company behind Sesame Street .
Apple has given Are You Sleeping a 10-episode order. No word yet as to when the series will make its debut.
