NBC’s days at the Television Critics Association summer press tour marked the return of familiar faces, several renewal announcements, and some news about “Peter Pan.”
During his opening remarks and Q&A session, NBC entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt announced that actor Christopher Walken has been cast as Captain Hook in the upcoming live version of the musical.
Following on the ratings success of last year’s “The Sound of Music,” NBC is prepping “Pan” for Dec. 4. Although the actor/actress portraying the main role has yet to be announced, Greenblatt was excited for the casting of Walken who, in addition to his memorable roles in films like “Pulp Fiction” and “The Deer Hunter,” has also worked in musicals on Broadway. “I can guarantee you he’s going to bring his own spin to Captain Hook, and this might be the first tap dancing Captain Hook that you’ve ever seen,” said Greenblatt.
Greenblatt also announced renewals for summer shows “America’s Got Talent,” “Last Comic Standing,” and “American Ninja Warrior.”
Actress Katherine Heigl attended a panel for her new series “State of Affairs,” where she was asked to comment about her reputation in some quarters as “difficult,” and whether she thought that assessment was due in part to sexism in Hollywood. She was also asked about remarks she made recently about her film career. Although she took a moment to collect her thoughts, the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star, who moved on to big screen romantic comedies like “Knocked Up” and “27 Dresses,” answered at length.
“I think I said that I felt I had stopped challenging myself,” said Heigl of her film roles. “I love doing romantic comedies. I love them, and I love watching them. But I stopped sort of … exercising different muscles of my ability. And then in that moment I felt that I was sort of letting down my audience, that I wasn’t challenging them either. I think a lot of people want to know why this show? Why come back to television? Because it’s an extraordinary role, and it’s an extraordinary opportunity, and it’s an extraordinary story. And it’s an opportunity for me to flex some different muscles and show a different side of myself as an actor and performer and storyteller that I hope my audience will be excited and love.”
Heigl said she wasn’t sure she could truly speak to the other part of the question about her reputation and that of her mother, who works closely with her and will serve as a producer on “State of Affairs.”
“I can only say that I certainly don’t see myself as being difficult. I would never intend to be difficult. I don’t think my mother sees herself as being difficult. It’s most important to everybody to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully and kindly. So if I have ever disappointed somebody, it was never intentional.”
Heigl also talked about how working as an executive producer on the show, in which she plays a CIA analyst tasked with debriefing the president, played by Alfre Woodard, felt like part of her maturation process.
“I’m not sure why I feel this way, but acting and performing has always felt a bit more like kid’s play to me because it’s something I’ve always loved, and I love the opportunity to tell stories and be imaginative, and the executive producing angle of it feels more like a grownup job.”
Taking a question about portraying the president, Heigl’s costar Woodard remarked, “We all know that the world will not spin off its axis if there’s an African American as President. So the gorilla in the room is that I’m a woman. And, hopefully, everybody will get accustomed to saying ‘Madam President’ in their homes, and so we won’t freak out when there is a Madam President.”
“State of Affairs” premieres in the fall.
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