TATUM O'NEAL TO STAR IN MyNetworkTV's UPCOMING PRIMETIME DRAMA "ART OF BETRAYAL"
LOS ANGELES, July 20, 2006 - Actress Tatum O'Neal has been cast in the lead role of Blythe in MyNetworkTV's upcoming primetime drama "Art of Betrayal," it was announced today by Paul Buccieri, president of programming of Twentieth Television.
"We are thrilled to have Tatum attached to 'Art of Betrayal,'" said Buccieri. "Similar to her character Maggie in FX's 'Rescue Me,' Blythe, an abandoned mother, is a wonderful character that embodies an intensity very seldom seen in primetime television. Tatum is an extraordinary talent and her portrayal of Blythe is something we're very excited about bringing to MyNetworkTV."
Produced by Twentieth Television, principal photography on "Art of Betrayal" will commence later this month. The program will premiere at 8:00pm (Eastern/Pacific)/7:00pm (Central) in December and air 65 episodes Monday through Friday for 13-weeks. Hour long recap episodes will air every Saturday.
O'Neal, who most recently has been receiving critical accolades for her role as Maggie Gavin in Denis Leary's heralded FX drama "Rescue Me," will star in "Art of Betrayal" as Blythe, a woman scorned when her husband Theodore leaves her and their two sons Josh and Aaron to marry another woman for money. 20 years later, Blythe devises a plan to destroy Theodore's successful business and blissful life by grooming Josh and Aaron to marry his two daughters. Intent on ruining his life and gaining the satisfaction of doing so after two decades, not everything goes according to Blythe's plan. "Art of Betrayal" will also star David Smith and Jack Krizmanich as Josh and Aaron, respectively; and Jessica Ward as Emma, one of Theodore's daughters. Additional cast members will be announced in the coming weeks.
In 1974, O'Neal made history by winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance as Addie Loggins in director Peter Bogdanovich's feature film "Paper Moon." O'Neal was only ten years old at the time, making her the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award - an honor that stands to this day. She also won a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer - Female for "Paper Moon." O'Neal soon thereafter starred opposite Walter Matthau in the classic hit comedy feature "The Bad News Bears." Her other major feature film credits include "Basquiat," starring with Jeffrey Wright, Benicio Del Toro, David Bowie and Dennis Hopper; "Little Darlings," with Matt Dillon; "International Velvet," featuring Anthony Hopkins and Christopher Plummer; and Bogdanovich's "Nickelodeon."
In addition to "Rescue Me," O'Neal's television resume includes guest starring roles in Dick Wolf's NBC drama "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," HBO's "Sex and the City," the ABC sitcom "8 Simple Rules.For Dating My Teenage Daughter" and ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." She has also guest hosted "Entertainment Tonight." In 2004, O'Neal published her best-selling autobiography A Paper Life.
Targeted to Adults 18-49 and broadcast television's only all Hi-Definition network, MyNetworkTV will launch on Tuesday, September 5th, 2006, with its two dramas "Desire," scheduled to air 8:00pm (Eastern/Pacific)/7:00pm (Central), immediately followed by "Fashion House," starring Bo Derek and Morgan Fairchild, at 9:00pm (Eastern/Pacific)/8:00pm (Central).
A leader in the U.S. program production and distribution arena, Twentieth Television is a unit of Fox Television and headed by Fox Television Stations' chairman Roger Ailes while CEO Jack Abernethy oversees day-to-day operations. Twentieth Television provides a wide array of first-run and off-network programming, as well as feature film packages, to the syndication and cable marketplaces. First-run programs distributed by Twentieth Television include "Geraldo at Large," the news strip hosted by Geraldo Rivera, and the popular court shows "Divorce Court" and "Judge Alex," the number one new first-run program of the 2005-06 season. Furthermore, the company is set to launch the new first-run syndicated court show "Cristina's Court," hosted by Cristina Perez, in fall 2006. Twentieth Television also oversees the domestic sales of one of the most extensive libraries of off-net programming in the entertainment industry. Last fall, the company launched the groundbreaking drama "24," starring Kiefer Sutherland, and The Peabody Award-winning sitcom "The Bernie Mac Show" in off-net syndication. Twentieth Television sells national advertising units retained by the company in off-network, theatrical and first-run programming, as well as oversees advertising sales for DIRECTV.
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